''Dino Dini's Goal'' is a soccer

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

released by

Virgin Games Virgin Interactive Entertainment (later renamed Avalon Interactive) was the video game publishing division of British conglomerate the Virgin Group. It developed and published games for major platforms and employed developers, including Westwoo ...

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...

. It is considered by many to be the "true" sequel to '' Kick Off 2'' (in preference to '' Kick Off 3''), as ''Kick Off''s creator Dino Dini had moved from Anco Software and was responsible for all ''Goal''s engineering and game design. ''Goal'' introduced improved dynamics and A.I. over Kick Off 2, as well as other innovative features, such as multiple camera views. The game shipped 60,000 units on the first day of release.

''Dino Dini's Soccer''

''Dino Dini's Soccer'' was a conversion of ''Goal!'' for the Sega Mega Drive. Dino Dini's Soccer had all the relevant features of the Amiga version and it was graphically superior to it. The game implemented an innovative 4-way play feature. There was also a conversion to

Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in ...

, developed by

Eurocom Eurocom (formerly Eurocom Entertainment Software) was a British video game developer founded in October 1988 by Mat Sneap, Chris Shrigley, Hugh Binns, Tim Rogers and Neil Baldwin, to specifically develop games for the Nintendo Entertainment Sys ...

. However, this version was only an interpretation of the game, and Dino was unhappy to have his name associated with it, as he was not responsible for any of that version and had no creative control over it. The SNES version features a very different control method, with the ball on sticking to your foot to make running with the ball easier. The game is viewed from above and played up and down the pitch, without the left-to-right option of Goal. Matches can be between 2 or 20 minutes, and the scanner which shows player positions on the rest of the pitch can be moved, resized or disabled. The method of triggering aftertouch onto a pass can be chosen as well. The game features a variety of tournaments, including the full World Cup and its qualifying rounds, and the European Championships, or individual matches, as well as being able to configure a league or cup tournament to your own specification. Only international teams are included, although their names can be customised. Unlike most soccer games of the time, player ethnicities are accurately depicted.

Reception

'' Computer Gaming World'' in April 1994 said that ''Goal!'' "sound effects and animation are merely 'OK'". The magazine predicted that "'' Kick Off'' fans will definitely enjoy this one, as will many other soccer fans".

References

External links

*{{moby game, id=/goal_, name=''Goal!'' 1993 video games Amiga games Association football video games Atari ST games DOS games Sega Genesis games Super Nintendo Entertainment System games Video games scored by Allister Brimble Virgin Interactive games Video games set in Europe Multiplayer and single-player video games Video games developed in the United Kingdom