Four Best Major Football Tournament Video Games
This summer sees the Euro 2020 football tournament finally take place, a year after it was initially scheduled.
It is set to be a unique tournament, played across Europe with some matches even here in England. Those matches will be played at Wembley, unlike the last time a major tournament arrived on these shores. In 1996, the Nottingham local economy was boosted as three group games took place right here. Turkey, Croatia and Portugal all played at the City Ground in the group stages, although Football Pink reported that both were swiftly eliminated in the quarter-finals, as was the venue.
This year, Portugal are likely to be amongst the favourites, as are World Cup runners up Croatia. With football ‘coming home’ once again, England will also be hopeful of restoring some national pride in Euro 2020. In a Bwin Sports feature on Euro 2020, it is revealed that the Three Lions had the best attack in qualifying, and they have a favourable group too. Croatia are their toughest opponents, whilst a game against Scotland invokes more memories of Euro 96.
Any major tournament brings a lot of excitement not just in England, but worldwide. Video game fans can expect the customary release, something many are doubtless waiting for with bated breath. For as long as one cares to remember, consoles and home computers have seen releases that tie in with such events, both official and unofficial. Currently, Pro Evolution Soccer, better known as PES, has a license and releases the content as an expansion pack, although many developers have taken the opportunity to cash in quickly with a whole new game.
In some instances, that has backfired, but in others, they have ended up with a classic game on their hands. Just which releases have stood out, both for European Championships and the World Cup? We’ve picked four of the best here for you to enjoy looking back at and maybe even revisiting ahead of the summer festival of football.
Football Manager 2018 - PC
The Football Manager series is hugely popular and has resulted in remarkable real-life stories and job openings for successful players. Gamers have been able to manage internationally since the mid-nineties when the franchise was known as Championship Manager, but the most recent tournament offered the in-depth analysis and stat-riven experience the game is known for. You can keep going back to play almost every tournament back to Euro 96, but the most recent is surely the best.
World Cup Italia '90 – Megadrive
There have been games since which beat this graphically, that have better rosters, more game modes and a deeper experience, but has there been one with the same cultural impact? The answer surely must be no. Italia ’90 was the first tournament that saw many releases for home computers, certainly playable ones, and that makes this not only a cult classic but the granddaddy of everything that has followed since.
Sensible Soccer: European Championship Edition – Amiga / PC
Sensible Soccer was another behemoth of the nineties, a game that touched the lives of football fans everywhere. It had depth, more teams than you had ever seen and the all-important aspect of any game, playability. It was easy to sit up until 2am on ‘Sensi’ as it was known, simulating matches. This release allowed you to play through Euro 96 and as such, became a vital companion for gamers and football fans alike.
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa - Xbox 360/PS3/Wii
Recent tournaments have suffered a little; Euro 2018 came as a release through PES and didn’t even feature all the country’s proper kits, whilst EA dropped World Cup 2014 on PS3 and Xbox 360, ignoring the newer machines in many homes. That makes their 2010 offering perhaps the best of them all, and it was a tough sell even then. How do you convince gamers to fork out another £40 on top of what they have already paid for the domestic game, which doubtless has the international teams on it? By making it astounding, 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa was unlike any tie-in that had gone before, with an online World Cup which stole the show. You could even play back through the qualifying rounds to try to bring minnows such as Burundi, Andorra and Scotland to the finals.
