SMS ~ Sensible Soccer Review

Overview

The Master System version of Sensible Soccer is the most different by far from any other system. Let's go have a look O-O.

Gameplay

Sensible Soccer was known worldwide for the simplicity of it's gameplay. Pass the ball around the field, get your strikers through the opposition defenders, and shoot to score marvelous looking goals. Nothing but sensible fun. This Master System version is very different. The sensibility and simplicity has simply gone out the window and you're left wondering how to get grips with the game! The sensible soccer of this game is ferociously ruined by the absolutely screwed up controls, playability and versatility.

You're guaranteed not to play this game after about 5 minutes of doing so.

1 out of 10

Graphics

Where did the entire trademark furry little footy players go? Again is this department, the game is very different. The players are suppose to look like professional football players, whose heads are nearly half their body size, because that's what all the other Sensible Soccer game's players look like. In this version, the players look like spoilt little school boys who can't even kick balls, let alone perform slide tackles.

On the bright side, the pitch does look very nice. A real pity, the school boys don't deserve to play on the nice pitches! As far as what they look like, they deserve to play only on mud!

I could understand how the Master System is an older 8 bit machine, but it's more than capable of showing better look players, like the ones on other Sensible Soccer games. Even the Gameboy does a better job of it!

3.5 out of 5

Sound

Quite a good attempt to liven up the game. The whistling sounds are highly realistic. But the other sound effects such as the kicking of balls only sounds of beeps and bumps. The Master System is far more capable than that.

The music, again very different compared to all the other Sensible Soccer games.

Where did the traditional Sensible Soccer menu music go? It only comes up on the post menu screen and then something else different, but on the whole it's OK.

2.5 out of 5

Playability and Versatility

This is where the game blows it all. Everything moves too fast!

First of all, where are the ball physics! I could understand how the Master System is an older 8 bit machine, but I've seen better ball physics in Pong! The ball rolls all over the screen, bounces so fast, that by the time you get grips with your players to chase it, it's already gone out.

Second, the players. Which one are you using? It's highly confusing, because again the game moves too fast.

Thirdly, how do you score goals? When you finally get ball possession, it's hard enough to pass it to the next player. You might as well hold onto to it. When you strike the ball, it goes out. Out, out out. The ball goes out too much.

Even the tough opposition can't score goals!

Even you'll struggle to score own goals!

So all this comes down to boring gameplay, hard playability and difficult controls.

On the bright side, it's easy to kick the ball out.

0.25 out of 5

Options

Not even the many teams in this game can save it. You got all your famous and big name teams, such as Manchester United, Byern Munich and Glascow Rangers, but quite honestly this makes no difference, because no matter which team you choose, you'll always have difficulty to control the ball, kick the ball, and everything else.

A shame. They're all European based as well.

On the bright side, there are a few real tournaments, like the European Champions League.

1 out of 5

For: Nice looking pitch, loads of teams, nice whistling sound effects

Against: Players go away from the traditional Sensible Soccer look to look like little school boys, poor sound effects, playability screwed up, too many outs, boring.

Other comments

If you would like to have Sensible Soccer, get any other version other than this, because the Master System version is far different and far worse than the any other platform.

Sensible Soccer on other platforms include: PC, Amiga 500, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, Gameboy and Atari ST.