Game Review: Five-a-Side Soccer (Commodore 64, Mastertronic and MAD)

The origins of Five-a-Side Soccer are not even from a football related game, but an ice hockey one.  The US publisher Advantage Artworx had already released Slap Shot, which featured a scrolling ice hockey pitch with goals, and tripping, fighting and speech, with the speech synthesis from Electronic Speech Systems (the same company who brought you the Impossible Mission speech no less).  A football (aka soccer) version just needed tweaks to the graphics and the player sprites, as the main gameplay engine was already there.  Although not released on the C64 in the US by Advantage Artworx, the game made it over to the UK and was published via Anirog as Five-a-Side Football, with one minor difference.  That was that the speech was altered, using the Covox Voicemaster for samples instead, with a loud “Here we go” football chant at kick off which you could not skip, and unintelligible cheering when a goal was scored.

The game was then released by Mastertronic in the US, and made its way to the MAD label in the UK as Five-a-Side Soccer.  The most notable thing about the MAD release is that not only does it share the same catalogue number as Spellbound (MAD 9) but it also does not have the name of the game on the side spine either.  The Amstrad CPC version of this release also has the same two side spine errors too – same catalogue number and no game name.  There are also a couple of key differences which we will mention during this review, but nonetheless those are some points to watch out for.

Here We Go, Here We Go, Here We Go

The game loads with a loading screen that clearly looks like someone was attempting to draw Pelé playing on a pitch.  The title screen, all in the standard Commodore PETSCII, shows the name as just Five a Side, with options of playing a one or two player game, or just doing penalty kicks for the one or two players.  If playing the standard game, you can choose from the three difficulty levels, each harder than the last and a lot more difficult to put together some flowing moves.  Instead, you can rely more on other tactics of the dark arts.  If you selected a one or two player game, your players are in the middle of the pitch and a whistle noise indicates kick off.

Indoor League

If playing as one player, you play in light blue, kicking left to right in the first half, with the opponent in orange.  The highlighted player is dark blue for player one, and yellow for player two or the computer, and it is only that highlighted player that can kick the ball, make a foul or run with the ball glued to his feet.   Straight away, you will notice that running with the ball does appear to slow you down and the opponent can take the ball off you by running into you.  You can appear to run a little faster diagonally, which may be handy when attempting to get possession back or when wanting to run away from the defender.   Pressing fire aims the ball in the direction you are facing, with a longer hold of fire meaning a longer chipped or lofted ball.  This also means you can use the directions to rebound the ball off the walls that surround the pitch too.

Sweeper Keeper

If the ball comes towards your goal, your highlighted player becomes the goalkeeper, and he can move and be ready to press fire and the direction to save the ball, or sit still and press fire to punch the ball out.  The tricky balls to defend are those with some air in it (if for example fire was held when shooting) so you will need to be way of that when controlling the goalkeeper.  Sometimes you may also dive too early and look in anguish as your opponent then shoots into the goal.  Here, you get some speech too with the Commodore 64 proclaiming “He scores!” – the same speech as in Slap Shot, in fact.

Fighting Chance

You can also partake in the dark arts of football too.  If you do not have the ball, you can press fire to kick at an opponent to get the ball back. If successful you will see them hit the floor, slightly dazed, allowing you to claim that ball.  On rare occasions, and if being too persistent with fouls, this turns into a small fight with the computer yelling “Fight” as you take turns to knock lumps out of each other.  That does result in a penalty kick for both sides which may give you a chance to score and take the lead, provided you can save against your opponent’s kick of course.

Paying The Penalty

Whether you have chosen to play penalty kicks, where it is five shots per side, or if you are playing penalties due to the fights or the score being level after two halves of play, the gameplay is the same.  Each player takes turns to take a shot with the directions aiming the ball and pressing fire to shoot.  If you are the goalkeeper, you can dive in the direction by pressing fire and attempting to save the shot.  It is very much a reaction test and you need to be ready quickly to make a save.  Often, the computer opponent is very hard to beat in net so you are best making sure you save his shot.

Unfair Advantages

Certainly, being able to move quicker diagonally can sometimes be an advantage you can work in your favour against the computer opponent and in two player mode.  However, you cannot change your highlighted player quick enough, or the nearest one is not allocated, whereas the computer one always seems to be nearby, allowing for some slick passing moves and an easier route to goal most of the time.  Your best bet in one player is constant fouling to get the ball and make the most of the diagonal runs with the ball.  As a result, despite the responsive controls, the game can get somewhat dull, and frustrating as the computer has a better advantage overall even at easy level.  At least in two player mode it feels a lot more of a level playing field.

Graphics and Sound

The graphics in Five-a-Side Soccer are average for its time – with some animation for the players, and the ball bouncing with a shadow effect to help you determine its location being useful.  The sprites are relatively small but seem in more proportion the pitch, but those pitch dimensions seem a little too long.  The crowd has some very basic animation and the odd banner being held up as well.  The sound has a few effects when kicking the ball (or the opponent) and the speech plays when you score, if there is a penalty or a fight ensuing.

Final Thoughts

Five-a-Side Soccer certainly has an interesting history, and the game itself may work well with two players against each other, but it does seem fairly limited in its approach.  The fact you can run faster using the diagonals can give you a small advantage, as well the dark arts of the fouls, but as a football spectacle there is something lacking – maybe it is the fact that the computer opponent, even on the easiest level, seems a little too difficult. The fact you cannot easily change your controlled character means that you are often on a wild goose chase to try and get the ball back.  The basics are there for a good game but it does lack execution and if it was a bit more polished and playable it may have done well.  Now, back to Commodore’s classic International Soccer for a blast against a friend…

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