FIFA International Soccer

FIFA International Soccer kicked off one of the longest-running sports video game series on the Super Nintendo, and right from its first entry it brought an unconventional isometric view of the pitch, which set it apart from the side perspectives more common in football games at the time. The player controls national teams from licensed competitions, alternating passes, crosses and shots, and has to learn to work with a somewhat unusual camera angle that nonetheless offers a good overview of player positioning across the whole pitch, even during fast counterattacks.

The gameplay built on a brisk, arcade-like pace with emphasis on combinations and quick transitions into attack, complemented by game modes including leagues and tournaments between national teams, in which the player could pick a favorite national side and take it through an entire competitive cup. The graphics were clean and colorful by the standards of the time, with fluid animation of player movement and shots on goal, and the soundtrack, including its unmistakable opening theme, became one of the recognizable hallmarks of the whole FIFA brand for years to come. Crowd and pitch sound effects rounded out the match atmosphere even without fully voiced commentary, which wasn't a given on consoles at the time and which players appreciated.

FIFA International Soccer became the commercially and critically successful foundation on which Electronic Arts built the most enduringly successful football series in video game history. Its unusual camera and emphasis on fluid, arcade-like fun still make it an interesting counterpoint to more realistically pitched football simulations today, and a reminder of a time when the ideal way to depict and control football on consoles was still being sought, before today's usual semi-side view of the pitch became standard. For fans of the series, returning to this first entry is a pleasant stroll back to the very roots of a brand that remains among the best-selling sports series of all time.

Why play it: For fans of the FIFA series, returning to the first entry offers a pleasant stroll to the brand's roots — the unusual camera and arcade fun recall a time when the ideal way of depicting football on consoles was still being sought.