International Superstar Soccer (video game)

This article is about the 1994 video game. For the whole series, see International Superstar Soccer.

International Superstar Soccer
North American box art
Developer(s)	Konami [1]
Publisher(s)	Konami Computer Entertainment Osaka [1]
Director(s)	Yasuo Okuda [1]
Programmer(s)	Yasuo Okuda Eiji Nakagawa [1]
Composer(s)	Harumi Ueko Hideyuki Eto [2]
Series	International Superstar Soccer
Platform(s)	SNES
Release	JP: November 11, 1994 [3] EU: May 23, 1995 NA: June 1995
Genre(s)	Football (Sports)
Mode(s)	Single-player Multiplayer

International Superstar Soccer ^[a] is a football video game developed by Konami for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the first title in the International Superstar Soccer (ISS) series of sports video games. The game sold over 500,000 copies. ^[4]

Content

Game modes

• Open Game: A simple friendly match, that can be played against the CPU, another player, or just watched as the CPU controls both teams.
• International Cup: A mode that emulates the FIFA World Cup, (which had qualifying round. where teams are distributed in six groups of four that year), teams each. The best 16 in this stage qualify to the knockout stage until the champion is known.
• World Series: A league competition where all teams play against each other in a round-robin system.
• Training: A series of challenges in different respects (dribbling, passing, shooting to the goal, defending and corner kick taking, in order), where the player must complete these challenges successfully under the established time, with the goal to sharpening the player's abilities.
• Scenario: Enables the player to select one among nine matches running their courses, in order to achieve victory before time runs out (all matches start during the second half, and the player's team may be losing or tied). A draw results in failure.
• Penalty Kick: A simple penalty kick match. Each team takes five shots alternately and, if there is no winner after these shots, they go into a sudden death round.

The game uses a password system in order to save and load International Cup and World Series Euro Cup matches.

Teams

There are 26 national teams and a secret team. These are the teams that appear in both versions, in the order they appear in the team selection screen.

• Italy
• Germany
• South Korea
• Cameroon
• Nigeria
• United States
• Mexico
• Colombia
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Bulgaria
• Romania
• Belgium
• Ireland
• Sweden
• France
• England
• Spain
• Netherlands
• Super Star Team

These are the teams that appear only in the USA/EUR version:

• Russia
• Switzerland
• Austria
• Norway
• Denmark
• Wales
• Scotland

These are the teams that appear only in the JAP version (based in the AFC Final Round for the 1994 FIFA World Cup)

• Iraq
• Iran
• North Korea
• Saudi Arabia
• Japan

Reception

On release, Famicom Tsūshin scored the game a 29 out of 40. ^[5] GamePro said it was "a runner-up to" FIFA International Soccer (1993) "among the best soccer games." The reviewer commented that, though it fails to dethrone FIFA International Soccer as the best soccer simulator for the SNES because of its less precise controls and weaker sounds, International Superstar Soccer is a solid game due to its detailed and "lifelike" graphics, numerous options, and particularly its training mode. ^[6] The two sports reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly both gave it a 7 out of 10 rating. Similar to GamePro, they remarked that the controls are imperfect but praised the graphics and play options. One of the reviewers complained that the enjoyable play-by-play feature of the Japanese version was taken out of the North American release. ^[7] A reviewer for Next Generation assessed that "Providing fast action, a reasonably good commentator and pretty good graphics, International Super Star Soccer is a solid effort if not exactly special." He gave it three out of five stars. ^[8]

Next Generation reviewed the SNES version of the game, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "the simple controls and plethora of season options outweigh the minor annoyances." ^[9]

IGN ranked International Superstar Soccer 64th on their "Top 100 SNES Games of All Time." They praised the game calling it "An incredibly thorough, detailed and accurate conversion of its sport of choice." ^[10]

Allejo

Due to lack of licenses of FIFA, Konami created fictional names to represent real players. One of them is Allejo, modeled after Bebeto. Seen by some as a Brazilian meme, Allejo gained popularity as a skilled player capable of impossible moves and goals. He was pointed as national phenomenon ^[11] and he's been actually considered one of the best Brazilian footballers of all times. ^{[12] [13]}

Notes

1. Known as Jikkyō World Soccer Perfect Eleven (実況ワールドサッカーパーフェクトイレブン, Jikkyō Wārudo Sakkā Pāfekuto Irebun, "Live World Soccer Perfect Eleven") in Japan

References

1. International Superstar Soccer at MobyGames
2. Game profile of International Superstar Soccer at SNES Music
3. International Superstar Soccer at GameFAQs
4. "Untitled". Leicester Mercury . January 20, 1996. p. 16. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
5. NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: 実況ワールドサッカー PERFECT ELEVEN. Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No.309. Pg.38. 11–18 November 1994.
6. "Konami Soccer Comes Close". GamePro . No. 69. IDG. April 1995. p. 100.
7. "Team EGM: International Superstar Soccer (SNES) by Konami". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 68. Sendai Publishing. March 1995. p. 102.
8. "International Super Star Soccer". Next Generation . No. 13. Imagine Media. January 1996. pp. 170, 173.
9. "Finals". Next Generation . No. 8. Imagine Media. August 1995. p. 77.
10. Top 100 SNES Games of All Time - IGN.com , retrieved 2022-07-01
11. "Fenômeno Allejo prova que caráter oficial não garante sucesso de games".
12. "Que Fim Levou? – Allejo".
13. "Que Messi, que Neymar, que Pandolfo, que Cristiano Ronaldo, que Iniesta? O melhor jogador do mundo foi, e sempre será, ALLEJO!".