ITALIA '90

                             Codemasters - RRP 4.99

                           Budget Football Simulation


   Billed as the best value soccer  game  ever on 16bit format, Italia 90
   provides simultaneous 4 player  action,  full  11  player action and a
   skills section to keep  you  in  good  condition.  At  only 4.99 it is
   definatly cheap, around 25% of the  usual  price of a soccer game, 20%
   the price of others! It goes  to  show  that it is possible to provide
   cheap software on the 16bit format.

   So much for all the claims, how  does  it  play and what does it offer
   the player?

   First of all the game itself.

   Options are provided for 1,2,3 or 4  players to take part meaning good
   fun for you and a  few  friends  (if  you've got any), league options,
   redefine keys  etc.  Strangely  enough  there  doesn't  seem  to  be a
   facility to use the 4 player joystick  adaptor  so players 3 and 4 are
   set to fight it out on  the keyboard. There's a high-score section for
   the number of goals  scored,  options  to  change  your  team name and
   options to set the game length.

   The game is presented very well, including music by my friend Allister
   Brimble although I think he'll be the  first to admit its not the best
   music he's ever written but then he did write it a long time ago.

   The play is represented by an  extended over-the-shoulder view as some
   of the arcade games,  the  graphics  are  VERY  good, perhaps the best
   soccer graphics I've  seen  on  an  Amiga  game,  due  to the artistic
   talents of Bob Stevenson (well known  for his C64 graphics). Animation
   is generally fine and movement is quite fast and smooth.

   Control is fairly simple, just move  and  fire to pass/shoot (you have
   strength and 3 heights to kick the ball) that's all.

   The game is let down however  by  the gameplay, the opposing teams are
   just too un-intelligent  and  weak,  especially  the goalkeepers. I've
   tested just about all the soccer games available on most micros (being
   an ardent soccer fan) and  obviously  comparisons  have  to be made. I
   have my own theory that the strength of a soccer game depends upon the
   programmer responsible for writing  the  game,  for  example the worst
   soccer games have been written by people  who are given the game to do
   as a 'programming project' - these people program the game well and to
   the specifications asked but because they have no love for the game of
   football, the game lacks something. I think it is fair to say the same
   here, it plays ok but nothing special,  it lacks the touches that made
   Kick Off so good (ie  intelligent  players  and keepers and the things
   that make it SO much like  real  soccer). Keepers who stand halfway in
   their boxes for penalties hardly help.  Beating the keeper is a doddle
   and even though the  teams  are  supposed  to  get  more skillful the
   further you progress in the knock-out  competition I didn't notice it,
   winning 17-0, 22-0 and 21-0 in the  final (5 mins each way). First go.
   Enough said I think, as I've said I'm no mean game player either.

   The Skill Game.

   This section gives you the chance to score by doing various events and
   exercises and is  basically  a  remix  of  the  waggle-a-score Olympic
   games, this time you  have to waggle-a-squat-thrust, waggle-a-jump(!),
   waggle-a-lift,  waggle-a-run  and  waggle-left-right-jump-press-waggle
   for other things. Its a  case  of  'seen  it  all, done it all before'
   though the graphics are nice. I hope Peter Shilton does as well as the
   keeper in the penalty shoot-outs - he saved 8 out of 10 penalties.

   To sum up, Italia  90  lacks  the  polished  gameplay  of Kick Off and
   cannot really be compared with it, certainly not by true soccer fans.

   However the price is cheap and its by  a long way not the worst soccer
   game to appear, for people who  aren't  that keen on soccer to warrant
   spending 20pounds or want something  for  a younger soccer player (who
   might find Kick off a  little  difficult)  then  its  ideal, in fact I
   would recommend this to  younger  Amiga  players,  I  don't think 4.99
   would be money wasted to shut the  kids  up! Obviously Dad is going to
   be more impressed shelling out just a fiver than twenty notes, even if
   the crowd sound does sound like a toilet re-filling with water.

   I've also worked out why the  opposing  team  has a yellow strip, it's
   because they are always getting pi$$ed on!

   Graphics:     85%   Nicely presented, very good game graphics

   Sound   :     60%   Iffy, nice whistle - that's about all.

   Gameplay:     70%   Doubtful about the attractions for the older
                       more experienced players, soccer fans may be
                       disappointed. Youngsters will like it though.

   Value   :     95%   For the price its very good value considering
                       its appeal for the youngsters and also some
                       of the soccer games released at 20pounds +

   Overall :     65%   Rating for soccer fans and experienced players
                       Stick  to  Kick Off  until something better is
                       released (if that's possible).

                 90%   Rating for younger people and families with a
                       few youngsters wanting to play a nice little
                       game of football that's easily controlled and
                       is fun. There's also the training game which
                       will appeal too.


Review by Martyn the Leeds fan*

[*Ok, some could argue about what I know about football!]