I remember that in the 1990s, when I was still in junior high school, I would save a dollar from my pocket money every day just so I could go to the arcade after school and play the "Captain Soccer" game. Toss a coin and choose the Japanese team. As soon as Ohsora Tsubasa's curve shot came out, a circle of people surrounded the machine and cheered. No matter who knew the tactics at that time, whoever had faster hands would be able to kill with accuracy. If you lose, take out the second coin. If you are not convinced, come back again. Playing for an entire afternoon is worth the beating when you go home.
Later, when I went to high school, I had a Pentium computer at home. I started playing FIFA 96 in 1997. The picture was as rough as a mosaic, but at that time I thought it was amazing! Being able to control the movement of real players and make substitutions is something I couldn't even imagine. Later, I played live in the PS room. It was really addictive. I argued with my buddies all night over whether Ronaldo or Zidane could be the winner. The football game at that time was all about touch and belief, and there were not so many bells and whistles.
To be honest, if these old antiques were put to the present, the picture would definitely be reduced to rubbish in seconds. But new players today may not be able to experience that pure joy. However, this old guy like me has recently played a new game called "Football Club", and suddenly I feel like "I am back in my youth"!
I'm not saying this, this game does have something. They actually invited FIFPro to officially authorize it. The players are all real. The faces are made to look like they are, and Mbappe's sprinting steps are exactly the same as what I saw on TV. What kind of inertia and motion capture were used? More than 2,000 seconds of data. Oh, it sounds professional. When I first started playing, I almost slapped my phone on my face - the turf, the lights, and the reflection of players sweating, it was so real! I don't know how much higher it is than the mosaics of arcade machines back then, haha.
What surprised me the most was its "Heroic Moment" gameplay. How can I put it, it's similar to the excitement of controlling the big empty wing shot in the arcade back then. When the ball reaches the edge of the penalty area, a choice suddenly pops up. Whether to pass, shoot or pass, it all depends on your hand speed and brain. Once I was behind by a goal, and in the last 30 seconds of stoppage time, there was a scuffle in the penalty area, and the whistle was about to blow. My mind went crazy and I volleyed - the ball hit the crossbar and bounced in. I shouted out in the living room in the middle of the night, and my wife almost hit me with a pillow😂. This feeling is really long time gone.
Of course, in today's mobile games, there is definitely krypton gold. But the production team's charging model says "0", which surprises me. It should mean that it can be played with zero krypton? Anyway, after playing for two weeks, I got enough cards to form a lineup of monsters. I think we saved three months to buy a pirated disk, but now we can experience so much content for free, and I am satisfied.
After all, football games have changed again and again, from arcade to console to mobile phone, from mosaic to 4K, but the love of football among us has not changed. When playing "Football Club", I always think of that afternoon when I skipped class and went to the arcade, and of my youth watching football all over the world in front of the TV. This game can be regarded as a gift for old fans, it has that flavor.
If you have ever squatted in front of the machine and shouted "shoot", or fought with your brothers over a live save, I really recommend giving it a try. We can add a friend in the game and start an old-timer league, so that young people can see what it means to be ginger or to be old. 🧓⚽
Friends from Qitan, what was the first football game you played? Let's talk ~