Sensible Soccer dated

By Tom Bramwell Published 7 February, 2006

Plus new screenshots.

Sensible Soccer will be with us this summer on PS2, Xbox and PC, says publisher Codemasters - a bit later than the Easter date we were given last November.

Announced late last year, the new version of the classic top-down footy sim returns us to a time of zoomed out views, after-touch and super-deformed characters with gigantic heads - as you can see from the latest batch of screenshots.

Codies says to expect everything we liked about the old-days game done up in a 3D cel-shaded style with a similar sense of humour - including instant replays and "the biggest heads you've ever seen in football".

'Sensible Soccer dated' Screenshot 1

BUT I WANT IT NOW.

"The all new Sensi is the perfect blend of past, present and future with all the speed, fun and playability of the original combined with all the animations, four-player fun and spiced up with a magical sprinkling of original gameplay features that have never been seen before, including a mega single-player mode, 360-degree control and video style replays featuring cel-shaded caricatures of those lovable big-headed players," says Jon Hare, designer and producer of the original Sensi and consultant on this one, in such a manner that we can't even break his quote in half.

There'll be over 5,000 players, 350 teams including internationals, full editing options and lots of unlockables, too, as well as a DIY competitions mode for making up your own cups like Sepp Blatter does. Except at least one person will care about these ones.

For more on the new Sensible Soccer, see what Hare had to say when we interviewed him last November.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (36) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • kazuya69 #1 6 years ago

    They better do a PSP version of this.

  • Darkedge #2 6 years ago

    Sensi!

  • Navi #3 6 years ago

    *Aftertouches from the half way line in excitement*
    Edited by 1 at 07/02/06 @ 10:07

  • JonFE #4 6 years ago

    Definately one to watch... Especially if its reasonably priced...

  • groovychainsaw #5 6 years ago

    it better 'feel' good...

  • OnlyMe #6 6 years ago

    The screenshots really shows promise. Maybe this is finally the game that tops the old Sensi games?

    And 350 teams? Still a way off from SWOS I think, but a lot better than I expected. Please god, let this be good!

  • smelly #7 6 years ago

    Why the cell shading and mega-headed players though?

    Why not?

  • Carlo #8 6 years ago

    It's all down the how the game PLAYS.

    /crosses fingers

  • neuroniky #9 6 years ago

    If it plays like the original, it will be time to burn Pro Evo.

  • MrChuckles #10 6 years ago

    "If it plays like the original, it will be time to burn Pro Evo. "

    hear hear...

    I'm playing New Star Soccer 3 at the moment, only a tenner, only get to control 1 player, but it is just like Sensi of Old with extra 'Footballer of the Year' stuff.
    Edited by 1 at 07/02/06 @ 10:41

  • Blerk #11 6 years ago

    Big heads ftw!

  • Hicksy #12 6 years ago

    EXTREMELY excited about this

    I'll be HEARTBROKEN if it's shite :o

  • Furbs #13 6 years ago

    Guys who are interested in this - would you say you prefered FIFA over PES? Not wanting to do that whole debate again (PLEASE!), but this is obviously an arcadey football game as opposed to a simulation and I'll be interested to see where you stand (sit?).

  • Psi #14 6 years ago

    for gods sake don't rush this game! could be the return of sensi games!

    i love to see a cannon fodder cell shaded 3d game like that

  • captain-future #15 6 years ago

    I just hope they include the Amiga original version as bonus.

  • MrChuckles #16 6 years ago

    To be honest, on the FIFA vs Pro Evo debate, i don't really like either.

    Lets compare the three.

    To Shoot:

    Fifa & Pro Evo, hold down the shoot button longer to shoot further. Shots are so based on character stastistics that with poor rated players it is almost impossible that they will actually shoot on target if you are outside of the area (The ball always misses the post by a few feet), this is ridiculously unrealistic.

    Sensi: Press fire, wave the joystick in the direction you want to aftertouch it (which was awesome). Player skill means the shot aims slightly to the left or right at random.

    To Pass:

    Fifa, Pro Evo: Press the Pass button while facing the player you want to pass to.

    Sensi: press the fire button while facing the player you want to pass to.

    To Defend:

    Fifa, Pro Evo: Hold down the defend button while a defender runs automatically up to the attacker with the ball. This is probably the worse aspect of both of these games, how rubbish is this element? Try and do a sliding tackle, auto matically foul the opponent, maybe get a yellow card. (I haven't played the new Pro Evo btw)

    Sensi: Run up to the attack and press the fire button. If you are in front of them, you get the ball, if you are behind, it is a foul, simple, effective and awesome. Also allow attackers to get past sliding defenders.

    Corners:

    Fifa, Pro Evo: Pile of shite, no better way of describing it.

    Sensi: Awesome.

    Free kicks:

    Fifa: Pretty good.
    Pro Evo: Pretty poor.
    Sensi: Just like taking a shot.

    Crossing:

    Fifa, Pro Evo: Get to near the penalty area, press the cross button.
    Sensi: Get the ball and point towards the penalty area, press fire.

    Through balls, one twos, feints, step overs:

    Fifa & Pro Evo: A finger snappingly annoying set of totally stupid manouvers that are needed to actually score goals.
    Sensi: What the hell do you need these for, isn;t the basic game fun enough?

    In short, Sensi was a game where you did everything without crossing assist, throughball assist, one-two assist, defending assist, corner assist and free kick assist.

    When you pointed the guy in a direction and pressed fire, the ball moved in the direction you were facing (unless your guy had a lower skill when it would vary left to right a little).

    So in short, Sensi rules, Pro Evo & Fifa sux.

  • Merlinho #17 6 years ago

    I hope nostalgia isn't taking hold too much again....can't wait to give it a go at least.

    Oh and Furbs, Pro Evo of course. Although to be honest I haven't even played FIFA since 05, so I guess I can't judge.

  • bivith #18 6 years ago

    I always thought Sensible Soccer was a poor Kick-off clone. But it grew on me.

  • DrDamn #19 6 years ago

    What about an X360 LiveArcade version too? :-)

  • trevd72 #20 6 years ago

    i still play the megadrive sensi on the PSP. so this will be most welcome in my house if it is as good gameplay wise.

  • Markusdragon #21 6 years ago

    "Sensible Soccer dated"

    and yet still the best footy game there is! (budum!)

  • TheMoonRat #22 6 years ago

    What I hate most about modern footy games, Pro Evo 5 especially, is just how goddam RANDOM shooting is. You can be 25 yards away, take the same shot 10 times, and the variety in where the ball goes is vast. Get to 10 yards away, and still the ball can go anywhere; even tapping shoot can send the ball over the bar.

    Now, this may be more realistic... shots going a variety of places etc... but is it fun? Well no not really. If I've put all the effort into getting into a dead cert scoring position; seeing the ball somehow fly over the bar or go miles wide is NOT rewarding. In the end; you have to resign that not only are your misses just bad luck, but the ones that go in are also just good luck.

    I prefer results based on skill when playing a game, not luck.

  • Carlo #23 6 years ago

    "I just hope they include the Amiga original version as bonus."

    Don't be silly! No-one would play the new version would they!

  • El_MUERkO #24 6 years ago

    i think it looks stupid, the heads are too big and the legs and arms too small, the screenshots of gameplay seem too far zoomed in and the cell shading looks over simple :(

    JUST GIVE US AN UPDATE OF OLD SWOS, IT HASNT AGED, I PLAY IT EVERY DAY ON MY PSP!

  • posh_geordie #25 6 years ago

    Post deleted at 18:45:04 02-01-2012

  • wolfen #26 6 years ago

    Hm. The screenshots remind me of Football Glory.

  • El_MUERkO #27 6 years ago

    i have it on preorder which i may cancel, but how can the gameplay be the same if its zoomed in so much

    get the last verison of SWOS, tidy it up and jam it on a UMD, it can be done...

    http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/8784/sensipsp0jp.jpg

  • asha #28 6 years ago

    Anyone else think it would work PERFECTLY with the DS's touchscreen?

  • Furbs #29 6 years ago

    Maybe, but have you ever tried FIFA on a PDA? Its horrible :/

  • OnlyMe #30 6 years ago

    Exactly what would the touchscreen be used for besides menu clicking?

    Furbs, I prefer PES. Sensible Soccer isn't about being arcade or simulation, it's about simple and addicting fun.

  • mr_chiquita #31 6 years ago

    @themoonrat - What I hate most about modern footy games, Pro Evo 5 especially, is just how goddam RANDOM shooting is. You can be 25 yards away, take the same shot 10 times, and the variety in where the ball goes is vast.

    I'd argue that's the exact reason why Pro Evo is so good. Have you ever tried to recreate the exact same shot in reall footbal 25 times?

    Anyway...

    I've played Sensi since the beginning. SWOS on the Amiga is probably my fave game of all time.

    I'm yet to be convinced. I do like the Cell Shading effect, but it doesn't feel very Sensi.

    I'd have liked to have seen the guys take the bold step of moving back to 2D and really polishing the gem they already have.

    Alas I think that's impossible these days.

    But the Xbox Live Arcade might be starting to change peoples minds on that subject. As mentioned already, how awesome would an online capable Xbox Live version of SWOS be?!?

  • Stickman #32 6 years ago

    pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease make it good!

    Please.

  • OnlyMe #33 6 years ago

    I think the cell-shading is only really appearent in the replays. The "ingame" graphics looks more like the old classic style.

    btw, I really like the thought of an Extras menu. Maybe we'll actually get some version of SWOS?

    And this game better work on the Xbox 360.

  • TheMoonRat #34 6 years ago

    mr_chiquita: as i said, yes it may be more realistic, but its not fun at all. I ran the pes4online tool for playing PES4 online via the PC: played that all year; had its faults; using an example; double tapping shoot to chip over the keeper during 1 on 1s was too effective. BUT around the right % of chances went in. PES5... well, shooting is far more random than PES5; so much so that i've quit playing it altogether for months now. Played online versus the best, players are so evenly matched, can both pass it around well, but also defend well. Yet when it comes down to it, who gets the luck of the draw when it comes to where the shots go wins the game. Thats not right. I once had a game vs someone and i had 60% posession and 16 shots to 1. The score was a 1-1 draw. I had 3 headers from inside the 6 yard box go over, a penalty go wide, 2 shots hit the post just for starters. His goal was a defelected one in from 20 odd yards. Was the result down to me playing badly or doing anything wrong? No. Luck decided it wasn't to be my day.

    Now, again, games like that DO happen rarely IRL: but when you play a video game you cram loads of games in so it happens fairly often. Randomness in a game denying you success is, in my opinion, NOT good game design

  • Stickman #35 6 years ago

    "Sensi was/is rubbish! Having said that,I also think resi 4 is shite...."


    "Anyone who spends a significant amount of time in these 'online worlds' needs to seriously rethink their life. " - from WoW thread.

    Are you sure you're 'Bored_Gamer' and not just 'Bored_Troller'?

  • tom_macey #36 6 years ago

    just downloaded yoda soccer it's an updated verson of sensible 95/96
    and it's free