Während die "Saison 1992/93" und die jüngste "International Edition" nämlich wenig mehr als Updates des Urprogramms waren, wurde hier die Rasen-Action um einen kompletten Managerteil erweitert - so was gabt es ja zuletzt im vier Jahre alten "Player Manager"...

Man kann sich vom kleinsten Club bis zur Nationalmannschaft hochbolzen, und wer selbst mit der Champions League nicht zufrieden ist, entwirft eben ein eigenes Turnier mit allen Schikanen. Da dürfen dann bis zu 64 Mitspieler antreten und haarklein die Taktik für jede Begegnung ausbrüten: Falsch positionierte Cracks bringen auch tatsächlich nur einen Bruchteil der ihnen möglichen Leistungen auf dem Spielfeld.

Dort geht es übrigens noch variantenreicher als gewohnt zu; z.B. müssen gefoulte Spieler nun richtig leiden, bis der Onkel Doktor kommt.

Wir hingegen kommen jetzt zu brandneuen Strategieteil, und der ist zwar nicht ganz so komplex wie "Bundi Hattrick", dafür aber doppelt so schnell in den Griff zu bekommen. So braucht man hier schon mal keine seitenlangen Verträge, um etwa Litti aus Japan heimzuholen; das entsprechende Budget genügt.

Richtig, man hat alle Spieler aus jeder Profiliga der Welt ins Programm gepackt, und zwar mit Haut und Haar (-farbe), Position, Können, und Wert. Alles in allem sind somit mehr als 22.000 Kicker aus über 1.400 Teams vertreten, dazu alle Nationalmannschaften und internationalen Pokale.

Für diese Test lag uns allerdings die englische Version vor, während die deutsche Fassung mit weiteren Feinheiten aufwarten wird - aber wozu gibt's alle vier Wochen einen neuen Joker? Genau, im nächsten Heft können und werden wir Euch über die überarbeitete Version informieren.

Und weil auch noch ein wenig Platz für unseren tollen Wettbewerb bleiben muß, sei nur noch kurz angemerkt, daß grafisch kein Quantensprung stattgefunden hat; auch die Statistiken sind eher zweckmäßig geraten.

Der Sound allerdings ist besser geworden, und das Joystick-Management hat man pefekt im Griff. Wenn es um Action und Management geht, kommt der neue Weltmeister also von Sensible Software! (mm)

Disappointment. Not a word you'd expect to find in a review of one of the finest games ever created, but that was my initial impression on playing the original Sensible Soccer way back in 1992.

The sound, and in particular the graphics, were basic even for over two years ago. However once seated and playing I was instantly hooked and barely a day has gone by since when I haven't had a quick kickabout. And that's obviously been the case for thousands of other computer owners since, as Sensible Soccer remains one of the best selling Amiga titles of all time and has been converted to just about every other format available.

Like all of Sensible Software's titles, Sensible Soccer's success lies in its gripping gameplay, but also in its highly responsive control system which is unmatched in any other sports game.

Tapping the fire button results in a small pass while yanking the stick back at an angle pulls off a spectacular banana kick. The control is very, very intuitive and moves are carried out in a split second without having to worry about awkward joystick combinations.

Critics though, have pointed out how unlike a real footy match Sensi Soccer is and this is a fair comment. But while Electronic Arts' FIFA International Soccer captures the look of the sport much more faithfully, its cumbersome control method where the computer tries to take over at every opportunity, makes playing frustrating at times and goalscoring a matter of luck.

And while I might share the same birthday as Tony Dillon I'd have to disagree with his rating of Cro Team's Football Glory. There is no denying that it plays a fine game of football, probably the best after Sensi in fact, but it too is let down by its difficult to master control system and a number of frustrating bugs.

Sensible Soccer seems pretty much perfect then, especially in two-player mode, but there were a few minor niggles. Firstly the game becomes too easy, even against classy Series A opposition, while the players themselves tended to play much the same, no matter what position they were supposed to be representing.

There was also no need for substitutions as until Version 1.1 appeared, players were never injured or booked. And there were a couple of spots on the pitch form which the expert player could be assured of scoring, even from 50 yards.

Sensible ironing
Thankfully all of these problems have been ironed out in Sensi World, with the difficulty level pitched much higher and more realistically. Come up against Giggs and the rest of the Manchester United dream team and the player's defence will know it, no matter how good a team they are themselves.

Scorelines too, are far more faithful. Nil-nil is the norm now, rather than five-three. Indeed it's worth pointing out that it took me three games to find the back of the net, so I imagine those new to Sensi will have some hard grafting ahead of them before they hit the top of the league.

Injuries are now a worrying reality, although serious injuries are rare; a four match resting period is common. This can still be very, very annoying if a key player is lot at cup ties though.

The different types of injuries that can occur can be kept track of on the squad details screen. A bandaged head means that the player has simply taken a slight knock while a red cross with a number inside represents the number of days that player will be out injured. Fear the black cross because this means the player has been seriously injured and will be layed out for the rest of the season.

Apart from replacing the injured, substitutes now have a much more important role. As in real life, only two are available so choosing them with care is a priority.
For instance, if Blackburn are the opposition it might be an idea to have spare defenders to combat Sutton and Shearer, while a couple more strikers would be fitting against a lowly FA Cup first round team.

These management options have a far greater impact on the gameplay than the first game. Indeed there's an option to play as just as manager. But you'd miss out on such good gameplay and all the brilliant matches themselves which can either be played as a one match friendly, or as part of an in-depth one season or 20 season career.

Do I not like stats?
All the players from 1,400 world clubs and 131 national sides have been included and they're up to date for the 94/95 season. The data on each player is astonishing: and as well as including the right hair and skin colour, it also includes their particular skills. This is a Godsend for the footy statistics fan, as the transfer market has an option to select not only what type of player is required but also what type of skill, from passing to finishing.

This means that the knowledgeable can stay away from the famous and high priced names and instead scour the lower leagues for talent, not just in England but from every major league in the world. Most teams are happy to flog players languishing in the numbers 13 to 16 shirts and often at a lower than stated price.

The transfer market allows the player to put to five of his own team on the market, although quite often offers will come in for other players. The value of players varies on how they are performing. A goalie with holes in his hands would soon plummet in value while a striker that bags a hat-trick every match becomes top of the wanted list.

Similarly a player that's rotting in the reserves loses value slowly but surely. If you're a competent enough player it's possible to put a defender in a striker's position, score plenty of goals, increase his value and then flog him for a tidy sum.

The tactics section of the game has also been vastly overhauled. As well as more than double the number of preset formations it's possible to create and edit up to six from scratch.

The wealth of new features available adds considerably to the experience fo playing Sensi World, creating a game that remarkably is better than the first.
The increased difficulty level is a major boost, especially for Sensi pros, but the it's the management options that give the game a razor sharp cutting edge.

Being successful with a team playing in a formation exclusively created by yourself - and full of players you bought is vastly satisfying, as is picking up a low league player for a few quid and flogging him for a million a year or so later.

The greatest and most enjoyable game I've eery played, Sensible World of Soccer is a landmark software title that once again shows the pedigree of Sensible Software and of course the Amiga.

At this point in the review, I'm supposed to begin with a nice introduction - possibly talk about the first few versions of SWOS, or even the other bizarre fruit versions. But no. What's the point in building up a game that needs no build up.

Some might say Sensible World of Soccer lost its appeal after a while because off the bugs and bizarre crashes. Admittedly, I never experienced any crashes although the major bug that most people found irritating was the monetary system. There were ways of recruiting 'free' 10 million pound players, and players disappearing off the face of the earth, and no matter how many goals your striker scored, he would still end up at half the value he started at.

Renegade, the publishers of the first edition, are back with a pseudo-update disk with lots of new features that will undoubtedly spring the life back into your old version of SWOS.

The first obvious update is the new teams. All the clubs from the '95-'96 season are in their respective divisions, and all the new signings and values are included. And unfortunately for some, Eric Cantona has returned.

There was a version of SWOS that appeared on some coverdisks. This contained updated information on teams and most of the bugs had been fixed, and, of course, when this version hit the shops, Eric Cantona's sentence was uncertain, so they left him out. But now he's back - talking more rubbish than ever before! The most recent updated signings are Mark Hateley at QPR, Paul Gascoigne at Rangers, Roberto Baggio at AC Milan and, of course, David Ginola at Newcastle.

When you begin a career you can enter your nationality so you know which country should be approaching you for international management. Yes, this option is finally here! Even though the original SWOS manual stated this option could be obtained, it never appeared.

All the new kits have been implemented, although they still have the same designs. For instance, Newcastle now boast their excellent away strip of claret and blue hoops.

In the first SWOS it was extremely difficult to assess if a player would be good for your club, as there was no way of comparing stats - the only indication was the price tag. Now the players are all rated in stars, and the more stars the better the player - simple!

One of SWOS' rules which, to be honest, I didn't even notice until a few months ago, is that you are allowed three substitutes, and the can all be outfield players. This is why Vinny Jones ended up in the net after their keeper got himself sent off.

When you enter the squad select screen, not only are you presented with 'Goals' but you now have a training facility. The idea is to control your 'A' team against your 'B' team. Your first team contains all the players that would feature in real life, and the second team contains mock-up players to act as reserves, loan and trial players.

These can be brought into the side at any time during the season and if they are any good, their value will begin to increase, so those million pound youngsters like Robbie Fowler can now successfully be achieved. You play these games on a pitch reminiscent of the first Sensible Soccer - hardly any sound and no stadium.

There are actual in-game differences to this new version, but only small ones. Your players' names now appear in the top left-hand corner of the screen; you can now head the ball without ridiculously diving about the place; the crowd now jump up and down like proper fans should; when the players score they will show their jubilation with their arms; it's now a lot easier to run around players, especially if you're controlling someone like Alan Shearer; and to top it all off, with a quick press of the joystick you can now inform a player if he should come and collect the ball, or wait on the spot so if you want to pass the ball out to the wing, it will go to the wing.

The differences are merely cosmetic and affect the gameplay minimally, although if you were to return to your original game you'd miss these slight changes an awful lot.

It's back. Not that it's ever been away. This time round, though, it's not bigger, 'badder' and better than before.
It is, however, almost the same price as of old for minimal improvements. Which means that if you own SWOS already, the price is too prohibitive to justify purchasing this update (for that is all it is).

So, onward to the differences from SWOS 95. The first and most obvious change is the updated data. Newcastle are a blinding team to play now, as are Arsenal and numerous other Premier league teams with foreign signings. Collymore's great as well - surely some mistake.

After-touch has been around for years, now you can add it too on the deck passes. It makes the ball look as if it's skating, but when you get used to it, it can fox your opponent and gain extra ground and time for the rest of the team to push forward, or fall back.

Players are star-rated in the team listing and their three main attributes are highlighted beside the star rating. So, if you were up against a goalie like Schmeicel or Seaman, you'd probably be best off using a striker with a high velocity shot.

When playing the management side of the game, players who are played to their full go up in value and when, as a manager, you're particularly interested in another team's player, you can highlight them to make following their progress easier.

Not a great deal extra on offer, but if you're still struggling with an older version of Sensi - not SWOS - then it represents a must-buy.

An dem Actionliebhaber und Sportstrategen gleichermaßen ansprechenden Konzept mußte natürlich nichts geändert werden: Über 1.500 Mannschaften mit insgesamt 26.000 Spielern aus jeder erdenklichen Profilliga lassen sich hier auf dem Rasen und vom Büro aus betreuen - auf Wunsch darf man sich aber auch auf den Job des Managers beschränken.

Man kann eine komplette Saison durchexerzieren oder ein Freundschaftsspiel zwischen beliebigen Teams von Albanien bis Zimbabwe veranstalten; dazu kommen 146 fest eingebaute Wettbewerbe (Pokale, Turniere, Ligabetrieb etc.), die sich noch durch eine selbstgestrickte Competition ergänzen lassen.

Je nach Veranstaltungsart sind dabei bis 64 menschliche Teilnehmer zugelassen, nur im Karriere-Modus muß man sich wie gehabt 20 Spieljahre lang mutterseelenallein durchschlagen.

Der Weg zu Ruhm und Ehre ist in der Neuauflage um einiges steiler geworden, weil die CPU-Konkurrenz (genau wie die eigenen Leute) deutlich dazugelernt hat; vor allem die Torhütter fangen nun wirklich alles, was auch nur in ihre Nähe kommt.

Um so größere Sorgfalt sollte man dem Erstellen der Taktiken für die einzelnen Spielsituationen widmen, zumal, wenn das so komfortabel klappt wie hier. Und natürlich freut man sich dann erst recht über die hart erkämpften Treffer, die sich auch in der Wiederholung betrachten und auf Disk speichern lassen.

Die Replayfunktion arbeitet (inklusive Abspeichern) auf Wunsch automatisch, und auch sonst entdeckt man alle gewohnten Features: Die Matchdauer ist zwischen drei und zehn Minuten variierbar, der Untergrund kann individuell, saisonal oder zufallsgesteuert gewechselt werden, und mit dem eingebauten Editor werden alle Daten (Stand: September 1995) aktualisiert bzw. bei den enthaltenen Spaßteams nach Belieben abgeändert.

Die augenfälligsten Verbesserungen betreffen den Karriere-Modus. Hier kann man nun nämlich auch Reserve- und Testspieler einsetzen, was gelegentlich (nach ein paar Trainingseinheiten) zur Entdeckung von wahren Naturtalenten führt, die dann gleich in den Stammkader aufrücken.

Die einzelnen Kicker werden dabei neuerdings nicht nur mit ihrem Namen, sondern auch mit ihren jeweils drei individuellen Spezialitäten (Tackling, Paßspiel etc.)

Außerdem darf man sich jetzt vor jeder Begegnung entscheiden, ob man nur strategische Entscheidungen treffen oder mit dem Joystick auch aktiv ins Geschehen eingreifen will. Darüber hinaus gibt es selbstverständlich alles, was das Fußballerleben sonst so spannend und interessant macht: einen Transfermarkt, das Ausleihen von Spielern, Scouts, die fremde Talente bzw. Teams beobachten (zu diesem Zweck lassen sich sogar bestimmte Spieler markieren), sowie Statistiken und Tabellen ohne Ende.

Heimmanager, die sich bei all dem gut bewähren. Erhalten bald Angebote für einen Trainerjob beim Nationalteam von Venezuela oder der Turkei - wer diesen Posten in Brasilien, Deutschland, England oder einer ähnlichen prominenten Fußballnation bekleiden will, muß aber schon brillante Leistungen vorweisen können.

Grafisch hat sich hingegen eher wenig getan, am stärksten fallen hie das nunmehr animierte Publikum und die sich ändernde Bandenwerbung auf. Im übrigen wurde lediglich ein bißchen Kosmetik betrieben; so gibt's nun etwa eine Namenseinblendung des Spielers im Ballbesitz und eine Bewertung der Stars mit Sternchen à la Restaurantführer.

Immerhin können die Macher dabei auf ihre traditionsbewußte Kundschaft verweisen - die "Sensible"-Fans lieben ihre Knuddelmännchen nun mal und leiden mit ihnen, wenn ein böser Rechnerknecht ihre unteren Pixel regelwidrig bearbeitet.

Der Titelsong ist so cool, wie man es von John Hare und seinen Manne kennt, der Soundtrack in den Menüs aber relativ ruhig gehalten. Die Lebensäußerungen der Zuschauer und der sonstige Stadionkrach klingen ebenfalls prima, allerdings wurde man sich dazu auch einen gesprochenen Kommentar erwarten, wie er heute anderswo fast schon allgemein üblich ist.

Last but not least wurde die immer noch geniale Steuerung ebenfalls kaum verändert, man hat sie lediglich um ein "After-Touch-Passing" (der wahre Digi-Fußballer kennt den Ausdruck, alle anderen dürfen's getrost vergessen) und die jetzt möglichen Flugkopfbälle ergänzt.

Das geht soweit in Ordnung, doch würden wir uns für zukünfige Neuauflagen eine Mausabfrage in den Menüs (der Stick ist hier einfach zu lahm) und ansonsten eine Option für Zwei-Button-Pads wie am Mega Drive wünschen.

Wer bereits auf die Endnote geschielt hat, wird dabei festgestellt haben, daß wir dem Game trotz aller Detailverbesserungen keinen Hit mehr spendiert haben - obwohl sich der Vorgänger noch über satte 87 Prozent freuen dürfte.

Das wollen wir jetzt etwas genauer begründen: Zum einen ist das einzig Deutsche an dieser deutschen Version die übersichtliche Anleitung. Im Spiel selbst wird man dagegen duch und duch englisch bedient, und zwar bis hin zum Pfund Sterlung als Währungseinheit.

Des weiteren hätten die Programmierer wirklich eine HD-Installation vorsehen können, auch wenn sich die Nachlandezeiten mit 2 MB RAM in engen Grenzen halten und das Abspeichern von Spielständen recht problemlos vonstatten geht.

Drittens vermissen wir die witzigen render-Sequenzen von der PC-Version, und viertens will Sensible am Amiga keine CD-Fassung dieses Bestsellers vorlegen. Und weil schlißlich die meisten der Neuerungen ohne weiteres im Rahmen eines geldbeutelschonenden Updates zu realisieren gewesen wären, sahen wir uns nun mal leider zu gewissen Punktabzügen gezwungen...

Andererseits muß auch gesagt werden, daß für den Heimkicker, der gleichzeitig spielen und managen will, trotzdem immer noch kein Weg an Sensible World of Soccer vorbeiführt: Es ist und bleibt einfach der beste Player-Manager. Eine andere Situation dürfte vermutlich frühestens zum Jahresende entstehen, wenn die Engländer "Soccer 2000" vorlegen - aber bis dahin fließt noch viel Schweiß an den Kickerbeinen herunter! (mm)

When I'm not sitting by the phone waiting for Commander Dykes to call with my next top secret CU assignment, I lead a second life. In between each Amiga games release (i.e. those occasional two month breaks - watch it Broughton - Ed) I muck about with Sony Playstations for another of EMAP magazines.

Now even though you may have seen these 'wonder machines' on various games programmes and in magazines over the last few months, for all its incredible polygon manipulation and breath-taking 3D, it still have yet to produce a product to impress me more than that all-time classic - Sensible Soccer.

When SWOS first appeared, even it took a while to really step ahead of the original Sensi as far as we were concerned. This was partly because of loyalty, but mostly because, when you get a game that's very close to something you know so well and yet contains so many changes, it's hard to accept and adapt.

Of course we did in the end, and SWOS became the standard version of the game, but then along comes this 95/96 business. Not only does it feature the updated team line-ups that we've all been gagging for, but also changes to the actual arcade section of the game.

This, as any Sensi fan will tell you, is an incredibly dangerous thing to do. Fortunately, the way these new features have been slotted into the existing game makes it a 'take it or leave it' affair.

The big match
So you've loaded up the game. What's changed? Well, apart from a gorgeous new purple background there's nothing that particularly catches your eye. Until, that is, you select a national team for a quick friendly and... MY GOD, IT'S FULL OF STARS!

Yes, gone are those lifeless team selections, replaced with a star rating system not unlike those used in the Premier Manager games. It's hard to say how accurate these ratings are because, fairly obviously, being in the national team, all of the players are of a high calibre anyway. Gazza gets five stars, but it;s still mostly down to your skills on-pitch as to whether he'll score eery time.

And it's easy to tell who's scored now, thanks to the name of the player currently on the ball being displayed above the time display. This also helps when you find some super-fast player against you and want to know who it is in readiness for approaching the transfer market.

Another helpful new feature includes being able to 'tag' players with a hi-lighting diamond during play. This means that, should you fancy, say, Ian Wright, you can tag him and then watch an Arsenal game, safe in the knowledge that you'll know which player he is at all times. Ah, but now I'm getting into the management side of the game and that's where things really have changed.

Each player (apart from having been updated to their new clubs with their new fees) carries three special statistics. A striker showing the letters HSF is particularly profient at Heading, Shooting, and Finishing. This also helps when scouting players, as you know whether you're getting an accurate passer with good control and speed (PBV) or one more likely to win tackles and headers and then have a crack up the field (HTS). This is very helpful when trying to build a we--rounded side.

Another new feature is the inclusion of brand new trial players and reserves. You can even create an entire 'B' reserve team that can be used to train new corners in friendlies against your A team (and no, B.A. and Face aren't in it).

Nitty gritty
All said and done, though, none of this matters unless you can still play the game and I know you're desperate to know how that's changed. Well, as soon as you get to the pitch you can see a few differences. The crowd now animates, waving scarfs, and jumping up and down, and there's also the aforementioned player names in the top left corner.

After a goal the scoring team run back to the centre spot waving their arms enthusiastically, and at the end of an important match (such as semi-finals) the teams stand in celebratory circles or flop into disappointed heaps depending on their point of view. Oh yes, and the advertising boards rotate in a realistic fashion. Hurrah.

And so we come to the match itself. Well everything is fine and groovy, apart from the fact that, if I'm not very much mistaken, the CPU logic has been tweaked, and these teams DO NOT play like the old guys! They are tough and clever. Approach for a tackle and they'll happily play it right back up the field to make a stronger attack. Scary stuff indeed.

After-touch is now available after passing. This works well, as it means you can pass, but pass a curving ball in front of the receiver, thus causing them to run into space. Very nice, and a realistic inclusion. Also on the passing front, you can snap the joystick into the centre to ensure the receiving player stand still to collect the ball. Both of these seem very subtle changes but once incorporated into your usual play, are tasty extras.

The only other major feature to tell you about is the new standing headers. This basically means that you can get players to jump up to the ball and then direct (with the joystick) the header in the desired direction. This isn't always easy to execute in frenzied play, but it avoid committing players to valuable seconds face down in the mud should they miss.

And there we have it - an excellent update indeed. One can't help but feel that perhaps the original SWOS should have been this polished first time round, but considering most people will want this if only for the updated teams, I won't harp on about bugs and such. It doesn't dramatically overshadow the original, but it's still the best footy game around.

Over the last six months or so, Time Warner Interactive has been releasing Sensible World of Soccer editions like nobody's business. But why? It's probably because Sensible Soccer is reputed to be the best game ever on the Amiga and these new versions manage to keep the fans of the game perfectly happy by continually updating competitions and teams.

The biggest step for TWI was the 95/96 version where features such as displaying the name of the player in the top left-hand corner, animated crows, team training and management records were introduced. All these features should have been included in the first version of SWOS.

Many people complained after the initial release of SWOS because it repeatedly crashed, the player ratings and values were all wrong and there were many small, annoying bugs which almost put people off the game for life. However, TWI stepped in with its first Sensible release and it was absolutely brilliant.

All the features which should have been included were there and to top things off, all the players' data including values and skills were updated.

The problem with club football games is the fact that players are transferring between clubs more than ever, and with the new ruling coming in for next season, the transfer market will see more movement from week to week. Obviously the game will outdate itself and become unrealistic.

TWI has decided to launch its new release in line with what is the biggest fotball event to hit England in 30 years and that's Euro '96.
By the time you read this the European Championships will have been battled out at various football grounds such as Old Trafford, Elland Road and Anfield to find the best team in Europe. However, the biggest talking point of the event has almost certainly been the groupings. Although Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Wales failed to qualify, Scotland fought through to meet England in the same group, which will, without doubt, prove to be one of the most competitive matches to everyone involved.

Sensible World of Soccer is set to create all the finest moments by setting up the entire tournament for you. All the correct groups are selected with all their corresponding fixtures, and although Terry Venables decided his squad well after SWOS was released, Time Warner has managed to pick a side that corresponds with some of the team.

Um das Verwirrspiel komplettzumachen, wurde "Sensible Soccer" ja bereits anno 1992 zur Erstveröffentlichung mit dem Untertitel "European Champions" versehen - damals war auch gerade Europameisterschaft. Seitdem hat sich dieses Fußballspiel allerdings vom reinen Actiongame zum Player Manager gewandelt.

So korrigierte man Ende 1992 zunächst mit der "1992/1993 Season Edition" kleinere und größere Fehler (endlich gab es z.B. gelbe bzw. rote Karten), wieder ein Jahr später bekamen die Besizter eines CD32 ihre Version, und pünktlich zur WIM erschien Mitte 1994 die "International Edition" mit aktualisierten Daten und erstmals einem auch am Screen sichtbaren Schiri.

Der Quantensprung erfolgte aber erst, nachdem Sensible Software Anfang 1995 zu Warner Interactive als Vertrieb gewechselt war und "Sensible World Of Soccer" veröffentlichte, die Grundlage des vorliegenden Fußball-fests.

Doch während damals die Welt im Titel mit zahlreichen Verbesserungen im Game einherging, hat sich diesmal kaum die Welt getan: Lediglich die potentiellen Teams und Spieler der Em '96 hat man eingebaut, finito.

Während sich die PC-Kicker also voraussichtlich auf mehr Management-Optionen, einen spielentscheidenden Trainingsmodus, verfeinerte Features für Ausleihkicker sowie u.a. auch die Möglichkeit, internationaler Präsident zu werden, freuen dürfen, bleibt uns Amigo nur die Freude über den Preis dieses Updates.

Denn knapp 40 Märker sind wahrlich nicht viel für ein Programm, das allein in Europa rund eine millionmal verkauft wurde und mit editierbaren Daten sowie erprobt genialem Gameplay aufwarten kann.

Apropos editierbare Daten: Da das Spiel schon von der EM ausgeliefert wurde, ist das vorab inkludierte Material natürlich nicht ganz auf dem neusten Stand - wie auch, wenn etwa die deutsche Nationalmannschaft ihre Aufstellung noch gar nicht bekanntgegeben hatte?

Doch egal, denn wer noch keine der anderen Versionen dieses Games besitzt und auch nicht unbedingt auf mondänes Iso-3D à la FIFA Int. Soccer oder Total Football besteht, sollte hier zuschlagen. Es wartet nämlich zwar unveränderte Nostalgo-Optik, aber eben auch prima Sound, Optionen satt und vor allem exzellente Spielbarkeit, Und unter den Blinden war der Einäugige halt schon immer König... (mm)

As one of the best selling Amiga games ever Sensible World Of Soccer takes some beating. I've seen grown men reduced to gibbering wrecks if they have not played Sensi for a day or so. I have seen fights break out over a last minute vicious tackle in a sensitive competition scenario. Tears, laughs, sore hands and bleary eyes. Sensi is the culprit. It's also responsible for burning a hole in people's pockets though.

European Championship Edition is the fifth 'major' update to the Sensi format and you've got to start wondering just when they're going to come out with something actually new. I've put 'major' in inverted commas because this is not actually a dramatically changed version of SWOSS at all.

The game engine itself remains exactly the same as SWOS 95/96, the box gets a big 'Special Edition' badge and the manual has been reprinted with the European Championships logo, but that;s nearly it.

The changes are, in effect, merely cosmetic. Sensi's statistician has gone in and updated the teams, and when you enter the European Championship mode the current roster of teams in the summer '96 competition appears but this is, make no mistake, SWOS 95/96 and with a little effort you could have made up this competition yourself.

I'm not complaining about SWOS 95/96 at all. It's still the best soccer game available, not just on Amiga, but on any other games machine too. The 95/96 version, more than even the original updated (and bugged to hell) SWOS, stands up as the definitive game, with increased management elements (never boring though), additional features and more crowd samples.

My first impression was to mark this down because we have seen it all before - a minor update sold as a marketing exercise. But that would be doing it a disservice. Sensi is brilliant and nothing can take that away from it. However, if you've already got SWOS 95/96 don't bother with this update unless you're trying to complete a Sensible World of Soccer collecting or something.

It will drive you mad spending £20 and discover that there is damn all difference between it and the one you bought at Christmas. If you still haven not upgraded from the first Sensi or indeed the first SWOS, then this is the most up-to-date version you can get, and if you are still a fan then you would be mad not to get it.

Ah, but this feels good! It's been too long since I wandered up to my Amiga room like some sad-but-happy old bloke trundling down to his allotment shed. It really is the only way to be; lock away the harsh realities of telephone bills and responsibilities, load up ye good olde SWOS, and get into some seriously week-wasting career.

Yes, we're here again in familiar territory my old chums, with that reassuring ache in the wrist (and you can keep your dirty comments to yourselves, thank you) and the knowledge that the moment you lose concentration you'll be relegated from managing the mighty Arse' to cleaning the urinals with a toothbrush for Southend United.

But that is the good thing about SWOS and indeed the legacy of Sensible Soccer as a whole; you can leave it alone for a year, but the moment that menu tune plays out, a surge of nostalgia-fuelled adrenaline floods through the body, and the detail of every little cheap shot and set play comes as naturally as it ever did. So why exactly are we here again? Simple - it's time once again to update the teams. It you're already an owner of SWOS then you can simply pick up the upgrade for a tenner, of should you be a Sensi virgin then now's the chance to open your mind...

There's only one
To be honest there's really no point in going over ground that, to be frank, we've already kissed quite enough times already thank you. Many pretenders have tried to draw us in in the past but there'll only ever be one true footy game as far as most of us are concerned and that's Sensi.

Having evolved from the simple but-intricate kickabout that Sensible Soccer was to the deeply involving strategy/arcade/simulation of Sensible Soccer, we now find ourselves faced with the near-perfect formula that needs no improvement, simply an occasional update to avoid falling behind (and let's be honest, it was getting hard to take Manchester United seriously with Cole up front!).

Kick off
Time for a new career methinks. And look; Arsenal are as up to date as any Gunners fan could want. Hartson and Helder wait patiently on the bench hoping that someone better gets injured, while new-ish right-winger, Vieira, snuggles in amongst some of the Premiership's most matured players - all fronted by the stunning-this-season Ian Wright.

Okay, let's get going... but wait! What's this? Surely not a new option in SWOS? But it is - in the guise of a training facility. However, unlike many management games, this isn't to improve your players' stats, but instead a chance to play against the sub-filled Arsenal B Team, making changes to both sides as you go, and checking out possible A Team inclusions. (Oh yeah - it's also pretty handy for warming up it, like me, you haven't played for a few months!).

And we're off - albeit after a quite training match to soften up those knuckle joints - straight back into the familiar embrace of hour after hour of crowd-accompanied footy joy. It's all as it was when we first discovered SWOS, with bending passes being used to lead players forward, new-improved goalies, and the welcome addition of heading CPU teams. If you want to get REALLY anal, you can still set up your own tactics and formations, but as is always the case, the best fun's to be had with a gang of mates and a good old-fashioned knockout league.

And there you have it. Still the best football game ever. Still worth playing never mind the rendered and motion-captured pap the 'wonder consoles' are putting out. And STILL as captivating and addictive as it ever was. Did you expect anything less? I didn't think so...