One of the very best (if not THE best) soccer games ever made, Dino Dini’s seminal classic Kick Off 2 was a huge success on the Atari ST and Amiga, although, as usual, it attracted little attention of PC gamers due to poor marketing and limited distribution. Play Kick Off 2 online!
The original Kick Off was expanded on in many ways for this sequel. The game now features full tournament modes (although the players on the teams are fictitious) and four different pitches (including an implementation of plastic pitches, whose uneven bounce cause controversy when several British clubs tried them in the 1980s).
Viewed top-down, the controls involve trapping the ball under your foot, giving you time to prepare passes. Running with the ball is tricky at first, as it doesn’t stick to your foot the way it did in contemporary football games. Complex moves such as overhead kicks, back-heels and long-range through-ball passes can be completed with practice.
Unlike today’s soccer simulations, Kick Off doesn’t rely on flashy graphics or realistic team data to impress. 100% gameplay is the order of the day here, and it takes many hours of practice to become a competent player. Newcomers to the experience are often put off by the speed. Although hard to control at first, perseverance pays off, and it gives a sense of real achievement when the player is able to pull off breathtaking moves at a seemingly-impossible pace. Reaction times are paramount, and concentration must be maintained at all times to become a successful player.
The top-down viewpoint and utilitarian visuals are perfectly adequate and do not distract the player from the task at hand – the game has been designed to be played, not to be looked at, and it shows. The simplistic appearance hides an incredibly versatile game, with an almost limitless tactical depth. A wide range of shots – including aftertouch – are available, and fully accessible with a one-button joystick (another feature that modern games could learn from).
You can play Kick Off 2 online here, in web browser for free!
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