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International Superstar Soccer Pro

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International Superstar Soccer Pro
European cover art
Developer(s)Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo
Publisher(s)Konami
Director(s)Shingo Takatsuka
Producer(s)Kazuhisa Hashimoto
Gozo Kitao
Composer(s)Hideo Kinoshita
SeriesInternational Superstar Soccer
Winning Eleven
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • NA: May 2, 1997
  • EU: June 1997
  • JP: June 5, 1997
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

International Superstar Soccer Pro (known in Japan as World Soccer: Winning Eleven '97 (ワールドサッカー ウイニングイレブン'97, Wārudo Sakkā Winingu Ireben '97) and in North America as Goal Storm '97) is a football video game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo. It is a slightly improved version of the Japan-exclusive J-League Jikkyō Winning Eleven 97.

It features 32 international teams, four different stadia, 13 team formations along with eight unique strategies and a choice of Exhibition Mode, International League, International Cup and a Penalty Kick mode. It can be played as a one or two player game.

Teams available

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International Superstar Soccer Pro includes 32 different international teams based on their real equivalents of season 1996/1997 with accurate home, away and goalkeeper kits featuring manufacturer logos and national emblems. The line-up of each team consists of 16 fictional players.

Reception

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The game was met with positive reviews. Critics were particularly pleased with the fluid, lifelike animations,[3][11][12] and the simplicity and responsiveness of the controls.[3][11][12] In addition, the game was also praised for its strong blend of realism and fun,[3][9] an aspect which was noted by Kraig Kujawa of Electronic Gaming Monthly.[3] However, the audio was criticized, with the primary complaints being the inconsistency of the announcer and the annoying clicking sound which accompanies players moving down the field.[11][12] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 26 out of 40.[4]

Next Generation was generally positive to the game. Although the magazine commented that the game cannot be compared with Worldwide Soccer '97 for Sega Saturn in terms of graphics and controls, they appreciated the pace and strategy of the game, and ultimately recommended the game for PlayStation owners.[9] GamePro concluded that it comes in second to FIFA 97, but recommended players rent both games to see which one better suits their tastes.[11][a] In Absolute PlayStation, Martin gave it an 86% and called it "the first soccer game on PSX that has the correct balance between superb graphics and intuitive controls", while co-reviewer Adam gave it an 8/10 and praised the players for being easily recognizable despite the absence of a players' license.[12]

Legacy

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International Superstar Soccer Pro was considered a "game-changer" for football games, which had been largely dominated by rival FIFA on home systems for the last several years. Developed by Konami Tokyo, ISS Pro introduced a new 3D engine capable of better graphics and more sophisticated gameplay than its rival. Whereas FIFA had a simpler "arcade-style" approach to its gameplay, ISS Pro introduced more complex simulation gameplay emphasizing tactics and improvisation, enabled by tactical variety such as nine in-match strategy options. It spawned the Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) series, which became known for having "faster-paced tactical play" and more varied emergent gameplay, while FIFA was known for having more licenses. In the late 2000s, EA responded by borrowing gameplay elements from PES to improve FIFA, which eventually pulled ahead commercially by a significant margin in the 2010s and emerged as the world's most successful sports video game franchise. The rivalry between FIFA and PES is considered the "greatest rivalry" in the history of sports video games.[13][14]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ GamePro gave the game two 4/5 scores for graphics and control, 3/5 for sound, and 3.5/5 for overall fun factor.

References

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  1. ^ Key, Steve (April 1997). "International Superstar Soccer Pro". Computer and Video Games. No. 185. EMAP. p. 73. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  2. ^ Edge staff (June 1997). "ISS Pro" (PDF). Edge. No. 46. Future Publishing. pp. 86–87. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e Kujawa, Kraig; Hager, Dean (May 1997). "Team EGM Sports: Goal Storm '97". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 94. Ziff Davis. p. 116.
  4. ^ a b "ワールドサッカー ウイニングイレブン'97 [PS]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  5. ^ McNamara, Andy; Storm, Jon; Anderson, Paul (May 1997). "Goal Storm '97". Game Informer. No. 49. FuncoLand. Archived from the original on October 21, 1997. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  6. ^ Joe Kidd (May 1997). "GoalStorm [sic]". GameFan. Vol. 5, no. 5. Metropolis Media. p. 72. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  7. ^ IGN staff (May 6, 1997). "Goal Storm '97". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  8. ^ "International Superstar Pro Soccer [sic]". Joystick (in French). No. 84. Hachette Filipacchi Médias. July–August 1997. p. 147. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c "Finals: Goal Storm '97". Next Generation. No. 30. Imagine Media. June 1997. p. 116. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  10. ^ "Play Test: ISS Pro". Official UK PlayStation Magazine (Platinum Special): 74–7. 1999.
  11. ^ a b c d The Rookie (June 1997). "Goal Storm '97". GamePro. No. 105. IDG. p. 90. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  12. ^ a b c d Martin; Adam (July 1997). "Reviews: International Superstar Soccer Pro". Absolute PlayStation International. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016.
  13. ^ Wilson, Ben (26 June 2020). "Fifa v PES: the history of gaming's greatest rivalry". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  14. ^ Parkin, Simon (2016-12-21). "Fifa: the video game that changed football". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2018-10-30. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
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