Tiny Football from MicroProse is out now, with early access on Steam affording a 30% discount!
Once upon a time there was MicroProse Soccer (a game that you can incredibly still play on PC), top-down football game developed by Sensible Software. For years, MicroProse Soccer was the best arcade football game on the Commodore 64, until Kick Off and Kick Off 2 came along. That crown was held until Sensible Soccer – by Sensible Software – came along.
It can be no coincidence that the look of Tiny Football mirrors Sensible Soccer so closely, with 16-bit pixel-style graphics. As you can see from the trailer, it looks like it plays really well, and like the classic football games you can play on a controller/joystick with just one fire button.
Tiny Football is a throwback to classic top-down football games of the 80’s and 90’s. The simple, one button kick control is still able to provide a rich football experience with accurate passing, shooting, tackles, crosses, throw ins, overhead kicks, free kicks and more. Compete with 64 national and club teams with home and away kits, full squads, custom cups, and league + knockout style tournaments.
There is something a little more interesting to note about what on the face of it appears to be a standard arcade football game.
Rich gameplay is achieved by sharing user control with AI assistance to produce realistic passing and shooting based on the skill of individual squad members. This margin of error, even at an elite level, will mean not every pass and shot pays off. There is always that element of luck, skill and opportunity being on your side when a goal comes together.
Now, I’ve been playing football games since the mid-1980s. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that arcade football fans like to be in complete control. AI assistance has never been on my list of things to have in a soccer game, and I’m not convinced this is the selling point MicroProse seems to think it is.
You can try it out for yourself today. Tiny Football is now available to buy on Steam, with its expected £10.99 price tag knocked down by 30% to just £7.69.
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Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
