Kick Off Extra Time

Title           Kick Off Extra Time  (Kick Off required)
Publisher       Anco
Game Type       Sport
Players         1-8
Compatibility   A500-A2000
HD Installable  No
Submission      Seppo Typpö (groucho@pp.inet.fi) Profiled Reviewer

Review
A long time ago Dino Dini and Steve Screech made a soccer game which took
the gaming world like a hurricane. Kick Off started a new era in football
games and was (and still is) a landmark in gaming history. The game
spawned a sequel and various add-on data disks as Anco made their best
effort to utilise the phenomenal success of the game.

Extra Time was the first of the data disks. It offered four new playing
surfaces, new tactics and some minor tweaks in the game play. The original
Kick Off was still the backbone of the game (and is needed to play this
data disk) which meant the original arcade-style gameplay which made the
first game famous was still there (if only in slightly refined form).

For those who have not played the original game here's a brief description
of the game. Kick Off Extra Time offers a bird's eye viewpoint into
soccer action. Imagine a television camera hovering above the field,
always trying to keep the ball in the middle of the screen. The players
graphics are also drawn from this viewpoint which means their animation
and appearance is quite simple.

The game controls are easy to pick up yet difficult to master which means
this game offers considerable challenge for a long time. At first the game
feels like pinball as the action is very fast and players have quite a
hard touch to the ball (the ball is not 'glued' to the players foot like
in many other soccer games). With a little practice the player is able to
control the ball better and execute some more skilful techniques against
the opposition.

What makes Extra Time so special then when compared to the original
offering? The improved gameplay and slightly increased difficulty level,
together with the far crisper graphics made the ultimate playing
experience even better. In some ways I see KOET as the pinnacle of Kick
Off series - while other players prefer the more polished Kick Off 2 I
personally think Extra Time offers more balanced gameplay with perfectly
set difficulty levels. A true classic which is still holding its own even
when compared against modern 3D soccer wonders.

Alphabetical list.