Dino Dini's Goal

Dino Dini's Goal

Company type	Video game
Industry	Video games
Founded	1993
Founder	Dino Dini
Products	Football video game
Parent	Virgin Games

Dino Dini's Goal is a football video game launched by Virgin Games in 1993. Regarded as the authentic follow-up to Kick Off 2, it was created and programmed by Dino Dini, the original developer of Kick Off, after his departure from Anco Software. Goal introduced enhanced gameplay mechanics, more sophisticated artificial intelligence, and novel features such as multiple camera perspectives. On its release day, the title achieved sales of 60,000 copies.

Dino Dini's Soccer

The Sega Mega Drive adaptation titled Dino Dini's Soccer preserves all the essential aspects of Goal! while delivering improved visual quality. This version also debuted a pioneering four-player mode.

A distinct Super NES edition, produced by Eurocom, diverged considerably from the original game. Dino Dini publicly distanced himself from this adaptation due to a lack of creative involvement. The SNES variant employs a unique control system featuring ball-sticking mechanics and presents a top-down view confined to vertical field movement. Players can select match durations ranging from 2 to 20 minutes. Additionally, the player position scanner can be modified or turned off entirely, and aftertouch on passes is available through selectable options.

This version offers various competitions including a complete World Cup with qualifying rounds, European Championships, and customizable league or cup formats. It exclusively features national teams with editable names and was notable for its accurate representation of player ethnicities—a rarity in soccer games during that period.

Reception

In its April 1994 issue, Computer Gaming World commented that the "sound effects and animation are just average" in Goal!. The publication anticipated that enthusiasts of the Kick Off franchise would particularly appreciate this title, alongside many other soccer game fans.