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Football Glory

From Alfawiki
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Football Glory, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 9 August 202517 sources
Croteam
Company typePrivate
IndustryVideo games
FoundedApril 1993; 33 years ago (1993-04)
Headquarters
Zagreb
,
Croatia
Key people
Alen Ladavac, Admir Elezović, Damir Perović, Tomislav Pongrac, Tomislav Mučić, Marko Sekulić, Richard M. Holmes (producer)
ProductsFootball Glory, Embryo, Serious Sam: The First Encounter

Gameplay

Football Glory is a soccer video game presented from a top-down perspective, reminiscent of Sensible Soccer. Gameplay allows control of two teams, either by two players or one player competing against an AI.[1][2] Solo players can hone their skills against the AI through multiple practice modes.[1] The game includes tournaments based on six different leagues and cup competitions, such as the Champions League, UEFA Cup, and the English Premier League.[3][4] National squads participate in qualification rounds for the European Championship and World Cup.[4][5] Real-life players populate teams, with statistics adapted from Tactical Manager, and notably, the Croatian squad features members of the development team.[3] The number of formations varies depending on the platform—four options on the Amiga and ten on MS-DOS.[4][5] During matches, substitutions and tactical adjustments are permitted.[6] Matches take place on fields with varying surfaces and weather effects, including snow and mud conditions.[4][5]

Players have access to a range of moves such as tackles, bicycle kicks, volleys, one-two passes, diving headers, aftertouches, jumping over tackles, and sprint bursts.[2][5] The shoot button regulates both passing and shooting power.[2] Scoring goals initiates celebrations involving both players and spectators, occasionally featuring fireworks displays.[6] Key moments like goals or injuries are highlighted with commentary and character expressions shown through speech bubbles.[3][1][2] Instant replays showcase significant events in picture-in-picture format; on AGA Amigas, these replays run concurrently with ongoing gameplay.[3] When injuries occur, gameplay pauses to allow coaches or medical staff to attend to affected players.[3] Players can challenge refereeing calls by pursuing the referee on the pitch.[7] Matches may be disrupted by unexpected interruptions including dogs, streakers, hooligans, and police interventions.[7][3] Entire matches can be saved for later viewing and resumed from any chosen point.[3]

Development and release

Football Glory represents the inaugural project from Croteam, a Croatian game developer headquartered in Zagreb. Development commenced in April 1993 with programmers Alen Ladavac, Admir Elezović, and Damir Perović; artists Tomislav Pongrac, Tomislav Mučić, and Elezović; alongside composer Marko Sekulić. In 1994, Croteam secured a publishing agreement with Black Legend, joining Black Legend Croatia’s team of forty personnel. Production was overseen from London by Black Legend’s founder Richard M. Holmes, who aimed to deliver "an enjoyable football game superior to MicroProse Soccer."

The development team analyzed World Cup footage extensively, focusing particularly on Brazil’s style to inspire move design. To differentiate themselves from competitors, animations were produced at eight to ten frames per second—significantly higher than the typical two or three frames—and included fully animated extras such as paramedics. Holmes dismissed comparisons to Sensible Soccer, attributing similarities solely to the use of shared 16×16 pixel sprites.

The title was finalized for Amiga platforms in October 1994 and launched on November 6 for Amiga 500, 1200, and 4000 models—becoming the first commercial game developed by a Croatian studio. A demo version was distributed via the November 1994 coverdisk of CU Amiga. An MS-DOS edition was released in May 1995 following an initially planned February launch. Later in 1995, a budget version for Amiga was issued by The Hit Squad.

Reception

Matt Broughton from The One commended Football Glory's ball physics, considering them more authentic than those in Sensible Soccer. Paul Roundell of Amiga Action emphasized the variety of additional moves as a significant strength, a sentiment shared by Steve McGill of Amiga Format, Paul Mellerick of Amiga Power, and Tony Dillon of CU Amiga, who described some maneuvers as "spectacular" or "incredible". Nonetheless, Mellerick pointed out that these moves were rarely practical during matches due to time constraints. Simon Byron from The One criticized the control system for being overly complicated.

McGill highlighted the game's shortcomings in terms of limited game modes, formations, and pitch options compared to rival titles, also mentioning cluttered menus and inefficient screen layout. Dillon praised the visual quality and animation fluidity, while Byron and Dean Evans found certain animations disruptive to gameplay continuity. Dillon further complimented the sound design for enhancing realism; however, Mellerick observed diminished audio quality and performance on the Amiga 500 platform.

Criticism was directed at unrealistic passing mechanics and an overreliance on aftertouch controls. Both Mellerick and Evans described the artificial intelligence as inconsistent—either excessively challenging or insufficiently competent—while Patrick McCarthy faulted teammate AI responsiveness during moments when the player was not in control. Mellerick and Evans ultimately concluded that Football Glory did not measure up to Sensible Soccer, likening it to "a kickabout-in-the-park" in contrast to Sensible Soccer's grand Wembley Stadium experience. In a later assessment of the budget re-release, Mellerick noted that the game had not aged gracefully. Conversely, Dillon regarded it as "the best arcade soccer game ever," surpassing even Sensible Soccer.

Sales

Sales data from HMV placed Football Glory as the third highest-selling Amiga title in January 1995, dropping to fifth in February and tenth by April. The European Leisure Software Publishers Association ranked it second in January 1995, sixth in February, and maintained its presence within the top 20 through July.

Legacy

Following the commercial success of both Football Glory and Embryo, Paul McNally of Amiga Action identified Croteam as Black Legend’s leading development team. In December 1994, Sensible Software, creators of Sensible Soccer, accused Football Glory of being a clone. Jon Hare from Sensible Software asserted that the title was "trying to trade on our success," while Duncan Lothian of Black Legend defended it as evidence that "Football Glory is frightening the opposition". After legal warnings from Sensible Software, sales of Football Glory were halted. Although it survived the dispute legally, the game failed to regain commercial momentum and was eventually released as freeware in 1998. A demo for Croteam’s subsequent project, Serious Sam: The First Encounter, led to a surge in downloads for Football Glory, surpassing one thousand within days. Holmes later reflected that Black Legend’s choice to avoid producing another football title—thus steering clear of annual releases like those seen in the FIFA franchise—might have been a strategic misstep.

By December 1994, development was underway on a sequel featuring five-a-side football, aiming to resolve earlier difficulties with implementing walls in this format. This project was known under various titles including Football Glory Indoor Edition, Indoor Football Glory, and Five-A-Side Soccer. Initially planned for early 1995 release, it was postponed until late 1995 or early 1996. Completed for Amiga 500, 1200, and 4000 systems, Black Legend presented it at both the 1995 and 1996 European Computer Trade Show. However, publication plans were disrupted when Black Legend’s parent company shut down the label in 1996 amid a downturn in the Amiga market. The German branch managed to release the game before closing in July 1996, but distribution agreements fell through. Ultimately, Croteam issued it as public-domain software in March 2000.

References

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External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named CU Amiga 57: Review
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Mellerick, Paul (January 1995). "Football Glory Review" (PDF). Amiga Power. No. 45. Future Publishing. pp. 62–63. Retrieved 17 April 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Roundell, Paul; May, David (December 1994). "Football Glory". Amiga Action. No. 64. Europress. pp. 29–31. Retrieved 17 April 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PC Zone 26
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 McGill, Steve (January 1995). "Football Glory Review". Amiga Format. No. 67. Future Publishing. pp. 72–73. Retrieved 17 April 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PC Games 10
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Red Bull: crazy
  8. ↑ Roundell, Paul (November 1994). "Blueprint – Football Glory". Amiga Action. No. 63. Europress. pp. 66–67. Retrieved 17 April 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  9. ↑ McNally, Paul (June 1995). "Blueprint – Evil's Doom". Amiga Action. No. 71. IDG Media. p. 58. Retrieved 17 April 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  10. ↑ Roundell, Paul (December 1995). "Football Glory". Amiga Action. No. 77. IDG Media. p. 35. Retrieved 17 April 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  11. ↑ "European Computer Trade Show London '95 Coverage". Amiga Joker (in Deutsch). No. 5/95. Joker-Verlag. May 1995. p. 10. Retrieved 17 April 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  12. ↑ "CET Show '96 Highlights". Amiga Joker (in Deutsch). No. 6/7'96. Joker-Verlag. June–July 1996. p. 13. Retrieved 17 April 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  13. ↑ "Bitter Defeat" [Bitter Defeat]. Amiga Joker (in Deutsch). No. 8/9'96. Joker-Verlag. August–September 1996. p. 8. Retrieved 16 November 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  14. ↑ "Top Twenty Charts" (PDF). Amiga Power. No. 45. Future Publishing. January 1995. p. 23. Retrieved 20 April 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  15. ↑ "Top Twenty Charts Update". Amiga Power. No. 46. Future Publishing. February 1995. p. 21. Retrieved 20 April 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  16. ↑ "LATEST Top Twenty Rankings". Amiga Power. No. 47. Future Publishing. March 1995. p. 17. Retrieved 20 April 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  17. ↑ "current Top Twenty Listings  ". Amiga Power. No. 48. Future Publishing. April 1995. p. 17. Retrieved 20 April 2021 – via Internet Archive. {{cite magazine}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |7=, |1=, |2=, |4=, |5=, |3=, and |6= (help); no-break space character in |title= at position 28 (help)

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