It isn't much to look at, as the pics will indicate, but it was so addictive that it should have been considered a Class A substance. Towards the end of my time with my Amiga 600 (around the 1st year of University and purchasing my first console), I was keeping records of statistics and successes (a quick look on the internet reveals - obviously - that there are people wayyyyy more obsessed than that). One peak that remains strong in my memory was my all-conquering Manchester City team that scored 300+ goals in a season (all competitions). It's etched in my head - I can remember the core of the team instantly. Florin Raducioiu and Ruben Sosa blasted 100 goals each, with the remaining third spread throughout the rest of the squad: Brian Laudrup (LW), Mario Basler (RW), Jose Chamot (incredible Argentinian defender - in the game anyway, no idea what he was like for real)... all playing to an attacking 3-5-2 formation. I remember enjoying the surprise of finding certain players who were amazing in the game, but could never be considered that in their real life form. The best example being Alan Kernaghan: never a particularly popular player during his time at City but he was a mainstay of my multi-title winning sides. The crucial factor was speed - he was very quick (see also: Ian Brightwell, Phil Babb) - and for me the key to success was building a super-fast team. Another highlight was the names of the loan players that would appear in your squad to replace the injured/banned. They were never real players, but appeared to be incongruent combinations of other players from across the world so would end up with 
brilliant names like Boudewijn Quigley or something. When I wasn't conquering the world with my MCFC team (and holding cliche-filled press conferences in my head after yet another European triumph), I was creating and updating my own teams via the Custom Teams option. School Bus, People I hate (American kids shoot up the school, I created a football team), Debenhams (colleagues from my part-time job), Tommy's Babes (hahaha....nobody else ever got to see that one. I think Sharon Stone was in net - it was circa Basic Instinct after all), Britpop (Alan McGee was coach, Kermit and Shaun Ryder from Black Grape led the attack, supported by Norman Blake and Louise Wener). The memories are flooding back as I write this.... the simple pleasure of designing the kits! I never kept a diary, but the disk containing the teams I created would tell you all you needed to know about the state of my adolescent mind.Anyway, as I said, I'm re-immersing myself in this world on Sunday by attending a talk by one of the creators of Sensi (+ other genius games like Cannon Fodder), Jon Hare. Apparently there'll be a tournament too, with the chance to play against JH himself. I'm tempted to give it a go, but fearful that I won't be as good as I thought I was (it's been 10 years!) and will be soundly thrashed by true hardcore SWOS ninjas. Besides, I'd be without my lucky joystick*.
Happy days.
and while we're at it:
* Last year I did get a TV plug in version of Sensi - it's good but I just can't get used to playing with a joypad.
No comments:
Post a Comment