Software:International Superstar Soccer Pro

From HandWiki
Short description: 1997 video game
International Superstar Soccer Pro
European cover art
Developer(s)Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo
Publisher(s)Konami
Director(s)Shingo Takatsuka
Producer(s)Kazuhisa Hashimoto
Gozo Kitao
Composer(s)Hideo Kinoshita
SeriesInternational Superstar Soccer
Winning Eleven
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • NA: May 2, 1997
  • EU: June 1997
  • JP: June 5, 1997
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

International Superstar Soccer Pro (known in Japan as World Soccer: Winning Eleven '97 (ワールドサッカー ウイニングイレブン'97, Wārudo Sakkā Winingu Ireben '97) and in North America as Goal Storm '97) is a football video game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo. It is a slightly improved version of the Japan-exclusive J-League Jikkyō Winning Eleven 97.

It features 32 international teams, four different stadia, 13 team formations along with eight unique strategies and a choice of Exhibition Mode, International League, International Cup and a Penalty Kick mode. It can be played as a one or two player game.

Teams available

International Superstar Soccer Pro includes 32 different international teams based on their real equivalents of season 1996/1997 with accurate home, away and goalkeeper kits featuring manufacturer logos and national emblems. The line-up of each team consists of 16 fictional players.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CVGStarStarStarStarStar[1]
Edge9/10[2]
EGM9/10[3]
Famitsu26/40[4]
Game Informer8.75/10[5]
GameFan84%[6]
IGN6/10[7]
Next GenerationStarStarStarStar[9]
OPM (UK)8/10[10]

The game was met with positive reviews. Critics were particularly pleased with the fluid, lifelike animations,[3][11][12] and the simplicity and responsiveness of the controls.[3][11][12] In addition, the game was also praised for its strong blend of realism and fun,[3][9] an aspect which was noted by Kraig Kujawa of Electronic Gaming Monthly.[3] However, the audio was criticized, with the primary complaints being the inconsistency of the announcer and the annoying clicking sound which accompanies players moving down the field.[11][12] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 26 out of 40.[4]

Next Generation was generally positive to the game. Although the magazine commented that the game cannot be compared with Worldwide Soccer '97 for Sega Saturn in terms of graphics and controls, they appreciated the pace and strategy of the game, and ultimately recommended the game for PlayStation owners.[9] GamePro concluded that it comes in second to FIFA 97, but recommended players rent both games to see which one better suits their tastes.[11][lower-alpha 1] In Absolute PlayStation, Martin gave it an 86% and called it "the first soccer game on PSX that has the correct balance between superb graphics and intuitive controls", while co-reviewer Adam gave it an 8/10 and praised the players for being easily recognizable despite the absence of a players' license.[12]

Legacy

International Superstar Soccer Pro was considered a "game-changer" for football games, which had been largely dominated by rival FIFA on home systems for the last several years. Developed by Konami Tokyo, ISS Pro introduced a new 3D engine capable of better graphics and more sophisticated gameplay than its rival. Whereas FIFA had a simpler "arcade-style" approach to its gameplay, ISS Pro introduced more complex simulation gameplay emphasizing tactics and improvisation, enabled by tactical variety such as nine in-match strategy options. It spawned the Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) series, which became known for having "faster-paced tactical play" and more varied emergent gameplay, while FIFA was known for having more licenses. In the late 2000s, EA responded by borrowing gameplay elements from PES to improve FIFA, which eventually pulled ahead commercially by a significant margin in the 2010s and emerged as the world's most successful sports video game franchise. The rivalry between FIFA and PES is considered the "greatest rivalry" in the history of sports video games.[13][14]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ GamePro gave the game two 4/5 scores for graphics and control, 3/5 for sound, and 3.5/5 for overall fun factor.

References

  1. ↑ Key, Steve (April 1997). "International Superstar Soccer Pro". Computer and Video Games (EMAP) (185): 73. https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_185_1997-04_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n71/mode/2up. Retrieved July 19, 2021. 
  2. ↑ Edge staff (June 1997). "ISS Pro". Edge (Future Publishing) (46): 86–87. https://retrocdn.net/images/0/0e/Edge_UK_046.pdf. Retrieved July 19, 2021. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Kujawa, Kraig; Hager, Dean (May 1997). "Team EGM Sports: Goal Storm '97". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (94): 116. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "ワールドサッカー ウイニングイレブン'97 [PS"] (in ja). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=16710&redirect=no. Retrieved July 19, 2021. 
  5. ↑ McNamara, Andy; Storm, Jon; Anderson, Paul (May 1997). "Goal Storm '97". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (49). http://www.gameinformer.com/may97/goal.html. Retrieved July 19, 2021. 
  6. ↑ Joe Kidd (May 1997). "GoalStorm [sic"]. GameFan (Metropolis Media) 5 (5): 72. https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_5_Issue_05/page/n73/mode/2up. Retrieved July 19, 2021. 
  7. ↑ IGN staff (May 6, 1997). "Goal Storm '97". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/05/07/goal-storm-97. Retrieved July 19, 2021. 
  8. ↑ "International Superstar Pro Soccer [sic"] (in fr). Joystick (Hachette Filipacchi Médias) (84): 147. July–August 1997. http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Joystick/joystick_numero084/Joystick%20084%20-%20Page%20147%20%28juillet%20-%20ao%C3%BBt%201997%29.jpg. Retrieved July 19, 2021. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Finals: Goal Storm '97". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (30): 116. June 1997. https://archive.org/details/NextGeneration30Jun1997/page/n117/mode/2up. Retrieved July 19, 2021. 
  10. ↑ "Play Test: ISS Pro". Official UK PlayStation Magazine (Platinum Special): 74–7. 1999. https://archive.org/details/Official_UK_Playstation_Magazine_1999_Future_Publishing_GB_platinum_special/page/n73/mode/2up. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 The Rookie (June 1997). "Goal Storm '97". GamePro (IDG) (105): 90. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_105_Volume_09_Number_06_1997-06_IDG_Publishing_US/page/n91/mode/2up. Retrieved July 19, 2021. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 "Reviews: International Superstar Soccer Pro". July 1997. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160817080643/http://www.absolute-playstation.com/api_review/risspro.htm. 
  13. ↑ Wilson, Ben (26 June 2020). "Fifa v PES: the history of gaming's greatest rivalry". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/jun/26/fifa-v-pes-pro-evolution-soccer-the-history-of-gamings-greatest-rivalry. 
  14. ↑ Parkin, Simon (2016-12-21). "Fifa: the video game that changed football". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/21/fifa-video-game-changed-football. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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