Mass entrance of computers into homes started in the early Eighties, with the era of 8-bit computers – Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum, above all others. Of course, soccer games also came with these machines. There were some efforts in this gaming category before that (by companies Atari, Intellivision, Ramtek, and a few others). However, the main rise in the quality of soccer games was when computers entered into the hands of “common” individuals, not part of big companies. The computers used by home users were powerful enough to perform fairly complicated tasks and had good graphics and sound capabilities, yet were affordable so that programming wasn’t a luxury reserved for the big guys no longer. Some of those new skilled developers quickly began creating a brand new page within the world of Ufabet.
The turning point was during 1983 when a programmer known as Andrew Spencer developed International Soccer. With a great graphics system for the time, an improved ball flight model compared to his predecessors from 1970, and nine levels of computer opponents (early games usually were two players only), this game conquered the market quickly. Based on the fair historical distance, there are certain opinions that this game is the most successful when discussing football games using 8-bit computers, and even further.
Maybe that appraisal was nostalgia-tinted, or perhaps it resulted from the weak competition. When 8-bit machines were in use, computers and several football games were made, but only a few could be described as good. Titles worth mentioning were – Match Day from 1985. (and its sequel from 1988. ) Gary Lineker’s Superstar Soccer by Gremlin Graphics and 5 A Side by the company called Anirog (later changed to Anco, which was yet to crave its name throughout the history of soccer).
On the other side, markets were flooded with sloppy titles. It wasn’t evident how their publishing houses find the courage to let them be exposed to the public in the first place (who had a chance to try Super Soccer by Imagine, or Peter Beardsley’s International Football by Grand Slam and knows the kind of games I’m talking about).
At the end, when it was shown that 8-bit computers couldn’t put out quality football games, two games on C64 saved the day. It was in 1988 that Microprose released Microprose Soccer as well as Audiogenic published Emlyn Hughes International Soccer. Two brilliant games approached the game in different ways. Microprose Soccer reinvented the top-down view (although graphically very similar to, several years older, arcade game Tehkan World Cup), with fast-paced action, vibrant graphics, and innovative options like replays and different weather during the game. On the other hand, Emlyn Hughes International Soccer used practically identical graphics as the original International Soccer, but with the full range of modern movements and ways to pass and kick the ball. Also, it had distinct characteristics for each player in the team.
Those two games were cornerstones of soccer games played on 8-bit machines; however, their popularity didn’t last too long. The 80s were coming to an end, and with their departure, the days of แทงบอลออนไลน์. 16-bit machines were coming and, along with them, came titles as Kick Off and Sensible Soccer. But, those will be the topic of another article.