metacritic.com: International Superstar Soccer '98 (Nintendo 64)

International Superstar Soccer '98 (Nintendo 64)

For the soccer purist, ISS '98 offers a mind-boggling array of coaching options. You can select your starting lineup from 20-man squads and assign each player a specific role. A player's motivation -- symbolized by six different faces, including the grinning one above -- can greatly affect his performance. For the biggest psychological edge, pick an especially cheerful soul as your captain. ISS '98 gives you a choice of nine international stadiums; day, evening or nighttime play; sunny, cloudy, rainy or snowy weather; and five CPU skill levels. You can command any of the three refs to call or not call fouls, offsides or yellow cards. Informal handicapping can be done by fielding seven to 11 players per side and weak, average or excellent goalies. ISS '98 deftly combines endless strategic possibilities with out-and-out fun. While lacking the coveted FIFA license, it merits serious consideration by any soccer fan -- or anyone who appreciates great sports games, period. [Nintendo]

Konami
Sports
Players: 4
E (Everyone)
Developer: KCEO
Released August 1, 1998

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

91 / 100

Critic Reviews

92	Nintendojo It has all the features you could ask for and more and the gameplay has been refined to near perfection. Then it seems, the only reason FIFA is consistently outselling ISS is the fact that EA have the FIFA license and Konami do not. Just don't let that put you off what is possibly the best soccer game on any system.
91	IGN If you already own ISS64, see if you find a trade-in deal to get your hands on the new one, otherwise, the amount of additions is not quite enough to warrant purchase of the sequel.
90	All Game Guide Intelligence, control, and gameplay are all the best in the business. The only disappointments are the lack of real players and teams and the need for a better TV-style presentation.
90	Games Domain The extra touches, although subtle, are akin to the brushstrokes in a Leonardo Da' Vinci masterpiece. The touches on their own seem insignificant, but look at ISS'98 as a complete package, and it is an experience that can only be described as religious.
88	TotalGames.net Considering that Japan isn’t famous for its success in the sport, for some reason the developers at KCET have a canny knack of delivering almost every attribute of our beautiful game in precision detail, with realism so sharp you could almost take an eye out!

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