TOTAL FOOTBALL

L e s F e r d i n a n d l o o k e d a s c o m f o r t a b l e a t

Acclaim as when wearing that red chiffon number on Noel's House Party. N. was there to add a touch of class to their new footy game Total Football. Les spells it out on their promo video: "total realism, total control,Total Football...". The name may be familiar. Total Football was originally a Domark project, flaunted at a previous MTS. but when the company had a minor seizure last year, Acclaim agreed to pick up several of their intended 'properties'.

IEUIn the event, two completely different wershims of Total..., for Megadrive and SNES„ were created. The SNIES had the talents of veteran programmer John liftman. who created several Spectrum classics (including Match Day: the definitive speccy soccer game). And the Megadrive...didn't. As the press (that's us) watch Les deliver his

video spiel (like all footballers he does it with the goalmouth as a backdrop while squatting on his haunches and affecting a serious expression) Acclaim point out that Les is not actually in the game, but just adding his endorsement. Like US Gold's recent Fever Pitch, Total FootlesII is last-moving and embraces an arcade-style approach to gameplay. We are regaled with talk of sixty player moves and 5000 frames of animation. The programmers talk of a whole Meg being used on the crowd and presentational features. Decadence indeed. As with many presentations from new football game pro. grammers, there is ranting about the faults of FIFA. We don't care. We've played FIFA. we have out own opinion of It. Vile come to see something new. The presentation over, we climb into a limo and head for a sports-themed lunch. Les is charming and makes conversation. Total Football comes out next month. "Leg it. That petyy goalie's doing a mating dance..."

MEAN MACHINES are sorry to announce this is your mates running away from you.

dipped e ball in dog crap once, and threw it at my mate for a header..

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In a bid to add some festivity to the dull world

1console soccer, the programmers are developin interactive goal celebration mode. What this me that you have some control over how your sc react to a goal. There are a series of running ce lion moves, like outstretched arms and somer

Even more bizarre are the finishing moves. So involve belly-button flashing or doing Elvis impressions(?). Actually, Steve says that it's not they're impersonating. It's Alan Shea

Any 'front end' to the game, including options or en having the game split into halves is non-existent at present. The programmers are leaving that to the end, concentrating on gameplay first. What they lend is full international squads, pitch

They are also working on an intelligent select system to avoid the tion of being away from the 'on, although you can opt to - eplay' just one player and stick with him.