This is a game I probably feel is a little better than it actually is, because I owned it as a kid and played it a lot. It gets points for charm and great music, but even I have to admit it has its flaws. The field is too small, and it doesn't actually feel like real football. Actually in most cases it's okay to just let the game continue playing without doing anything. The opponents will use a long time to score against you! If they score at all. Your goalkeeper will save most shots. It's also quite easy to score once you find the right technique. I remember being able to beat UAE 38-0 once playing as West Germany, using this technique I developed as a kid... If you play against better teams it get's more difficult though.
One thing that's cool about the game is the penalty shootout contest, which you see from a different perspective than the matches themselves. While the matches use top-down perspective (which was normal for football games from this period), you see the penalty contests from the penalty taker's perspective. I thought this was cool as a kid. You can either play penalties if a game ends with a draw in the last stages of the World Cup (there is no extra time), or you can just select to play a penalty contest from the main menu. You can then either play against a friend or the computer.
All in all a game that I have fond memories of, and for its time it wasn't such a bad game. Greater football games from 1990 or before do exist, however...
Change groups
If you press PAUSE while looking at the groups of the "Elimination League" in the World Cup, they will change and place you in a different group with different teams.
BRAZIL
Vai começar o mais sensacional campeonato de futebol. 30 dos melhores times do mundo estão fazendo tudo para vencer. Escolha um deles e entre em campo com muita garra, pois desta vez você pode levar a taça para casa. A perspectiva é tão real que você vai sentir todas as emoções de estar dentro do estádio. Os passes são rápidos e certeiros, com grandes lançamentos que percorrerão todo o campo tornando o desafio ainda mais vibrante. Participe da disputa de pênaltis, tentando defender os poderosos chutes dos adversários. Ajude seu time a ser o grande campeão.