Emlyn Hughes International Soccer
Encyclopedia
Emlyn Hughes International Soccer (EHIS) is a soccer computer game first released in 1988
by Audiogenic Software Ltd.
. The game is named after the popular English footballer Emlyn Hughes
. It initially appeared on the Commodore 64
, with other versions produced for the Amstrad CPC
, ZX Spectrum
, Atari ST
and Amiga
.
The game was programmed by Graham Blighe with additional coding by Michael McLean. Gameplay included arcade-style action and the management aspect of the sport. Critical response to the game was generally positive with accolades and high ratings from the industry magazines.
, but versions were also developed for Amstrad
, ZX Spectrum
, Atari ST
and Amiga
as part of Audiogenic's general cross-platform strategy. Upon its release it was hailed by some as the most realistic football simulation ever made, and gathered enthusiastic reviews, in particular from ZZAP!64
.
The program was in the UK computer games charts for over three years following its release, and it still enjoys a small but enthusiastic cult following almost 20 years after its release.
Every version of the game was programmed by Graham Blighe and produced by Peter Calver, with graphics created by Andrew Calver, and playtesting by Jeremy Wellard; the strategy section was coded by Michael McLean
(in later versions Terry Wiley). The music for the Commodore 64 version was written by Barry Leitch
.
The inspiration for the game came from International Soccer
, a highly-successful cartridge game for the Commodore 64
that had been released by Commodore themselves in the early 1980s. Indeed, EHIS offered an optional mode in which the controls were deliberately limited, to simulate the restricted options available in the earlier game. This both provided an easy introduction and helped to emphasise the extent to which the controls had been enhanced.
At the time of its release EHIS faced heavy competition from titles such as Match Day II
(1987), Kick Off
(1989) and Microprose Soccer
. However, what made EHIS different from the other games of its time was the fine balance between playability and simulation - it was not as slow as Match Day II, nor as reflex-driven as Kick Off and Sensible Soccer
. As a result, the appeal of EHIS was strongest among those who preferred skillful, tactical football to frantic arcade action. Despite limited graphics, and a side view of the action (whereas Kick Off had recently introduced the bird's-eye perspective), EHIS held its own because of a powerful control system that gave the players unprecedented control over the game.
EHIS advanced techniques included The '5-direction' option. This meant that you could pass and shoot up to 5 different directions from where your player is facing. This was achieved by holding the fire button and pushing the joystick at an angle from where your player is running and releasing the button. Other techniques include sidestepping, barging, heading, back heels, lobs, diving headers, sliding tackles and many other miscellaneous features.
This was the first time that management features had been included in an arcade-style soccer game, and the identities of the players were reinforced with a rudimentary on-screen commentary, another ground-breaking feature. The game was also highly configurable with everything from the players' stats and names to the pitch and shirt colours.
The management aspect included picking your squad (based on player skills and fitness levels). Amongst the many options you can compete in competitions including cup, championship and leagues. EHIS was one of the first football games to include a full season of gameplay. You would compete in a league competition (home and away) and take part in a knock-out style cup competition. Throughout the season your player's fitness and morale would fluctuate and they could even get injured.
awarded the game with a 90% rating, gaining a Zzap! 'Zizzler' accolade. "Quite simply the best football game on the 64!" Commodore User
gave an 84% rating explaining that "this isn't quite Microprose Soccer but it's still a vast improvement on many of the football games available."
Sinclair User
gave the game a 91 rating and a Sinclair User 'Classic' accolade. "Best Spectrum football game. Ever." CRASH
however gave the game a lukewarm reception, giving a 70%, "Playing matches is fun (especially with two players), although play is not quite up to the standard set by Match Day II
." Your Sinclair
gave a 5/10 rating stating that the game was "Well implemented (control systems aside) but ultimately derivative football game combining action and strategy to little effect." The Games Machine
reviewed both the Commodore 64 and Spectrum versions in the April 1989 issue. The C64 version received an 88% rating while the Spectrum version garnered a respectable 85%.
Amstrad Action
reviewed the game alongside other football games—MicroProse Soccer
, Streetgang Football and Gary Lineker's Hot Shot—in the football special issue of June 1989. Emlyn came on top with a 93% and the AA 'Mastergame' accolade. "You ain’t played footie on your CPC 'til you’ve mastered Emlyn!"
Audiogenic
subsequently developed two other arcade soccer games, European Champions (released by Ocean Software
) and Wembley International Soccer, both of which extended the degree of control, though neither sold in great numbers. However, they did introduce another innovative feature - the option to switch between side-on and top-down views, which made replays particularly interesting. Note: Graham Blighe also wrote the arcade section of these games, with the exception of the IBM PC
version of European Champions.
1988 in video gaming
-Events:*June — Nintendo releases the last issue of "Nintendo fun club news";*July — Nintendo releases the first issue of Nintendo Power magazine.-Notable releases:*January 8, Konami releases Super Contra....
by Audiogenic Software Ltd.
Audiogenic
Audiogenic Software is one of the oldest United Kingdom video game developers. It was established in 1985 out of the ashes of an earlier Audiogenic company that had been founded in the late 1970s. It published its last new title in 1997, after the core of the development team were taken over by...
. The game is named after the popular English footballer Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Walter Hughes, OBE was an English footballer who captained both the England national team and the much-decorated Liverpool F.C. team of the 1970s.- From Blackpool to Liverpool :...
. It initially appeared on the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, with other versions produced for the Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
and Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
.
The game was programmed by Graham Blighe with additional coding by Michael McLean. Gameplay included arcade-style action and the management aspect of the sport. Critical response to the game was generally positive with accolades and high ratings from the industry magazines.
History
It debuted on Commodore 64Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, but versions were also developed for Amstrad
Amstrad
Amstrad is a British electronics company, now wholly owned by BSkyB. As of 2006, Amstrad's main business is manufacturing Sky Digital interactive boxes....
, ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
and Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
as part of Audiogenic's general cross-platform strategy. Upon its release it was hailed by some as the most realistic football simulation ever made, and gathered enthusiastic reviews, in particular from ZZAP!64
Zzap!64
Zzap!64 was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 . It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact....
.
The program was in the UK computer games charts for over three years following its release, and it still enjoys a small but enthusiastic cult following almost 20 years after its release.
Every version of the game was programmed by Graham Blighe and produced by Peter Calver, with graphics created by Andrew Calver, and playtesting by Jeremy Wellard; the strategy section was coded by Michael McLean
Michael McLean
Michael McLean or Mike McLean may refer to:* Michael McLean , Australian broadcaster who appears on Triple M* Michael McLean , American composer* Michael McLean , former Australian Football League player...
(in later versions Terry Wiley). The music for the Commodore 64 version was written by Barry Leitch
Barry Leitch
Barry Leitch is a video game music composer, responsible for the music in a large number of games spanning multiple consoles and personal computers. Most notable is his work from the Lotus Turbo Challenge, Top Gear, and Rush video game series....
.
The inspiration for the game came from International Soccer
International Soccer
-Overview:International Soccer is a soccer videogame for Commodore 64. It can be played by two players or one player against an AI opponent. Each team can select one of a number of colored shirts, and the AI opponent is graded into 9 different difficulty levels...
, a highly-successful cartridge game for the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
that had been released by Commodore themselves in the early 1980s. Indeed, EHIS offered an optional mode in which the controls were deliberately limited, to simulate the restricted options available in the earlier game. This both provided an easy introduction and helped to emphasise the extent to which the controls had been enhanced.
At the time of its release EHIS faced heavy competition from titles such as Match Day II
Match Day II
Match Day II is a football sports game part of the Match Day series released for the Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, MSX and Commodore 64 platforms...
(1987), Kick Off
Kick Off
The Kick Off franchise is a series of football simulation computer games which was highly popular in the early 1990s. The series is renowned for its fast-paced action and delicate ball control scheme....
(1989) and Microprose Soccer
Microprose Soccer
Microprose Soccer is a soccer videogame published by Microprose in 1988. The original Commodore 64 version was developed by Sensible Software, with conversions carried out to other formats. It is the fore-runner of the 16-bit classic Sensible Soccer...
. However, what made EHIS different from the other games of its time was the fine balance between playability and simulation - it was not as slow as Match Day II, nor as reflex-driven as Kick Off and Sensible Soccer
Sensible Soccer
Sensible Soccer, often affectionately known as Sensi, is an association football video game series which was highly popular in the early 1990s and which still retains a cult following...
. As a result, the appeal of EHIS was strongest among those who preferred skillful, tactical football to frantic arcade action. Despite limited graphics, and a side view of the action (whereas Kick Off had recently introduced the bird's-eye perspective), EHIS held its own because of a powerful control system that gave the players unprecedented control over the game.
Gameplay
EHIS gameplay included the basic running, kicking, shooting style but also had advanced technique gameplay which added depth and realism to the game. For example; turning naturally involved changing direction of the joystick, but instead of coming to a halt straight away, the player would slow down, stop and start to run in the direction of the joystick.EHIS advanced techniques included The '5-direction' option. This meant that you could pass and shoot up to 5 different directions from where your player is facing. This was achieved by holding the fire button and pushing the joystick at an angle from where your player is running and releasing the button. Other techniques include sidestepping, barging, heading, back heels, lobs, diving headers, sliding tackles and many other miscellaneous features.
This was the first time that management features had been included in an arcade-style soccer game, and the identities of the players were reinforced with a rudimentary on-screen commentary, another ground-breaking feature. The game was also highly configurable with everything from the players' stats and names to the pitch and shirt colours.
The management aspect included picking your squad (based on player skills and fitness levels). Amongst the many options you can compete in competitions including cup, championship and leagues. EHIS was one of the first football games to include a full season of gameplay. You would compete in a league competition (home and away) and take part in a knock-out style cup competition. Throughout the season your player's fitness and morale would fluctuate and they could even get injured.
Reception
Zzap!64Zzap!64
Zzap!64 was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 . It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact....
awarded the game with a 90% rating, gaining a Zzap! 'Zizzler' accolade. "Quite simply the best football game on the 64!" Commodore User
Commodore User
Commodore User, known to the readers as the abbreviated CU, was one of the oldest British Commodore magazines. A publishing history spanning over 15 years, mixing content with technical and games features...
gave an 84% rating explaining that "this isn't quite Microprose Soccer but it's still a vast improvement on many of the football games available."
Sinclair User
Sinclair User
Sinclair User, often abbreviated SU, was a magazine dedicated to the Sinclair Research range of home computers, most specifically the ZX Spectrum...
gave the game a 91 rating and a Sinclair User 'Classic' accolade. "Best Spectrum football game. Ever." CRASH
CRASH (magazine)
Crash was a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress.-Development:...
however gave the game a lukewarm reception, giving a 70%, "Playing matches is fun (especially with two players), although play is not quite up to the standard set by Match Day II
Match Day II
Match Day II is a football sports game part of the Match Day series released for the Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, MSX and Commodore 64 platforms...
." Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair or YS as it was commonly abbreviated, was a British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum.-History:...
gave a 5/10 rating stating that the game was "Well implemented (control systems aside) but ultimately derivative football game combining action and strategy to little effect." The Games Machine
The Games Machine
The Games Machine was a video game magazine that was published from 1987 until 1990 in the United Kingdom by Newsfield, which also published CRASH, Zzap!64, Amtix! and other magazines.-History:...
reviewed both the Commodore 64 and Spectrum versions in the April 1989 issue. The C64 version received an 88% rating while the Spectrum version garnered a respectable 85%.
Amstrad Action
Amstrad Action
Amstrad Action was a monthly magazine, published in the United Kingdom, which catered to owners of home computers from the Amstrad CPC range and later the GX4000 console....
reviewed the game alongside other football games—MicroProse Soccer
Microprose Soccer
Microprose Soccer is a soccer videogame published by Microprose in 1988. The original Commodore 64 version was developed by Sensible Software, with conversions carried out to other formats. It is the fore-runner of the 16-bit classic Sensible Soccer...
, Streetgang Football and Gary Lineker's Hot Shot—in the football special issue of June 1989. Emlyn came on top with a 93% and the AA 'Mastergame' accolade. "You ain’t played footie on your CPC 'til you’ve mastered Emlyn!"
Legacy
There are other videogames and projects related to this title:- Emlyn Hughes Arcade Quiz
- EHIS2 project (defunct)
Audiogenic
Audiogenic
Audiogenic Software is one of the oldest United Kingdom video game developers. It was established in 1985 out of the ashes of an earlier Audiogenic company that had been founded in the late 1970s. It published its last new title in 1997, after the core of the development team were taken over by...
subsequently developed two other arcade soccer games, European Champions (released by Ocean Software
Ocean Software
The British company Ocean Software was one of the biggest European video game developers/publishers of the 1980s and 90s...
) and Wembley International Soccer, both of which extended the degree of control, though neither sold in great numbers. However, they did introduce another innovative feature - the option to switch between side-on and top-down views, which made replays particularly interesting. Note: Graham Blighe also wrote the arcade section of these games, with the exception of the IBM PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
version of European Champions.