By most metrics football games have improved dramatically over the past 30 years. The most obvious factor has been the graphical improvements, with an increasing number of players having their own faces scanned into games with incredible detail. The quality of the AI has come a long way too, even if year-to-year tweaks are debated at great length amongst the gaming community.
For all the developments though there are things which have been lost along the way. Perhaps the most striking of these is the charm that earlier football games possessed. Though strictly speaking inferior from a technological perspective, the aesthetic of 90s games still holds up today. Nothing captures this enduring charm more than the kits. Call us hopeless nostalgists, but the blocky shirts seen in series like International Superstar Soccer (ISS) captured something modern tech falls far short of recreating.
Don’t believe us? We partnered with the brilliant @this_is_football_gaming to take a look back at some of the kits from one of the golden eras of football games. There was hit after hit after hit.
1. Italy home '94 - Goal Storm
One of the most recognisable crests of all time and some sneakily good shading/gradient work.
2. Kashima Antlers home '95 - J.League Winning Eleven
J.League Winning Eleven took the challenge of replicating the insane J.League kits of the 90s personally (they succeeded).
3. Arsenal home '05 - Pro Evolution Soccer 5
Pro Evo and the legendary Arsenal redcurrant shirt was the most potent 00s combination.
4. Auxerre home '02 - FIFA Football 2003
Speaking of the 00s, no discussion about the decade is complete without some Kappa Kombat.
5. Brazil home '98 - ISS Pro 98
One of several ISS Pro 98 kits on this list, the Brazil 1998 home was captured in brilliant detail.
6. Chile home '98 - ISS Pro 98
Similarly, the Chile kit of the same season was instantly recognisable.
7. Croatia home '98 - ISS Pro 98
There was something particularly enjoyable about seeing the checkers of Croatia during the blocky era.
8. England away '96 - ISS Pro
This England shirt displays exactly the kind of charm we spoke about.
9. France home '98 - ISS 98
We were blessed to see the legendary kits of 1998 recreated during the late 90s gaming years.
10. Fulham home '01 - FIFA Football 2002
The delight of seeing the Pizza Hut logo in game here cannot be overstated.
11. West Germany home '90 - Super Soccer
Pixels never looked so good.
12. Gremio home '00 - FIFA 2001
The detail on show here is astonishing, with a faithful sponsor recreation and even some Kappa sleeve taping.
13. Mexico home '98 - ISS Pro 98
Perhaps the most difficult shirt to represent in a video game, and yet ISS Pro 98 more than did the Mexico 1998 justice.
14. Nagoya home '95 - J.League Winning Eleven
Another example of J.League Winning Eleven’s superiority when it came to kit design in game. A triumph which has stood the test of kit.
15. Nigeria away '94 - Goal Storm
The energy went into all the right places here. Let the kit do the talking.
16. Parma home '99 - ISS Pro Evolution 2
90s Parma was a vibe we want to relive again and again.
17. Real Madrid away '99 - ISS Pro Evolution 2
Pound for pound, the black and yellow Real Madrid away 1999 might be our favourite alternate Real kit of all time.
18. Scotland home '97 - ISS Pro
And when it comes to Scotland kits, few if any have topped the one on display here in ISS Pro.
19. South Africa home '98 - ISS Pro 98
Another masterpiece of a football kit faithfully rendered in great detail within a classic 90s game.
20. Spain home '96 - ISS Pro
And we finish with a timeless kit in a timeless game.
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