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A Tale of Two Halves: The History Of Football Video Games

5.0
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
34 Reviews
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Painstakingly researched and written by football-obsessed writer and experienced game journalist, historian, and documentarian Richard Moss – author of Bitmap’s own The Secret History of Mac Gaming A Tale of Two Halves: The History Of Football Video Games stays keenly on the ball as it shares the rich and influential history of video game football  – or ‘soccer’, for our American readers – striving to understand the very best the genre has to offer; and those releases that go a little wide of their target.

A Tale of Two Halves takes you on a fascinating journey from the very first examples of the form all the way through to the genre’s 2000s’ heyday. It hits the back of the net with expert analysis of over 400 football games, including Sensible Soccer, Kick Off, Match Day, FIFA, Pro Evolution Soccer, This Is Football, Championship Manager, Premier Manager, and both old-school and new-school Football Manager. Gathered together in a single volume, that remarkable spread of releases presents a surprising variety of interpretations of the beautiful game, showcasing one of the medium’s most creative, beguiling realms.

A Tale of Two Halves primarily focuses on footy gaming’s formative years – meaning from around 1980 to 2010 – and carefully divides the genre into two distinct halves, taking a considered look at each. As such, the first half is dominated by the fast and simple 2D action of icons like Kick Off, International Soccer, and Nintendo’s Soccer. Then, following the half-time whistle, it turns its attention to the increasingly realistic 3D outings defined by icons like FIFA, Pro Evo, and Virtua Striker.

Across its 628 pages, A Tale of Two Halves also features a foreword by legendary commentator Clive Tyldesley, hundreds of meticulously realised screenshots, and 13 interviews with pioneering football game developers. Inside you’ll also find a series of illustrations from James Reynolds’ ‘Unlicensed FC’ project – which celebrates Pro Evo’s unusual takes on players’ real names – as well as perfectly pitched pixel art from the team at 8-Bit Football. Numerous gaming platforms are covered, from the Atari 2600 and C64 to the Collecovison, via the Amiga line, PlayStation 1, Xbox 360, Arcades, and many more.

Still not enough for your footballing appetite? Fear not. There’s also a captivating spread of themed deep-dive features, nostalgic Easter eggs to uncover, and numerous quick-read mini-essays. And it’s all contained within an eye-catching gold foil blocked cover, and features boot laces that function as bookmark ribbons.

It’s a feast for soccer fans to devour, and a chance for any retro devotee to better understand the tremendous legacy football games have left. The most devoted can even pick up the tightly limited ‘Captain's Edition’ collector’s version, which comes in a heavy duty foil blocked slipcase. Around the slipcase is a fabric armband, holding your books securely while celebrating the effort of football’s captaining greats.

Whichever edition you pick, you’ll be sure to find Bitmap’s renowned standards when it comes to vibrant design, high-calibre printing, and excellence in production.

Includes interviews with:
Andrew Prime (Ultimate Soccer Manager), Andriy Kostiusko (Football Tactics), Ben Fawcett (This Is Football), Carlos Abril (PC Fútbol), Chris Wild (Giant Killers and Official Club Manager), Gerald Köhler (On The Ball and add-on Antoss), Jim Bagley (Striker), Kevin Toms (Football Manager), Marc Aubanel (FIFA International Soccer), Mariusz Trzaska (Liga Polska Manager), Matt Furniss (Soccer Kid), Michitaka Tsuruta (Captain Tsubasa) and Simon Prytherch (LMA Manager)

Book Specifications

628 pages. 250mm × 250mm. Hardback. Foil-blocked cover. 'Boot lace' bookmark ribbons. Edge-to-edge high quality lithographic print. Sewn binding for enduring quality and the ability to lay flat for ideal double-page image viewing. Shrink-wrapped. Free PDF for viewing on the go. Volumetric weight: 3kg.

Games featured

’96 Zenkoku Kōkō Soccer / 1st Division Manager / 2002 FIFA World Cup / 2006 FIFA World Cup / 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa / 3D Soccer (Arcadia 1983) / 4-4-2 Soccer / Academy of Champions: Football / Action Soccer / Active Soccer 2 DX / Actua Soccer (series) / Adidas Power Soccer / Advanced Soccer Simulator / Amiga Soccer (ST Soccer) / Anstoss / Anstoss 2 / Anstoss 3 / Anstoss 4 (series) / Atari Soccer (1979) / Atari’s Soccer (8-bit 1981) / Babes & Balls: Xtreme Beach Soccer / Back Street Soccer / Backyard Soccer / Bakuretsu Soccer / Big League Soccer / Bildschirmspiel 01 Fussball / Bodo Illgner’s Super Soccer / Bola / Boong!?: Die ultimatiefe Fußballsimulation / Brian Clough’s Football Fortunes / Bundesliga Live / Bundesliga Manager / Bundesliga Manager 97 / Bundesliga Manager Hattrick / Bundesliga Manager Professional / Bundesliga Manager X / Calcio (Mattel 1978) / Calcio Championship / Captain Tsubasa (series) / Car Polo / Champion Soccer / Champions of Europe / Champions! / Championship Manager / Championship Manager (’05–’08 entries) / Championship Manager (PSP) / Championship Manager 2 (series) / Championship Manager 2010 / Championship Manager 3 (series) / Championship Manager 4 (series) / Championship Manager Norge ’95 / Championship Manager Quiz / Championship Soccer / Chris Kamara’s Street Soccer / Club Football (series) / Coupe du Monde (Atari 1974) / Crazy Foot / Cristiano Ronaldo Underworld Football / Danone World Football / David Beckham Soccer (GBA) / David O’Leary’s Total Soccer 2000 / Der Trainer 2 / Dino Dini’s Goal! / Dino Dini’s Soccer / Director of Football (series) / Disney Sports Football / Dolucky’s A-League Soccer / Dooly Soccer 2002 / Dream Soccer ’94 / Dribbling / Dundee’s European Challenge / Dynamite Soccer (32/64-bit) / Eat The Whistle / eFootball 2022 / Elite Soccer / Emilio Butragueño ¡Fútbol! / Emlyn Hughes International Soccer / Empire Soccer 94 / Entraineur Pro / ESPN MLS GameNight / Euro Club Manager (series) / Euro Football Champ (Hat Trick Hero) / Euro League Football / European Champions / European Club Soccer / European Superleague / European Trophy / Everton F.C. Intelligentsia / F.A. Cup Football / F.A. Premier League Manager (series) / F.A. Premier League Stars (series) / F.A. Premier League Stars 2001 / F.A.S. Soccer / Fever Pitch Soccer / FIFA (32-bit titles) / FIFA (PS2 titles) / FIFA (PS3/X360 titles) / FIFA 09 All-Play / FIFA 11 (DS) / FIFA 16 / FIFA 2000 (GBC) / FIFA 64 / FIFA 96 (GG) / FIFA International Soccer (16-bit titles) / FIFA International Soccer (3DO version) / FIFA Manager (’06–’09 entries) / FIFA Manager 2010 / 2011 / FIFA Soccer 2005 (GBA) / FIFA Soccer Manager / FIFA Street (series) / FIFA Street 2 (DS) / FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 / Fighting Soccer / Final Answer / Five-A-Side Football / Five-a-Side Indoor Soccer / Five-a-Side Soccer / Flick Kick Football (series) / Football (Heads Up Action Soccer) / Football (Mattel 1978) / Football (Philips 1983) / Football Champ (Hat Trick Hero) / Football Director / Football Director DS / Football Drama / Football Frenzy / Football Genius: The Ultimate Quiz / Football Glory / Football International / Football Kingdom: Trial Edition / Football Limited / Football Madness / Football Magic / Football Manager / Football Manager (’05–’08 entries) / Football Manager 2 / Football Manager 2009 / Football Manager Classic / Football Manager Handheld (series) / Football Manager Live / Football Manager: World Cup Edition 1990 / Football Mania / Football Masters 96/97 / Football Power / Football Superstars / Football Tactician / Football Trivia / Football: Tactics & Glory / Footballer of the Year / Footy Fanatic / Formation Soccer (series) / FourFourTwo Touchline Passion / Frogmaster / Fussball (Mattel 1978) / Fussball Champ / Fußball Manager Fun / Fútbol Argentino ’96 / Futbol-Party / Gary Lineker’s Superstar Soccer / Gazza’s Super Soccer / Gianluca Vialli’s European Manager / Giant Killers (series) / Glen Hoddle Soccer / Go! Go! Beckham! Adventure on Soccer Island / Goal (series) / Goal Kick (SEGA 1974) / Goal Storm / Goal Storm 97 / Goal/4 (Atari 1974) / Graeme Souness Vector Soccer / Grand Striker 2 / Guy Roux Manager (Championship Manager) / Hat Trick Hero (series) / Hattrick / Hattrick! / Head-On Soccer / Heads Up Action Soccer / Heimspiel 2006 / Hi-Res Soccer / Hooligans: Storm Over Europe / Hotball / Hyper Formation Soccer / I Play: 3-D Soccer / Imagine: Soccer Captain / Inazuma Eleven (series) / International Soccer / International Soccer (Amiga Soccer) / International Soccer Challenge / International Superstar Soccer (16-bit titles) / International Superstar Soccer (PS2) / International Superstar Soccer 64 / ISS98 / International Superstar Soccer Advance / International Superstar Soccer Pro / Pro 98 / ISS Pro Evolution / It’s a Funny Old Game / Italia 1990 / Italy ’90 Soccer / Italy 1990 / J.League Eleven Beat 1997 / J.League Pro Soccer … Advance / J.League Pro Soccer Club o Tsukurou! / J.League: Big Wave Soccer / Jack Charlton’s Soccer Nation / Jake Power: Soccer Star / J-League Champion Soccer / J-League Excite Stage (series) / Jumpers for Goalposts (series) / Keith van Eron’s Pro Soccer / Kellogg’s Frosties Football Frenzy / Kevin Keegan’s Player Manager / Kick and Run / Kick Off 02 / Kick Off 1 and 2 / Kick Off 2: World Cup 90 / Kick Off 3 / Kick Off 96 / Kick Off: Jaleco Cup / Kicker FUSSBALLmanager / Kidz Sports: International Soccer / Kiko World Football / Konami Hyper Soccer / Konami’s Football / Konami’s Soccer / Kunio-kun no Nekketsu Super League / Let’s Make a Soccer Team! / LiberoGrande / Liga Polska Manager (’95–’98 titles) / Liga Polska Manager (’00–’05 titles) / Liverpool: The Computer Game / LMA Manager (32-bit titles) / LMA Manager (PS2 titles) / LMA Manager 2007 / Lothar Matthäus Super Soccer / MacFooty Manager 96 / Macintosh Football Manager / Major Indoor Soccer League / Manchester United Europe / Manchester United: Premier League Champions / Manchester United: The Double / Manchester United: The Official Computer Game / Marcel Desailly Pro Soccer / Mario Smash Football / Mario Strikers Charged Football / Match Day / Match Day II / Match of the Day / Matthias Sammer Soccer / Mega Man Soccer / Mia Hamm Soccer 64 / Mia Hamm Soccer Shootout / Michael Owen’s World League Soccer 99/2000 / Michel Fútbol Master + Super Skills / MicroLeague Action Sports Soccer / MicroProse Soccer / Microsoft International Soccer 2000 / Microsoft Soccer / Multi-Player Soccer Manager / NASL Soccer / Neo Geo Cup ’98: The Road to the Victory / New Star Soccer (mobile) / New Star Soccer (series) / Nijiiro no Seishun / Nintendo World Cup / Numéro 10 / O’Leary Manager 2000 / Official Club Manager (series) / Olympic Soccer / On The Ball 2 / On The Ball / One-Nil Soccer Manager / Onside Complete Soccer / PC Calcio 2.0 / 3.0 / 4.0 / PC Calcio (5.0 to 7) / PC Calcio 2000 / PC Fútbol (5.0 to 7) / PC Fútbol 1.0 / PC Fútbol 2.0 / 3.0 / 4.0 / PC Fútbol 2000 / PC Fútbol 2005 / 2006 / 2007 / PC Fútbol Argentina / PC Fútbol Selección Española ’98 / PC Gol / Perfect Eleven / Pet Soccer / Peter Beardsley’s International Football / Peter Shilton’s Handball Maradona! / Philips SV Eindhoven Manager / Player Manager / Player Manager 2 / Player Manager 2000 / Playman World Soccer / Pocket League Story / Pocket Soccer / Premier League (Alan Clayton 1985) / Premier Manager (Zoo Digital series) / Premier Manager 1 and 2 / Premier Manager 2000 / Premier Manager 97 / 98 / 99 / Premier Manager 3 / Premier Picks / Premier Soccer / Pro Beach Soccer / Pro Evolution Soccer (PS2 titles) / Pro Evolution Soccer (PS3/X360 titles) / Pro Evolution Soccer 5 (PSP) / Pro Evolution Soccer Management / Pro Striker (series) / Professional Footballer / Puma Street Soccer / Puma World Football / Pure Football / RanTrainer / Real Football (mobile series) / Real Football: Manager Edition / RealSports Soccer (5200) / RealSports Soccer (2600 / 5200) / RedCard / Pelé’s Soccer / River City Soccer Hooligans / Rocket League / Ronaldo V-Football / Rothmans Football Quick Quiz Vol. 1 / Roy of the Rovers / Rzuty Karne / Saint & Greavsie / SakaTsuku (J.League Pro Soccer Club o Tsukurou!) / SakaTsuku (Let’s Make a Soccer Team!) / SakaTsuku (J.League Pro Soccer … Advance) / SakaTsuku DS: Touch and Direct / Sam Power: Footballer / Sean Dundee’s World Club Football / SEGA Soccer Slam / SEGA Worldwide Soccer (series) / Seibu Cup Soccer / Sensational Soccer / Sensible Soccer / Sensible Soccer ’98 / Sensible Soccer 2000 / Sensible Soccer 2006 / Sensible World of Soccer / Serious Soccer / Sick as a Parrot 2003 / Sierra Soccer: World Challenge Edition / Simulador Profesional de Fútbol / Sky Sports Football Quiz / Soccer (400/800) / Soccer (Nintendo 1985) / Soccer (Football International) / Soccer (Heads Up Action Soccer) / Soccer (Magnavox 1972) / Soccer (Magnavox 1976) / Soccer (Mattel 1978) / Soccer (NASL Soccer) / Soccer (Radofin/Interton 1979) / Soccer (Taito 1973) / Soccer ’97 (Olympic Soccer) / Soccer Addict: International Cup 2002 / Soccer Boss (Champions!) / Soccer Brawl / Soccer Cards / Soccer Cup Solitaire / Soccer Kid / Soccer Life! (series) / Soccer Manager (Director of Football) / Soccer Manager Plus / Soccer Rivals / Soccer Shootout / Soccer Superstars / Soccer Yarou! ~Challenge The World~ / Soccer! (Magnavox 1979) / Soccersim / Sociable Soccer / ST Soccer (Amiga Soccer) / Star Soccer / StarFire Soccer Challenge / Strategy Sports: Soccer / Street Sports Soccer / Striker / Striker ’95 and ’96 / Striker No. 9 / Super Action Ball / Super Action Football / Super Football Champ / Super Formation Soccer / Super League Manager / Super Mario Strikers / Super Match Soccer / Super Shot Soccer / Super Sidekicks (series) / Super Soccer (Sony 1985) / Super Soccer (Allied Leisure 1973) / Super Soccer (Formation Soccer) / Super Soccer (Super Cassette) / Super Soccer Champ (Hat Trick Hero) / Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars / Supremo 99 / Tactical Manager / Tactical Manager 2 / Tactical Soccer / Tactics Soccer / Teamchef / Tecmo Cup Football Game / Tecmo World Cup ’90 / Tecmo World Cup ’93 / Tecmo World Cup Soccer / Tecmo World Soccer ’96 / Tehkan World Cup / Boss, The (Champions!) / Double, The / Manager, The (Bundesliga Manager Professional) / Soccer Game, The / Soccer Wizard, The / This Is Football (32-bit titles) / This Is Football (PS2 titles) / This Is Football Management / Three Lions / Tim Power: Football / Tokimeki Memorial Drama Series vol. 1: Nijiiro no Seishun / Tony Meola’s Sidekicks Soccer / Top Eleven / Top of the League / Total Club Manager (series) / Total Football / Total Football Management / Total Soccer / Tracksuit Manager / Tracksuit Manager 2 / Trevor Brooking’s World Cup Glory / TV Goalee / UEFA Challenge / UEFA Champions League (series) / UEFA Champions League 1996/97 / UEFA Champions League 2006–2007 / UEFA Dream Soccer / UEFA Euro 96 England / UEFA Manager 2000 / UEFA Striker / UFL / Ultimate Beach Soccer / Ultimate Soccer / Ultimate Soccer Manager (series) / Ultra CD-i Soccer / United / Urban Freestyle Soccer / USA Soccer ’94 / V Goal Soccer / Versus Net Soccer / Victory Goal / Virtua Pro Football / Virtua Striker (SEGA AM2 titles) / Virtua Striker 3 / Virtua Striker 4 / Viva Football / VR Soccer ’96 / Wild Cup Soccer / Winning Eleven (Goal Storm) / Winning Eleven (Pro Evolution Soccer PS2 titles) / World Cup (Amstrad/Commodore 1985) / World Cup ’86 / World Cup ’90 / World Cup 98 / World Cup Carnival / World Cup Challenge / World Cup Football (Artic 1984) / World Cup Football (Atari 1974) / World Cup Italia ’90 / World Cup Manager / World Cup Soccer (Macmillan 1985) / World Cup Soccer: Italia ’90 / World Cup Striker / World Cup USA ’94 / World Football 98 / World League Soccer ’98 / World PK Soccer / World Soccer / World Soccer Winning Eleven / World Soccer: Jikkyou Winning Eleven 4 / World Tour Soccer / World Trophy Soccer / Worldwide Soccer Manager / Zeebo F.C. Super League / Zico Soccer / ZX Football Manager 2005

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Reprint Updates

This edition may have received minor updates when reprinted. If not specified here, these changes will not be significant, and likely be small text amends.

5.0
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Based on 34 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 34 Total 4 star reviews: 0 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
100%would recommend this product
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34 reviews
  • AL
    Alessandro L.
    Verified Buyer
    2 weeks ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Always great quality and attention to detail

    A great quality and informative book for those who want to know a history of the football video game genre. Excellent writing, materials, and great attention to detail (such as the bookmarks "shaped" like soccer boot laces). Very good delivery to Italy and in the (short) wait anyway you can enjoy the pdf version that arrives immediately after purchase! Strongly recommended!

  • BD
    Bruno D.
    Verified Buyer
    21 hours ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Magnifique !!

    What a great book...full of beautiful illustrations..and a ton of infos about all (?) the football vidéo games ever produced..a must have !

  • ED
    Emanuele D.
    Verified Buyer
    4 days ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Amarcord

    Libro meraviglioso che ripercorre i videogiochi di calcio della mia infanzia, bellissima impaginazione e tantissime informazioni! Must have

  • B Profile picture for briefcade
    briefcade
    Verified Buyer
    1 week ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    straight to the goal

    A top class volume, another strike by bitmap books!

  • TA
    Theodoros A.
    Verified Buyer
    1 week ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    A tale of two halves and a lifetime!

    One more book for me from Bitmap Books (four so far). As it was expected, the production values and packaging are out of this world! You'll find anything you need to know about football video games and many more! Reviews, interviews, awards all are in there. Nice touch that the bookmark is a shoelace. Thanks for the memories!

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