u/kingofneverfjord

I recently picked up a copy of Empire Soccer '94 and fired it up on my Amiga 1200. I had never played it before—only read about it back in the day.

My verdict? The speed on the Amiga is absolutely bonkers! It feels more like Speedball 2 than actual football.

I’ve written a retro-review with a humorous comparison of the game's chaotic mechanics (like the invisible referee on Amiga, the tiny pitch, and taking the goalkeeper on solo-runs) versus real-life grassroots football.

Note: The article is in Norwegian, but it translates flawlessly if you open it in Google Chrome and use the built-in translate option.

Check out the full write-up here:

https://spillhistorie.no/2026/05/08/empire-soccer-14-mhz-med-steroider-brassespark-og-powershots/

Did anyone else play this back in '94, or did you stick to SWOS and Kick Off? Let’s hear your memories!

We all remember the SGI graphics and the promises of "revolutionary AI." Then came the 5% review scores and the crushing realization that we’d bought a chrome-plated lemon.

I decided to go back and test it properly. Is it a total train wreck, or just a victim of its own massive marketing?

The verdict: It’s a mess, but a fascinating one. Between the "Advanced AI" (which is just a glorified cheat) and the "Forward High Jump Kick" that breaks the entire game, I actually found some weird enjoyment in the disaster.

I

wrote a deep dive on the experience here:

https://spillhistorie.no/2026/05/01/rise-of-the-robots-hvor-darlig-er-tidenes-mest-opphypede-spill/

(The article is in Norwegian, but Chrome Translate works perfectly!)

Quick takeaways:

The "Otter Strategy": One move lets you win without even looking at the screen.

The Brian May Scam: A 10-second loop in the menu—that’s your "soundtrack."

The "Medium" Twist: If you actually let the AI "learn," the game becomes a brutal, unfair nightmare.

Did you fall for the CGI hype back in the day, or did you stay away?

We all remember the SGI graphics and the promises of "revolutionary AI." Then came the 5% review scores and the crushing realization that we’d bought a chrome-plated lemon.

I decided to go back and test it properly. Is it a total train wreck, or just a victim of its own massive marketing?

The verdict: It’s a mess, but a fascinating one. Between the "Advanced AI" (which is just a glorified cheat) and the "Forward High Jump Kick" that breaks the entire game, I actually found some weird enjoyment in the disaster.

I wrote a deep dive on the experience here:

https://spillhistorie.no/2026/05/01/rise-of-the-robots-hvor-darlig-er-tidenes-mest-opphypede-spill/

(The article is in Norwegian, but Chrome Translate works perfectly!)

Quick takeaways:

The "Otter Strategy": One move lets you win without even looking at the screen.

The Brian May Scam: A 10-second loop in the menu—that’s your "soundtrack."

The "Medium" Twist: If you actually let the AI "learn," the game becomes a brutal, unfair nightmare.

Did you fall for the CGI hype back in the day, or did you stay away?