Realsports Soccer (thing)

Realsports Soccer is a basic Soccer game for the Atari 2600. This game is not exactly the height of realism, (as far as soccer goes). You control your team of 3 stick figures in a effort to score on the other stick figures. This game is best played in 2 player mode. The reason being is that the computer players are no challenge once you figure out their reactions and patterns. In general the RealSports series of Atari games all had the problem of easily beaten A.I., (once you learn the patterns). But here comes the problem, the AI is too easy, but you aren't going to find anyone else to play this garbage with you.

I honestly cannot think of any reason for a human being to be playing this game in the year 2005. It has nothing to offer anymore. You might be able to use this title if you live in seclusion and home school your children. They could play it and they wouldn't know any better until they grew up and moved away. So they would enjoy it for a few years, cooped up in that house with the old Pat Boone records, Betamax VCR and the TV with the rabbit ears on top. Later on they will discover that there was so much more out there and they will hate you for making them play this.

It's the final game of the season, and once again the championship is at
stake--only this time, it's among old rivals. A goal by the opposing team
ties the game with one minute to go. You wipe the sweat off your forehead
as the score flashes across the screen of a giant indoor stadium: Blue
Defenders 2, Red Rebels 2.

With precious seconds ticking away, the crowd is growing restless in the
stands. The team lines up for the final kick-off. You hear the SCREECH
of the referee's whistle and the ball shoots towards your center position
with the velocity of a bullet. You dart forward and kick the ball to a
wing player, but a Rebel skillfully steals it away, leaving you off balance.
Crashing to the side, you hear the ball whizzing past your left ear.

Don't worry! A player on your team intercepts the ball and kicks it to a
teammate. But in the tension of the moment, he misses. You close in from
the wing. Too late! A Rebel gets control of the ball and dribbles it
towards your goal. Like a shadow, you follow close behind. Only you can
steal the ball and prevent him from scoring a winning point. In a split
second, your foot snaps the ball from beneath his feet and brilliantly kicks
the ball high across the field. What a pass! The crowd rises to their feet,
and cheers, anticipating a possible victory.

The crowd erupts into a frenzy. Your team has won the game--and the
championship! Proud fans jump up and down in the stands. In the resounding
roar, you hear the loud clear chant of VICTORY.

Michael Sierchio was the programmer on this title. He is better known for his other failure, Pigs in Space.

This game is valued at around $3 USD. Games with boxes and manuals are worth more. Although you must ask yourself why you would ever want to own this. You know it is just going to sit there on a shelf next to all the other Realsports titles. You aren't going to play it. It is a sports title so it isn't even braggable as some sort of collectable. If it was Kaboom! or Breakout then I could understand, but come on now, this is just garbage. We just have to face reality and reality says that the Atari 2600 is a machine whose time has come and gone. Atari games are best fondly remembered and not actually played.