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International Superstar Soccer 64 for Nintendo 64
International Superstar Soccer 64 for Nintendo 64 revolves around football with national teams, directly controlled players and tactical decisions. You build an attack with short passes, look for a gap with a through ball or send a high pass to an unmarked teammate. How long you hold the shoot button determines the power of a shot. You therefore choose not only the moment but also how much risk to take when a defender approaches or the goalkeeper comes out.
An Open Game provides a single match. In the International Cup, you work through qualifiers and tournament matches towards overall victory, while the World League brings 36 teams together across a series of 70 fixtures. You can also take penalties, practise on the training pitch or try to win a scenario with a prescribed starting situation. You change formations, player roles and man-marking, so preparation off the pitch affects the space you find during play.
Up to four players can join locally, each with their own Nintendo 64 controller. In a single match, you can face each other or cooperate; the longer international competitions let players control one team together. A separate Controller Pak is required to save progress, created players and customised formations. That memory card is different from an Expansion Pak. You can play without saved data, but resuming a long competition later requires that separate storage.
Region and language
Our Nintendo 64 games are PAL editions, unless stated otherwise. This product contains a loose cartridge for the European market. A box is only included if explicitly stated in the product details. We note any different region in the product details. In almost all cases, the game is playable at least in English, and often in the other five common European languages too.
Manual
With International Superstar Soccer 64 for Nintendo 64, you receive a loose cartridge. A box and manual are not included unless we explicitly state otherwise in the product details. This is the standard way we supply this copy.
The history of International Superstar Soccer 64
Konami brought International Superstar Soccer 64 to Nintendo 64 in 1997. Development was handled by the company's Osaka division. The series was already known on Super Nintendo, but this instalment placed the players and pitch in a three-dimensional environment. The direction of a run could therefore be determined with the analogue stick. Different camera heights and zoom settings also showed how the same attack changes when viewed from another perspective.
The content was not limited to a single football match. The original manual devoted considerable space to formations, positions, player roles and man-marking. Created players and edited names could also be saved. That combination makes clear how Konami built its football game: direct actions on the ball sat alongside preparation of an entire squad. Scenarios added clearly defined problems, in which you had to solve a prescribed match situation by going on to win.
International Superstar Soccer 98 and International Superstar Soccer 2000 later followed on the same console. This first N64 instalment must also be distinguished from International Superstar Soccer Pro on PlayStation, a different development line with a related name. This is the original N64 release with its own World League and local cooperation choices. The ability to bring customised teams on a Controller Pak fitted that approach: your changes could shape your next meeting with friends again.
Similar games for Nintendo 64
Like International Superstar Soccer 64, FIFA 99 lets you directly control a team and change formations. It also places considerable emphasis on clubs from domestic leagues, with transfers and the European Dream League. ISS 64 builds its longer campaigns around national teams and the World League. If you want to play several matches with the same squad, you therefore get a different football context and a different competition structure.
World Cup 98 shares the focus on national teams and the pursuit of an international cup. EA ties that approach to the official France 1998 tournament, including the group draw and unlockable historical finals. ISS 64 has its own International Cup and a separate World League. The similarity lies in international football; the main difference is a recognisable event versus several independent series of matches.
International Superstar Soccer 98 retains much of ISS 64's direct control, tactical settings and scenario challenges. However, the World League grows from 36 teams and 70 matches to 48 teams and 94 fixtures. This mainly changes the scale of a long football campaign. The first game already offers the same kind of choice between a short challenge and an extended series, but with a smaller competition as its starting point.
Like ISS 64, Mario Tennis asks you to pull an opponent out of position before placing the decisive ball. You use lobs, spin and fast strokes rather than passes and shots. In doubles, you work with one partner on a clearly bounded court. ISS 64 spreads attention across a whole team, where the positions of players outside the immediate duel remain important too.
Mario Golf makes reading the surroundings as important as choosing a direction in ISS 64. You consider distance, terrain and wind as you prepare a shot. This happens without an opponent trying to take the ball away at the same moment. In ISS 64, the situation keeps changing: an unmarked teammate can be covered before you send the pass.
