New Star Soccer
Encyclopedia
New Star Soccer, also known as NSS, is a computer game series published by New Star Games
, which lets the gamer
create and control a new football
player as he moves through the ranks of the football leagues and national teams. Its creator, Simon Read, was inspired by Sports Interactive
's Championship Manager
, and Gremlin Interactive
's Footballer of the Year.
Starting out as a young footballer working way to the top, the gamer controls many aspects of a footballer's life: relationships with his team-mates, manager, fans, supporters, girlfriends, and family; own money management and expenditure; training; club and sponsor contracts, and many other features.
In the first two versions of the game, NSS 1 (2003) and NSS 2 (2004), the action on the field was a running text commentary of key elements of the match, where certain situations required intervention to make a decision on how the player acts, like whether to pass, tackle or shoot, for example.
Since the third version of the game, NSS3, released in 2005, the gamer controls his player with the keyboard
, joystick
or gamepad
. Matches are played out in 2D graphics giving full control of the player's actions.
A fourth version of the game, NSS4, was released on November 7, 2008 and features an entirely new game engine with improved gameplay, including 360° control, more realistic dribbling and 3D graphics. NSS 4 was the first in the series to feature a Macintosh
version of the game, and Linux
support has also been discussed. Beta versions are also being made available to the general public in the official forum.
The fourth installment also includes a database of over 30,000 players, 3000 teams and stadiums. It was the first to include different promotions and relegation rules. It is hoped in the future competitions like the Copa Libertadores can be included.
New Star Games also released Sensational Soccer in 2006, similar to New Star Soccer, but where the user can play as the entire team, without the personal aspects of the game.
The fifth version of New Star Soccer NSS5 is currently in Beta testing, with the full version planned to be released in August 2011. NSS5 goes back to 2D gameplay, but with a completely new match engine. There are plans to include features such as press conferences, post match interviews and reports from coaching staff and physios in future updates.
New Star Games
New Star Games is a British video game developer specializing in sports role-playing games. It was founded by Simon Read in 2003.Their most well-known product is New Star Soccer 3, a role-playing soccer game in which the user controls one player in a squad making decisions about his career and...
, which lets the gamer
Gamer
Historically, the term "gamer" usually referred to someone who played role-playing games and wargames. Since they became very popular, the term has included players of video games...
create and control a new football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player as he moves through the ranks of the football leagues and national teams. Its creator, Simon Read, was inspired by Sports Interactive
Sports Interactive
Sports Interactive Limited is a computer games development company currently based in Old Street, Central London and owned by the Japanese software and video game company Sega. It is the developer of the popular games Football Manager, NHL Eastside Hockey Manager and Championship Manager Quiz, and...
's Championship Manager
Championship Manager series
The Championship Manager series is a series of British football-management simulation computer games, the first of which was released in 1992.The Championship Manager brand and game was conceived by two brothers: Paul and Oliver Collyer...
, and Gremlin Interactive
Gremlin Interactive
Gremlin Interactive was a British software house based in Sheffield and working mostly in the home computer market.- History :...
's Footballer of the Year.
Gameplay
At the beginning the gamer is able to specify everything, from player's nationality, team and division, to selecting his strengths by assigning a fixed number of points across various skills (flair, strength, pace, passing, etc.). Once this is done the game begins, with a full fixture list for each season, including continental and national team matches.Starting out as a young footballer working way to the top, the gamer controls many aspects of a footballer's life: relationships with his team-mates, manager, fans, supporters, girlfriends, and family; own money management and expenditure; training; club and sponsor contracts, and many other features.
In the first two versions of the game, NSS 1 (2003) and NSS 2 (2004), the action on the field was a running text commentary of key elements of the match, where certain situations required intervention to make a decision on how the player acts, like whether to pass, tackle or shoot, for example.
Since the third version of the game, NSS3, released in 2005, the gamer controls his player with the keyboard
Computer keyboard
In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...
, joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
or gamepad
Gamepad
A gamepad , is a type of game controller held in two hands, where the digits are used to provide input. Gamepads generally feature a set of action buttons handled with the right thumb and a direction controller handled with the left...
. Matches are played out in 2D graphics giving full control of the player's actions.
A fourth version of the game, NSS4, was released on November 7, 2008 and features an entirely new game engine with improved gameplay, including 360° control, more realistic dribbling and 3D graphics. NSS 4 was the first in the series to feature a Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
version of the game, and Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
support has also been discussed. Beta versions are also being made available to the general public in the official forum.
The fourth installment also includes a database of over 30,000 players, 3000 teams and stadiums. It was the first to include different promotions and relegation rules. It is hoped in the future competitions like the Copa Libertadores can be included.
New Star Games also released Sensational Soccer in 2006, similar to New Star Soccer, but where the user can play as the entire team, without the personal aspects of the game.
The fifth version of New Star Soccer NSS5 is currently in Beta testing, with the full version planned to be released in August 2011. NSS5 goes back to 2D gameplay, but with a completely new match engine. There are plans to include features such as press conferences, post match interviews and reports from coaching staff and physios in future updates.
Awards
- In December 2005, Game Tunnel named NSS3 "Sports Game of the Year" and placed the game as the 10th best independently produced game of 2005.
- In January 2006, PC ZonePC ZonePC Zone was the first magazine dedicated to games for IBM-compatible personal computers to be published in the United Kingdom. Earlier PC magazines such as PC Leisure, PC Format and PC Plus had covered games but only as part of a wider remit. PC Zone was founded in 1993.The magazine was published...
named NSS3 "Indie Game Of The Month".