I always hate it when games get hyped up. International Superstar Soccer 64 had a lot to live up to given that it has been proclaimed the best soccer game out there for quite a while. Thankfully, I can say that this game lived up to the hype, and what a great job it did at that. This truly is the best soccer game out there.

The graphics are great. Fluid animation supports great polygonal players and environments. You can clearly see the ball in this game, and you can see everyone near the ball without mixing up the players. The sound backs up the graphics with a clear announcer (who isn't repetitive), realistic sound effects, and a crowd that mimics real soccer games.

Underneath the superb graphics is unparalled gameplay. You must think of your strategy (which can be changed with the push of a button) and how you are going to use it. Added to the strategies is ball movement, which you have to take into consideration, or you'll get nowhere.

The control makes doing moves easy (unlike FIFA 64, which made the simplest of moves a chore). You can pull off everything that you would see in a real life game.

Unlike the Japanese version, this game has a tough computer AI. The computer will study your moves and act accordingly, just like a real life person does. Also, the game keeps the goals low, which is a problem with other soccer games. You won't be seeing double digits very often.

Konami is hot off the heals of Goal Storm '97, which is good, but nowhere near as good as this. This game is even better than the old champion, Worldwide Soccer '97. Add to the great game a small price tag (for an N64 game anyways) of  $59.99, and you get the best soccer game ever made.

Overall: 9.2