Nostalgia? Relief? Sweet sweet after touch? It's a mixture of all of these and more that make Sensible Soccer 2006 my game of the year so far. Sure, it lacks the epic grandeur of Oblivion or Colossus, but for sheer leap off the sofa yank the pad from the console excitement Sensi betters both. I've been playing the PS2 review code for a week now and can thoroughly recommend it. The developers Kuju have nailed the essence of what made the original Sensible Soccer such a blast - fast paced action, aftertouch, imaginative use of the sliding tackle - while adding enough features to tempt those who missed out in the 90s.
Sensi was originally created in the pre/early Premiership era and in some way the action reflects this. Long balls, heavy tackles and dodgy keepers are all to the fore and anyone who, like me, used to pay a fiver to stand on the terraces in the late 80s will feel right at home. And to be honest, nostalgia does play a big part here. From the music to the thudding sound effects, Sensi 2006 does take you right back to the Amiga/Megadrive era. But, and this is crucial, unlike other retro remakes the action remains enjoyable even when the nostalgic glow has worn off. This is mainly due to the strength of the original game, but also the subtle yet welcome additions such as sprinting and replays.
This was the last chance for Sensi. If Kuju/Codemasters had mucked this up the "brand" would have been banished to mobile/toy ignominy. Luckily they haven't. It won't outsell FIFA or outclass PES but Sensible Soccer 2006 is good enough to appeal to more than just the over 25s who adored the original.
