Captain Sensible (Soccer)

One thing the static images are rubbish at is conveying just how much hilarious character has been infused into each player - not just in terms of the pleasing design, but the enormous range of supremely subtle animations that make it one of the most chucklesome footy games ever, if nothing else.

Although it’s not always immediately apparent when playing the game zoomed out, some exceptionally cunning moves often come about from a seemingly innocuous tussle. For example, during a replay you might find out that your attacker actually back-heeled the ball through the defender’s legs, or a fouled Spanish player might theatrically collapse clutching their shin in agony when fouled, complete with exaggerated facial expressions. Funnier still is the sight of a defender’s reaction upon putting the ball in their own net, or the jubilation that surrounds a goal-scoring celebration. The pseudo-likenesses are genuinely loveable and make you actually crave for the replays far more than you could imagine. Depicted with huge heads and comedy bodies, they’re still exquisitely animated, and such subtlety goes a long way to dispelling the notion that this is in any way a technically impoverished game. In motion, it’s absolutely delightful.