Image Credit: www.BitmapBooks.com
We have covered many of Bitmap Books’ fine releases here at Games Freezer, with the most recent being Dave Cook’s rather wonderful Run ‘n’ Gun tome. This, their latest, is a very different beast, tackling a genre that has existed since the early ‘80s and was very much been twisting and morphing for decades before settling into (mostly) more sedate, incremental releases in recent years.
The book covers the football (or ‘soccer’ depending on your geographic location) genre from its nascency in the early ‘80s - when the games were effectively variations on the Pong theme - right up through the modern generations where the majority of the releases are ultra realistic and pretty – but perhaps lack the character and individuality that previously made the football genre a more interesting beast, with some incredible goals, some near misses...and some that deserved a red card, and a kicking in the car park.
Image Credit: www.BitmapBooks.com
If you’ve never ordered a Bitmap Book before, then you are in for a treat – their packaging is second to none, robust and joyous to unwrap. The book makes a great first impression, with the cover design being a close-up of the book title and logo as if it were a club emblem, complete with incredibly detailed stitching that genuinely had me fondling the page, convinced as I was that it was 3D. The rear of the book has a general synopsis, but the real kicker here are the usual Bitmap Books book markers, here in the form of...yes...boot laces. Good.
A 620+ page monster of a book – trouncing the official FIFA rulebook, which consists of a measly 144 pages – A Tale of Two Halves is set out mostly chronologically, with some cracking features breaking up the formula such as ‘end of season awards’ which highlights the best, worst and most idiosyncratic releases of that ‘season’. 
Image Credit: www.BitmapBooks.com
The writing – we have the quill of Richard Moss to thank – is a heady blend of seemingly being effortless, friendly and yet all-knowing. It’s a hard line to walk, talking about the technical aspects of video games – especially some of the bare-bones original releases in the early ‘80s - without the text feeling like wading through sludge, but there’s a passion and enthusiasm here that has the ability to cut to the heart of what made each game mentionable, resulting in each inclusion feel like narrative pieces of a nebulous whole.
As well as being so in-depth and yet warm and approachable, there’s a personal touch that flicks the nostalgia switch when certain games are covered – and I know when I’m truly enjoying a book such as this, when I occasionally pause to head online and watch some gameplay of the game currently in question, or perhaps read up on the cheats – text a comment or screenshot to a friend to spark discussion etc, it makes the reading experience 3D and almost interactive, which is exactly what happened here.
Image Credit: www.BitmapBooks.com
The visuals are also spot-on, from the Amiga-esque pixel thumbnails of the ‘end of season awards’ through to the crisp, blown-up screenshots that accompany each entry – full page ones, for the more seminal or interesting titles - which are a joy to behold. I also thoroughly enjoyed the full page rear jersey shots of the fictional PES players, along with accompanying comments on the real-life player that they are based on, a fantastic touch that adds brightness to the book as well as again flicking that nostalgia switch. The end of the book also contains interviews with luminaries of the genre, key figures that talk of their experiences etc. not to mention the fantastic foreword by Clive Tyldesley.
SUMMARY
I think what I took away from A Tale of Two Halves was that, whilst its easy to focus on modern year-on-year iterations, there’s a wealth of history, invention, reinvention, and noble failures that make the mining of football games past just as rich as any other genre.
The sports genre has seen some real turkeys (and I’m not talking in the bowling sense) when it comes to shovel ware, lazy re-releases and the like, but Richard Moss’ passion – and incredible knowledge - shines though, and it is reflected in the writing here.
Combine such a spark with the design and the presentation skills of Bitmap Books and It’s an assist and a volley to the back of the net, every time.
I also owe Richard Moss a pint for being as much of a fan of Ultimate Soccer as I am.
Image Credit: www.BitmapBooks.com
From the Bitmap Books website:
Painstakingly researched and written by football-obsessed writer and experienced game journalist, historian, and documentarian Richard Moss – author of Bitmap’s own The Secret History of Mac Gaming – A Tale of Two Halves: The History Of Football Video Games stays keenly on the ball as it shares the rich and influential history of video game football – or ‘soccer’, for our American readers – striving to understand the very best the genre has to offer; and those releases that go a little wide of their target.
A Tale of Two Halves takes you on a fascinating journey from the very first examples of the form all the way through to the genre’s 2000s’ heyday. It hits the back of the net with expert analysis of over 400 football games, including Sensible Soccer, Kick Off, Match Day, FIFA, Pro Evolution Soccer, This Is Football, Championship Manager, Premier Manager, and both old-school and new-school Football Manager. Gathered together in a single volume, that remarkable spread of releases presents a surprising variety of interpretations of the beautiful game, showcasing one of the medium’s most creative, beguiling realms.
A Tale of Two Halves primarily focuses on footy gaming’s formative years – meaning from around 1980 to 2010 – and carefully divides the genre into two distinct halves, taking a considered look at each. As such, the first half is dominated by the fast and simple 2D action of icons like Kick Off, International Soccer, and Nintendo’s Soccer. Then, following the half-time whistle, it turns its attention to the increasingly realistic 3D outings defined by icons like FIFA, Pro Evo, and Virtua Striker.
Across its 628 pages, A Tale of Two Halves also features a foreword by legendary commentator Clive Tyldesley, hundreds of meticulously realised screenshots, and 13 interviews with pioneering football game developers. Inside you’ll also find a series of illustrations from James Reynolds’ ‘Unlicensed FC’ project – which celebrates Pro Evo’s unusual takes on players’ real names – as well as perfectly pitched pixel art from the team at 8-Bit Football. Numerous gaming platforms are covered, from the Atari 2600 and C64 to the Collecovison, via the Amiga line, PlayStation 1, Xbox 360, Arcades, and many more.
Still not enough for your footballing appetite? Fear not. There’s also a captivating spread of themed deep-dive features, nostalgic Easter eggs to uncover, and numerous quick-read mini-essays. And it’s all contained within an eye-catching gold foil blocked cover, and features boot laces that function as bookmark ribbons.
It’s a feast for soccer fans to devour, and a chance for any retro devotee to better understand the tremendous legacy football games have left. The most devoted can even pick up the tightly limited ‘Captain's Edition’ collector’s version, which comes in a heavy duty foil blocked slipcase. Around the slipcase is a fabric armband, holding your books securely while celebrating the effort of football’s captaining greats.
Whichever edition you pick, you’ll be sure to find Bitmap’s renowned standards when it comes to vibrant design, high-calibre printing, and excellence in production.
Includes interviews with:
Andrew Prime (Ultimate Soccer Manager), Andriy Kostiusko (Football Tactics), Ben Fawcett (This Is Football), Carlos Abril (PC Fútbol), Chris Wild (Giant Killers and Official Club Manager), Gerald Köhler (On The Ball and add-on Antoss), Jim Bagley (Striker), Kevin Toms (Football Manager), Marc Aubanel (FIFA International Soccer), Mariusz Trzaska (Liga Polska Manager), Matt Furniss (Soccer Kid), Michitaka Tsuruta (Captain Tsubasa) and Simon Prytherch (LMA Manager)
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