Interview of Charles Chapman – Live Media UK Ltd

1-	Why did you decide to develop an Arcade Soccer game on Game Boy Color™ ?

We are big Game Boy Color™ and Soccer fans, but we didn’t feel there was a playable, easy to pick up soccer game on the platform, so we decided TOTAL SOCCER would be the ideal game for the Game Boy Color™.
Also, the Game Boy Color™ is a very nice machine to develop for, and after a few weeks working on a demo it was clear we were going to have a great game !

2-	You developed the PC version of TOTAL SOCCER. How difficult was it to adapt the game given the capabilities of the Game Boy Color™ ?

Obviously everything needed to be simplified considerably, but that hasn’t damaged the key feature of the original PC version – the gameplay !
The core game elements have remained the same, including the Tactics and general game flow, whilst the AI has been specially optimised for the Game Boy Color™.
The game even runs at the same frame rate as the original of 60 frames per second which ensures super smooth gameplay.

3-	What are the most important points for you to develop a good Soccer game on Game Boy Color™ ?

Any Game Boy Color™ game must be easy to pick up and play, the controls must be logical and easy to use, and the graphics must be clear and easy to follow.
Soccer games must also be very smooth to play; too many Soccer games on various platforms are very jerky, which damages the gameplay. Also the opposition in a Soccer game must be challenging, but not invincible, and the player must be able to learn from the game whether its the first time they’ve played or they’ve played it many times before.

4-	What are the main characteristics of TOTAL SOCCER on Game Boy Color™ and what makes it different from the other Soccer games on Game Boy Color™ ?
 
The main characteristics of TOTAL SOCCER on Game Boy Color™ are:

•	Easy to pick up and play
•	Fast and intuitive controls
•	Challenging gameplay and artificial intelligence
•	Super smooth graphics running at 60 frames per second
•	Team data from all around Europe ensuring everybody has their favourite team

Ultimately the key difference between TOTAL SOCCER and other Soccer games on Game Boy Color™ is the gameplay – no other Game Boy Color™ Soccer game comes close !