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Sega Master System

Great Football

Sega Master System

Sega Master System

Playoff fever grips you. And no wonder. You're the driving force that can take your football team to the top in this rough and tumble contest between the leagues. The outcome of the game is in your hands. As the quarterback, you select the plays. Line up the formations. Call the signals and carry...

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Developer
Sega Enterprises

Released on
1987

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Sega Master System

Requirements
Sega Master System

Downloads
Sports

Publisher
Sega of America

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Playoff fever grips you. And no wonder. You’re the driving force that can take your football team to the top in this rough and tumble contest between the leagues. The outcome of the game is in your hands. As the quarterback, you select the plays. Line up the formations. Call the signals and carry the ball. Cut down your opponent with deadly blocking. Intercept a pass. Make a flying tackle. All you need is skill. Strategy. Cunning. And nerve. For non-stop action that charges across the screen. You decide to pass. It looks good. Touchdown!

Great Football

Overview & History

Released by Sega in 1987 for the Master System, *Great Football* arrived during a pivotal era when sports games were transitioning from abstract arcade novelties to structured simulations. Unlike its American counterpart (which was heavily skinned to mirror gridiron football), this European and Japanese release focused squarely on association football (soccer). Developed during a time when Sega was aggressively carving out its identity against Nintendo's dominance, the game attempted to capture the global appeal of the sport using the Master System’s superior color palette and sprite scaling. While it lacked a deep franchise storyline or career mode—typical for 8-bit sports titles—the game provided a tournament structure where players could select from a roster of international teams, vying for global supremacy match by match.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike the top-down perspective common in contemporaries like *Pelé's Soccer*, *Great Football* utilizes a distinctive, vertically-scrolling pitch viewed from a raised television broadcast angle. Players control the active footballer highlighted by a flashing indicator. The mechanics balance arcade accessibility with tactical pacing: passing requires precise directional timing, while shooting involves gauging the goalmouth and unleashing a shot before sliding defenders close the gap. On defense, players can switch control to the nearest defender, execute standing tackles, or slide to intercept passes. Goalkeepers operate largely via AI assistance during shots, but manual control can be assumed during goal kicks. The game captures the ebb and flow of a real match through sudden momentum shifts, energetic 8-bit crowd chants, and strict referee whistle calls that penalize overly aggressive fouls.

Keyboard Controls

Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move player across the pitch / Select menu options
Action Keys: Pass / Shoot on offense; Slide tackle / Switch player on defense
Enter: Start / Pause the match