Electronic Table Soccer

About

A digital take on table soccer, this 1980 release lets one or two players maneuver three rows of onscreen figures using a mix of joystick directions and button presses. The left control manages the left-side goalkeeper, center fielders, and attackers, while the right control mirrors this for the opposite team. Players stop the ball by hitting a row they control and kick by pressing the action button while moving the joystick. Scores appear as symbols at the bottom, slashes for one point, Xs for two, and the game ends when a team hits ten points. Computer opponents fill in for inactive players, marked with a "C" on the scoreboard. Developed by Magnavox for the Odyssey 2, this title reflects early home console sports design. Its control scheme, though basic by modern standards, captures the mechanical simplicity of physical foosball tables. With a December 1980 release date, it’s a relic of pre-arcade-era gaming, where physical simulations leaned heavily on creative input methods. Still, the core loop of precise timing and positioning holds up, offering a minimalist challenge for fans of retro sports games.

Storyline

As the name implies, this is a foosball game. One or two players control three rows of players: the goalkeeper, three middle fielders and two attackers. To control the goalkeeper, the player to the left has to use the up-left and down-left directions of the joystick. To control the middle fielders, the player uses the up and down directions. To control the attackers, the player uses the up-right and down-right directions. The opposite applies to the right player. The ball stops each time it touches a moving foosman and rebounds if it touches a still one. The score is marked with "/" (for one point) and "X" (for two points) symbols. The game ends when one of the players reaches ten points (XXXXX).