qualifies, they get to compete in the Tecmo Cup. With this game, Tecmo tried to preserve the rivalry between characters in the original Captain Tsubasa series. The result was a confusing storyline coupled with odd behaviour of characters for ambiguous reasons. This, and the several player line-up changes that occur, such as David leaving and rejoining, add little depth to the game's already distorted storyline. Characters There are 30 playable characters, many of which are remodeled versions of one another, with minor variation in such things as hair and eye colours and hair lengths. Only the more important characters in the game are given a unique appearance. These characters include Robert, David, and Alfred. Gameplay Tecmo Cup Football Game is a radical departure from traditional soccer simulators; the game resembles an RPG more than anything. The player runs around the field normally, navigating by means of a miniature overhead view of the field located at the bottom of the screen, on which they are represented by the number they occupy on the team. The player in possession of the ball is seen as a tiny football. As soon as the player comes into contact with an opponent a menu screen is shown, in which the player decides what to do next. Options differ depending on if the player is in possession of the ball or not. If in possession of the ball, the player has the option to dribble past the opponent, pass to a teammate, perform a one-two (multiple passes between player and teammate), or shoot. When not in possession of the ball, the player has the option tackle the opponent, perform a passcut (if anticipating a pass), block the opponent, or simply stay put. The player does not have to come in contact with an opponent to perform the above moves, he can perform them at any point during the game. In addition to the default options mentioned above, there are also player-specific variations of the moves such as Robert's Gigadrive shot or Alfred's Kaiser tackle. These special abilities seem to defy the laws of physics (in a manner very similar to Shaolin Soccer), but contribute significantly to the dynamic action of the game. Before the start of each match, each player is assigned an amount of "guts" proportional to their level. Every default move they perform during the match takes a small amount from their guts. The