Anco Software

Grid Start

Grid Start

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1987

Grid Start is a Formula 1 racing game played from a third person perspective similar to Pole Position. The game consists of six tracks based on real world locations: Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Belgium, Mexico, Austria and Germany. These can be played in a competition consisting of three laps or in a practice mode with 99 laps (or until the player presses the escape key). In each race there are 23 AI controlled cars to compete against. The game is playable in three difficulties: novice, amateur and professional. The car has six gears that have to be changed manually and a boost feature can also be used for faster acceleration. In addition to racing faster than the opposing drivers the player also has to avoid crashing into the haystacks and the fences that are placed dangerously close to the track.

Highway Hawks

Highway Hawks

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1989

In Highway Hawks the player controls a car with a mounted weapon. During each level, taking place on a long road, the goal is to reach the goal without dying. After each level the player can upgrade the car and its weapons with money which is earned by having a low finishing time and causing damage to other cars. Jumping over scaffolds gives a time bonus and shooting a truck may cause additional ammo to fall out. The fuel is limited and constantly drained during play, but extra fuel can be picked up on the way. The camera view is from behind the player's car.

Kick Off

Kick Off

Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Released - December 25, 1992

Super Kick Off is an enhanced developed version of the popular football game developed by Dino Dini for consoles. It includes 40 teams (16 national and 24 club), along the ability to edit club team names and shirts and player names and looks. Game modes include friendlies, Domestic League and Cup (composed by eight English teams), European League (16 European teams) and International cup (eight team tournament). Training allows to practice free kicks, penalties or to pass, shoot and dribble without opposition. Players can compete head to head, or play cooperatively against the computer in the same team. Other game options include player speed, wind and grass cut, along the typical half length, offside rules, extra time and difficulty setting. All changes, from team edits to options, are stored in the cartridge internal memory. About the game itself, it was one of the most popular of the time, featuring a top-down view with the ball not sticking to the players' feet being the most prominent gameplay feature.

Kick Off 3

Kick Off 3

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1994

Finally, after literally months of hype and guesswork, Kick Off 3 itself is finally available, and I can honestly tell you that a lot of people are going to be very, very surprised. Gone is the top view. Gone is the scanner. Gone are the extremely fiddly ball handling controls, and in comes a game that is far more traditional in terms of soccer gameplay than the previous two Kick Off games. From the outside in, the first thing you are confronted with is the choice of games to play. You can either work through the standard friendly or league matches, or take part in The Challenge where you go against 30 other teams, one by one, until you reach the Anco All Stars at the end of the game. Plus, just to be a little topical, you can take part in the World Cup, from the qualifying rounds onward. The game is viewed in the classic ‘side-on’ view – a view that was previously dropped, if you can remember that far back, because it didn’t give the player enough information about where their players actually were on the pitch. A step backwards perhaps? Maybe, but then if the game was viewed from the top you wouldn’t have the stylish animation this game possesses. Although the view might be dated, the game looks great, with large, well-drawn players and animations for every occasion. The question is, of course, how does it all play? The answer, I’m afraid to say, isn’t a positive one and the controls are just too sluggish and the actual movement of the players too slow to make the game really playable. It looks great, sure, but it just doesn’t have the responsiveness needed for a really frantic soccer game. Kick Off 3, you seem to spend most of your time fighting the controls rather than flowing with them, and that just takes all the fun out of it.

Kick Off 3: European Challenge

Kick Off 3: European Challenge

Sega Genesis - Released - November 26, 1994

Kick Off 3: European Challenge is a football game developed by Steve Screech for Anco Games as a sequel to Kick Off 2 (which made it to the Sega Mega Drive in the altered form of Super Kick Off). VIC Tokai published a version for the Mega Drive in 1994. Unlike its predecessors, Kick Off 3 had no involvement from lead programmer Dino Dini, and thus plays very differently to other games in the series, having a "horizontal" pitch as opposed to a "vertical" one. Due to these radical changes, the game was met with controversy upon release. Dino Dini released his own football game around the same time for the Amiga titled Goal!, which made its way onto the Mega Drive as Dino Dini's Soccer.

Kick Off 96

Kick Off 96

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1996

Kick Off 96 gives you the chance to take part in the European Championships in England 1996. Kick Off 96 can be played with several perspectives, including overhead and isometric, and offers the same pacey gameplay that made its predecessors famous. If Euro 96 isn´t enough you could play with 49 international teams plus 750 club teams, totally 15.000 real players varied skill levels. If that´s still not enough you can also create your own leagues and teams.

Maria's Christmas Box

Maria's Christmas Box

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1988

In this game, you play Strip poker against Maria Whittaker, an UK model of the 1980s. In gaming she also appeared in the European covers of Palace's Barbarian I & II. As the name suggests, she is first wearing a Santa Claus suit and does not get completely naked like in previous games of this type. The gameplay is very similar to Ancos older game Strip Poker II+. In the game itself you can raise bets and can trade each cloth part for 100 credits if you are running out of cash and your hand is too good to not raise. There are two different difficulty levels, "Easy" and "Hard". The AI does sometimes bluffing with aggressive bets.

Player Manager 2 Extra: The Chase for Glory

Player Manager 2 Extra: The Chase for Glory

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1995

When this game arrived in it was hard to find any difference, apart from the obvious graphical ones and a bit more speed in the player section, between it and the original. Your aim in Player Manager 2 Extra is to raise a team from division 2 capable of winning promotion to the Premier League as well as competing in Europe. You are pitted against three other managers who can be either computer or human controlled. These guys are pretty smart too. The big change in PM2 Extra is that the graphics have all been upgraded. The tactics editor is still brilliant though. If this is your area of interest then PM2E stands out as the best. All in all, PM2E is a very competent management simulator and if you like the Kick Off series then you'll enjoy the Kick Off playing engine. Though still a solid game it's not that much better than the first version to warrant an upgrade (A1200) unless you're a real fan.

Player Manager 2000

Player Manager 2000

Sony Playstation - Released - June 20, 2000

Player Manager 2000 is a Sports game, developed by Anco Software and published by Ubisoft, which was released in Europe in 2000. A football management game from the creators of the Kick Off series. Player Manager 2000 lets you coach any team from England, Scotland, Italy and Germany, and there is totally more than 30,000 players. Tactical options are diverse, and the game features pre- and post-match analysis. What makes the game relatively individual is that you are able to put yourself in the team. There are three ways to play the matches, the first is the commentary mode that works almost the same way as the Championship Manager games. The second is the scanner mode where you watch the matches from a 2D top-down view. The third is to play them in full 3D similar to the FIFA games. Manufacturer's description: Developed using the real life professional experience of top managers, including Martin O'Neill, Bobby Robson, John Gregory, Jim Smith, Harry Redknapp, Gordon Strachan, Paul Bracewell and Graham Taylor, no other game gives you more control, no other game gives you more realism, nothing gets you closer to the action. Exploit their skills, nurture their individual characteristics and build their experience into your team strategy. Features the most powerful search engine ever - thousands of players detailed. Three game modes: Commentary, Scanner and Full 3D. Manage major European clubs in domestic and international competitions. The most in-depth pre-match and post-match statistics. Features: First person perspective. 2D & 3D graphics Cartoon graphics Soccer Management theme.

Strip Poker II Plus

Strip Poker II Plus

Acorn Electron - Released - January 1, 1989

A sizzling and exciting game of poker awaits you as you pit your skills against Donna and Sam in a game of Poker. You have nothing to lose but your pride. The girls have considerably more at stake. Do not let their looks fool you one bit; they play a smart game of poker. They make the most of their beguiling charm to sweetly and gently lead you into the trap from which only the best can escape with their honour and pride intact.

Sven-Goran Eriksson's World Challenge

Sven-Goran Eriksson's World Challenge

Sony Playstation - Released - May 20, 2002

Developed in conjunction with the England Manager and using his vast knowledge of the beautiful game, here is your chance to bring the most prestigious title in football back to English soil. Sven-Göran Eriksson's World Challenge brings you a whole new footballing experience delivering fast gameplay and intuitive control. Highly detailed player models with super smooth motion capture. Features 204 countries and the unique skills of individual players. Ultra fast end-2-end action like you've never seen before. Super sensitive after touch feature allowing the player to create devastating goals. Play head-2-head with a friend or against the computer.

Sven-Goran Eriksson's World Manager

Sven-Goran Eriksson's World Manager

Sony Playstation - Released - June 28, 2002

Welcome to the world's first dedicated international football management game and to the most demanding job in football. This is a whole new ball game and it's going to be tough! Exclusively developed in conjunction with Sven-Göran Eriksson, jump straight into the hot-seat as England's national team manager.

Thai Boxing

Thai Boxing

Acorn Electron - Released - April 1, 1984

Thai Boxing is a great spectator sport combining the lightning moves of karate with the brute strength of boxing. Thai boxers are also famous for their agility. In this sport there are no rituals or constraints. They have just one aim - to inflict as much punishment as possible in the shortest possible time. Now this fantastic sport is brought to life on your computer screen in Thai Boxing - the ultimate in superfast beat 'em up action! In Thai Boxing you control an athletic boxer pitted against a computer controlled opponent - both brilliantly depicted against a variety of exotic backgrounds. Keyboard or joystick control gives you a vast array of attacking and defensive moves. Lightning-fast kicks and punches fly, but remember - Thai Boxing is as much a test of mental agility as physical strength - the winner will be the one who best combines the two - will the winner be you? Find out in Thai Boxing.

Thai Boxing

Thai Boxing

Commodore 128 - Released - 1986

Thai Boxing is a one-on-one fighting game shown from an isometric perspective (viewed from the side on the Amiga, Atari ST and C16 versions). Different joystick combinations let your fighter perform high, middle or low attacking moves as well as dodge or block his opponent's attacks. Fighters receive scores for successful attacks. The more difficult or effective the attack, the higher the score. Unless one fighter is knocked out, the fighter who has the highest score at the end of three rounds wins. Although the game is shown from an isometric perspective, it is not possible to move in three dimensions. This game was released as a separate version for C128 but apart from animated spectators not present and a bit more speed in some areas over the C64 version, it didn't offer anything new.

Tip Off

Tip Off

Atari ST - Released - 1992

After the success with Kick Off and its sequel, Anco tried their hand at basketball. This basketball game has like the Kick Off games a top down view and the action is quite pacey, a trademark for many football games of the day (Kick Off in particular). The teams in the game are British but you can edit them using the built-in utilities. The game also has a tactics designer and the option to change the kits of each team. You can play either single matches or a full league competition. Tip Off can be played by four players simultaneously, so can play co-op with a friend against the computer, or just compete against one or two other players.

Tip Off

Tip Off

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1992

After the success with Kick Off and its sequel, Anco tried their hand at basketball. This basketball game has like the Kick Off games a top down view and the action is quite pacey, a trademark for many football games of the day (Kick Off in particular). The teams in the game are British but you can edit them using the built-in utilities. The game also has a tactics designer and the option to change the kits of each team. You can play either single matches or a full league competition. Tip Off can be played by four players simultaneously, so can play co-op with a friend against the computer, or just compete against one or two other players.

Winter Events

Winter Events

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1987

Winter Events is a multi-sport event game heavily influenced by the classic Winter Games. The game allows you and three other friends to select a country before competing in six Olympic events which are Biathlon, Slalom Skiing, Ski Jumping, Speed Skating, Bobsleigh and Downhill Skiing. (Downhill Skiing not on Atari 8-Bit) In each event you have to use a combination of different control movements and fire button action to control each player. As well as competing in all six events, you can compete in one or practise any event as well. If competing, at the end of each event you will see a medal ceremony and the winner is the one who wins the most medals.

XR35

XR35

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1988

XR-35 Fighter Mission is an Action game, developed and published by Anco Software, which was released in Europe in 1988.

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