Game Description

Z-Axis and Take 2 Interactive's Alexi Lalas International Soccer brings the global sport to your PlayStation. Players are greeted with two options -- a friendly match and the tournament. The former is simply a single game against a friend or the computer. In both modes, players have the option to choose from 70 actual international teams complete with real rosters.

The real meat and potatoes lies within the tournament aspect. Once a team has been selected, the objective is to guide them to the World Cup -- the supreme objective in soccer. After a team plays three matches, the knock-out tournament begins. Weaker teams that are prone to losing are then dropped from the tournament as the quarterfinals begin.

Tournaments are played just like the real thing -- commit an offense and you'll be penalized! The game uses official and up-to-date rulings (circa 1999) for international soccer. Like Electronics Arts says, "If it's in the game, it's in the game" -- Alexi Lalas Soccer features a wide variety of goal kicks, back-passes, slides, shin hits, etc.

In order to achieve the World Cup, it will be up to the player to manage his or her team successfully. To do this, you'll need to set up strategies depending on the team you're playing, initiate player substitutions and keep your eye focused on the gameplay. On each given team, you have the option of comparing each player in skill -- this becomes very useful for setting up squad formations (28 in all). Depending on your players' skills, you may want to set up a squad for attacking and a squad for defense. How you choose to do it is entirely up to you!

Alexi Lalas International Soccer comes equipped with over 250 motion captured soccer actions courtesy of Eric Wynalds who coincidentally is on the United States team with Alexi Lalas. Additionally, it combines high-resolution graphics with a variety of different camera angles (six in all). There is also an option to play the game in Spanish. ~ Matthew House, All Game Guide

Roots & Influences

Alexi Lalas is one of the most famous soccer players in the United States (circa 1999). In the tradition of modern sports games, Take 2 Interactive decided to have him endorse a soccer game and the result is Alexi Lalas International Soccer. ~ Matthew House, All Game Guide

Production Credits

Z-AXIS

Programming: Kevin Parker, Paul Murray, Colm O'Riain, Tammy Abraham, Brett Bourbin, Dino Dini, David Marmor, Doug Wedel

Art: Lara Norman, John Barrows, Carlos Fuentes, Jason Sereno

Design: Tin Guerrero, Gordon Bellamy, Eric Adams

Audio: Dave Grace, Paul Wilkinson

Testing: Ramon Fulcher

Management: Randy Condon, Glen Egan, James Connelley, David Luntz

Special Thanks: Wendy Leslie, Rowena Policar, Helena Chiu and the Furry Thing, Professor John Frink, Sean and Brad and Campbell, Pireeni Sundaralingarn, Santiago Velasco Sol, Orla and the Gasman, Scott Golde and the Soccer in the Streets, Thomas Sheridan, Michelle Abraham, Lior Abraham, Micah Perlman, Don Wells, Marry Guerrero, Mulder, Paul Stowers, Eric Wynalda, Kyra Cowan, Reagen Luntz, Irving Luntz, Margie Luntz, John Penner, Lois Penner

TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE

Executive Producers: Don Traeger, Sam Houser

Producer: Jamie King

Associate Producer: Dan Houser

Technical Producer: Gary J. Foreman

QA Supervisor: Claire Chuthill

QA Department: Darren Lloyd, Mike Wenn, Adam Rabin, Ken Jordan, Paul Cuthill, Ronnie Jackson, Ola Sanusi, Lee Brown, Nick Sneddon, Steve Clark

Product Manager: Kevin Brannan

Packaging: Jennifer Kolbe, Jeremy Blake, Jung Kwak

Special Thanks: Alexi Lalas, Richard Motzkin, Scott Margolis, Jim Lee, Gavin White, Andrea Mills-Griffin, Simon Downing, Matt Gorman, Ali Candy, Lucien King, Terry Donovan, John Clark, Kirstie Milne ~ Matthew House, All Game Guide