Play International Superstar Soccer '98 Online

Summary

International Superstar Soccer 98 (often shortened to ISS 98) feels like a time capsule of late‑90s soccer hype. Over 17,000 motion‑captured animations give each player a distinct rhythm, while a vertical camera angle lets you soak in more of the pitch. With 52 national squads and nine uniquely modeled stadiums, the game invites you to build and trade custom players, experiment with endless formations, and fine‑tune strategies on the fly.

The cover art changes by region – Valderrama fronts the North American box, Ravanelli, Koepke or Ince appear elsewhere – and the title carries a Reebok licence for ad‑board logos and even Chile’s kit designs. Because Konami lacked a FIFPro licence, player names are misspelled, yet their numbers, ages, heights, weights and abilities stay true to life; European releases sprinkle in extra sponsors like Apple and Continental AG.

Six distinct modes keep the action fresh: Open Game for casual matches, International Cup to guide a team through qualifiers, World League’s round‑robin marathon, Scenario challenges, Penalty Kick duels, and a Training suite for set‑piece practice. Beat World League on level 5 or punch in a cheat code, and you unlock six All‑Star squads.

Critics crowned ISS 98 a universal‑acclaim hit, with Metacritic’s praise echoed by Cubed3’s “ridiculously addictive” verdict. While GamePro was lukewarm, Famitsu gave it 33/40, and Next Generation later listed it among the top fifty games of all time, noting its subtle depth despite the missing real‑player names.