Match Day Collection Review

28 years old and Match Day hasn't aged very well. Frequently, sports games suffer badly as time goes by. With their focus on two major elements that age badly: graphics and gameplay, it's hardly surprising. The Match Day Collection incorporates three major titles in the Match Day series, namely the first two games and International Match Day. Each suffers from their own problems with aging.

Having played the games in my childhood, I suspected this would be the case. Once offering "amazing" graphics of large and detailed, for the time, sprites, the huge changes to the genre and technology are noticeable. Match Day is the hardest hit but even the sequel, with its deflection system and shot power mechanic demonstrate how the series was important once, but now is greatly showing its age. Match Day 2 was once heralded for features such as the importance of tactics and where players are positioned. Unfortunately, it's hard to see now in a world where we can buy the latest FIFA for our iOS device.

Elite Systems has done a great job in its conversion, as is always the way with their work. The iDaptive control system is there again and while it can't replicate the fun of using a joystick to control action, it tries hard. Auto save functionality is included and, although sometimes intermittent, is a welcome addition compared to gaming of old.

It's tough to recommend Match Day Collection to anyone other than nostalgia addicts. Even fans of the originals will feel saddened at how time has ravaged the series. It's to be expected but the steady release of Spectrum games to iOS have demonstrated how some classics such as Head Over Heels have lasted. This just isn't the case with Match Day Collection.