Jaleco is back!
With the wave of re-releases and retro revivals, it stayed awfully quiet around Jaleco. It may not be the first publisher people think of when talking about games that deserve a comeback. The same was once true for other publishers whose libraries only resurfaced through specialised “lost-and-found” IP houses like Piko Interactive and Qubyte. From a preservationist’s view they’ve done solid work, bringing both quirky and obscure titles back into the spotlight.
Jaleco is still an odd one in that respect. It was a major publisher and developer in the late ’80s and early to mid-’90s, yet its library rarely gets much recognition in video game history. I developed a soft spot for its SNES output early in my collecting days and actively hunted those games down. Big Run, the Paris-Dakar inspired racer, Rival Turf, Brawl Brothers, Earth Defense Force, The Ignition Factor — all stood out for me on the SNES compared to my main platform, the Mega Drive. Even before that, Jaleco had already delivered some of my hidden gem arcade and NES favourites: Formation Z, Exerion, Rod Land, and the excellent brawler 64th Street: A Detective Story. My favourite NES game is still Astyanax, another overlooked Jaleco gem.
European fans might be puzzled, as many of these games never reached PAL regions.
I’m not saying it’s a lonely existence as a “Jaleco fan,” but few of these games ever earned much critical praise. The consensus is that, especially on the SNES, Jaleco titles were technically sound but rarely innovative. With the licenses sitting dormant, most of the NES and SNES catalog has only re-emerged through Nintendo Switch Online. Beyond that substantial platform, Jaleco’s presence in the retro market has been slim.
That’s where Rockit It Games steps in. They’ve acquired the rights to port a selection of Jaleco IPs, starting with its best-known sports series: Goal! and Bases Loaded. This review looks at the Jaleco Sports: Goal! Collection, which includes both Goal! games for just over €/$10.
Goal!
Let’s start with the games closest to my European heart: Goal! and Super Goal!. Both were mainstays in mainland Europe (and probably the UK). I’ve rarely seen a flea market or retro shop with NES or SNES stock that didn’t have at least one copy.
The NES version of Goal! used an isometric, bird’s-eye perspective to give football a more authentic look. Where rivals leaned into cartoon styles or arcade chaos, Goal! aimed for realism. Gameplay, though, was still basic. Scoring depended on strict patterns. Certain spots near the penalty box almost guaranteed a goal, while most other chances relied on rebounds and lucky bounces from the keeper.
The only titles that really broke those limitations back then were Sensible Soccer and Kick Off. Goal! stayed firmly in the scripted-goal zone.
Super Goal!
As an early SNES release, Super Goal! arrived just before the Madden NFL revolution reshaped sports games. Madden showed how tactical depth and simulation could be paired with accessible, arcade-like controls. While decent, Super Goal! quickly looked dated compared to the new “sports sim gospel.” FIFA Soccer and International Superstar Soccer launched a rivalry that ran for decades, lasting until Pro Evolution Soccer’s decline in 2019.
Super Goal! felt caught between eras. Its midfield play was solid, but players were pushed to pass fast with little control. Oversight was lacking, though to be fair that was true for most football games in 1991. The view shifted from isometric to a low side angle, showing only about 20 meters of pitch. That made passing accuracy tough. Luckily the game usually ensured a teammate was on the receiving end, based on formation.
Formations are one of the few tactical elements that really work here. You can pick 4-3-3, 4-4-2, a libero setup, or 5-3-2. Each changes gameplay noticeably. More midfielders help with passing flow, while 4-3-3 creates more pressure up front.
Once you get used to the controls and CPU behaviour, matches can turn into exciting affairs with some sense of control. Still, most games slip back into the “ping-pong football” feel that defined the era. Exceptions were Sensible Soccer, Kick Off, and my personal outside favourite, Super Sidekicks.
Scoring is the hardest part. There’s little room for ball control or shot variation. Two angles consistently work: just outside the penalty circle or a deep diagonal in the box. The latter is more theory than practice, as I never managed to nail it. The narrow view and limited angles force you into highly specific shots that are tough to pull off.
The collection
The collection comes with a good set of extras. Most notable are the scanned manuals, which can even be opened directly while playing the game. With a controller you pull up the manual with RT and switch versions with the Y-button. Almost all manuals are here: US, Japanese, and all European editions. There’s also rewind support, CRT and classic visual filters, and modern display options. A nice bonus is the online leaderboard that tracks the most goals scored. All in all, these features go beyond the usual standard for emulation collections, and the clean UI ties everything nicely together.
While the NES version of Goal! tried to bring a more authentic style of football, both the NES and SNES entries still rely on the standards of the era, just before EA Sports and Konami reinvented the digitized version of beautiful game. But still, midfield play is fun and rewarding, but once you reach the box the old “find one of four spots and score” rule still applies. That said, the production of this collection is top notch. Two games for $/€ 7,79 feels fair given it's features but it won’t win over many new fans. It will definitely scratch the nostalgic itch for those who were there the first time.
The Good
- feature-heavy two-game compilation
- Technically sound emulation
The Bad
- Both games are limited in appeal to newcomers
