Because it has a massive built-in fan base as the world’s most popular sport, soccer has always been a significant part of the sports gaming market. This is clearest in console gaming, where EA Sports’ FIFA franchise and, more recently, the PES series have gathered loyal droves of fans and produced some truly stunning games.
But when you think about it, soccer games can actually be fairly straightforward. Some gamers get the biggest thrill out of simply controlling a penalty kick, or managing a roster, rather than controlling complex, life-like movements for each player. And this is why, just as soccer has produced some incredible console games, it’s also established a genre unto itself in mobile and online gaming.
In November 2014, Paste Magazine did an excellent write-up of some of the best soccer arcade games you can find around the Internet. A few examples from the list include Goalkeeper Premier and Jumpers For Goalposts 4. Goalkeeper Premier (which you can play at AGame.com) is arguably the most enjoyable goalkeeping experience anywhere in gaming, in that it simplifies the process to simple point-and-click shot blocking, built on a somewhat-comedic tournament premise that keeps things pretty addictive. Jumpers For Goalposts 4 (available here), meanwhile, is a shockingly enjoyable lifestyle game that lets you go through the career, training, and life of a rising soccer star.
Aside from traditional arcade options, the online gaming industry also offers a number of pretty great soccer games through various casino game makers. Betfair Casino hosts some of the more intriguing options in this regard, highlighted by a promotional game that allows users to pick the winner in a real competition (Copa America 2015) in exchange for gaming credits. In addition to this option, there are also slot machine variations that allow players to pick teams or take penalty kicks in a chance environment that nevertheless feels more like a form of soccer gaming than casino gambling.
But really, it’s in the mobile market that soccer gaming has truly found a new niche in which to excel. 
To begin with, there are now numerous mobile-friendly adaptations of popular console games from the FIFA and PES series mentioned previously. But there are also a number of original arcade games by app developers that have brought various aspects of soccer gaming to life in fun, amusing, and addictive ways. Pik Pok’s Flick-Kick games come to mind as some of the leaders in this category, and New Star Soccer provides a similar lifestyle concept to that mentioned with regard to Jumpers For Goalposts. But with this category always building on itself with newer and better options, the brand new edition of Goal Hero (Goal Hero: Soccer SuperStar – Endless Goal Scoring Epic) has become arguably the coolest arcade soccer gaming experience available anywhere outside of a major console.
To begin with, the game is designed with undeniable charm: a heavily pixelated, old-school approach that’s sure to win points in an app gaming market with increasing respect for nostalgic visuals and thoughtful design. There’s an intentionally cheap, grainy quality to the animations that keeps things light and amusing, even as you play for hours, looking to improve your player and reach new milestones.
The actual game, meanwhile, is particularly refreshing in that it embraces the aspect of soccer gaming that most people enjoy most: dribbling through defenders and scoring goals. This is a very “me-first” game in that your objective is basically to dominate games by yourself. That’s a nice twist given that a lot of modern soccer games are seeking to emphasize team experiences through AI-infused teammates and things of the like. Goal Hero is about shameless selfishness and achievement, and it’s a blast because of it.
To summarize, it’s an attractive, amusing, and perhaps most importantly, long-lasting game that may have just set the bar for the crowded category of arcade soccer gaming.
