As the Premier League season reaches its second weekend and the Rio Olympics soccer tournament finals approach, it was a smart idea for Apple to choose one of the best mobile footy games of recent times as its Free App of the Week.
You won't find real player names and likenesses or realistic ball physics in Pixel Cup Soccer 2016. Rather, it's been inspired by the pre-FIFA generation of footy games.
These games were interested in fast-paced, arcadey gameplay over providing a precise simulation of the beautiful game. Many people would say they were all the better for it.
Close control
All we know in the here and now is that Pixel Cup Soccer 2016 is a blast to play on iPhone and iPad. The controls are so simple, they don't even demand a tutorial mode - though the game will helpfully pause the action and let you know the basics when you first encounter them in a match.
You have a virtual joystick on the left, and two buttons on the right. One button passes and switches player, the other shoots and tackles. Holding down either will result in a stronger kick. Simple!
There's an arcadey knock about feel to the action here. There are no fouls, no fiddly skill moves, no run button. It's football boiled down to its bare essentials, each game an end-to-end rush of power shots and crunching tackles.
The presentation is suitably retro, with chunky sprites and distinctly gamey sound effects that will take anyone over 30 back to their childhoods.
Olympic effort
It's all about international soccer here, with all of the main world tournaments (for men and women) represented. Like we said, there are no official player names here, but you'll be in no doubt as to who each player is (the England men's team has 'Raheem' on the wing and 'Harry' up front).
In addition to the selection of cups on offer, Pixel Cup Soccer 2016 also presents a number of 'Current Challenges'. These are shifting game situations that often reflect real current matches. So, at the time of writing, you can play the women's Olympic final match of Brazil vs Sweden, as well as the men's equivalent.
It's all part of a joyous retro-footy package that was a recommended purchase before this week. Now that it's free this week, you really should give it a try - even if you have only a casual interest in football.
Pixel Cup Soccer 2016 is available to download now for free on the App Store.
