Why You Can Trust CNET Football and Soccer Management Games March Onto Apple Arcade
These games aren't Madden or FIFA, or even Football Manager, but they're still fun.
- Apple software beta tester, "Helps make our computers and phones work!" - Zach's grandparents
You can get these games and more with an Apple Arcade subscription.
Apple Arcade added two retro-style sports management games to its roster Friday: Retro Bowl Plus, a football game; and Retro Goal Plus, a soccer game. If you subscribe to Apple Arcade ($5, £5 or AU$8 a month), you can play these games at no additional charge, and without ads or in-app purchases.
Both games were developed by New Star Games, which has brought other sports games, like New Star Baseball, to mobile devices.
Don't expect these games to be like any Madden or FIFA games. In each game you aren't a player on your respective sports team -- you're the coach.
As the coach you juggle a lot of responsibilities, apart from what play to run and who to sign and trade. You also have to manage your players to make sure they aren't hurt or their morale isn't too low, handle press events after games and make decisions about how to allocate your team's budget -- should you invest in stadium upgrades for the fans or training facilities for your players?
Once you get to a game or match, you control all offensive play while defensive play is relegated to the computer. And while the controls take a minute to get used to, they aren't so hard that you can't win your first game -- even if you play as teams with less than stellar standings like the Cleveland Browns or Leeds United.
You can access these games, and many others, in Apple Arcade for $5 a month, or $60 annually. You can also try Apple Arcade for free for one month with your first sign-up, or you can get a three-month free trial when you buy a new Apple device. To access Apple Arcade, open the App Store on your iOS device and tap the joystick in the menu bar.
