Play Captain Tsubasa Online

I picked up Captain Tsubasa for the Game Boy back in 1994, a Tecmo release that tried to capture the feel of the popular soccer manga on a tiny screen. It was a time when portable sports games were usually stripped down, but this one aimed for something a bit more dramatic, more like the over the top action of the comics.

You control Tsubasa Ozora and his teammates, moving them across a condensed soccer field to score goals. The main objective is to win the tournament, but the real draw is the one on one encounters. When you meet an opponent, the game shifts to a separate screen where you choose a special move, like a Drive Shot or a sliding tackle, and hope your power bar timing is better than the defender's. Matches are fast and surprisingly difficult, with a constant push and pull for possession. It feels like managing a series of quick, tense duels rather than a flowing match, and pulling off a last second super shot to win is a genuine rush.