If you aren’t familiar with the “legendary” Subbuteo Table Football, iTable Soccer Online is not the catalyst to cultivate your interest.
The British board game has been around for more than 60 years and involves weighted figurines that you flick around at an oversized ball. It even has its own federation (www.fistf.info), not to mention a World Cup they’re trying to bring Rio de Janeiro in 2014.
In theory, the iPhone version is a great concept that should translate well but as far as I can tell, someone really dropped the ball. The graphics are weak and choppy, leaving you constantly flicking at your screen like a nutter while your pieces remain still.
At $3.99, the game offers four “mini game” options to help you practice your shooting aim and passing finesse. This still has too many bugs to work out and the game tends to crash unexpectedly on a regular basis.
The app is supposed to hinge on its online match-ups against players from around the world, but the server was empty when I logged in. When I finally found someone to face, the gameplay was extremely slow. You flick to make your move and then wait as your opponent undoubtedly struggles on the other side to complete a turn.
Every online match I played ended with my opponent leaving in less than two minutes. Frankly, I didn’t blame them.
