Intellivision · 1985
World Cup Soccer
An Intellivision football title completed by Nice Ideas that adds heading, tackling, and player substitution to the system's earlier Soccer formula.
- Publisher
- Publisher to verify
- Format
- Cartridge
- Genre
- association football video game
- Released
- 1985
01
Overview
World Cup Soccer builds on Mattel's original Intellivision Soccer game with fuller teams and more match options. Players can face the console or a friend, and the optional ECS Computer Adaptor opens up larger matches. The cartridge carries code from the earlier NASL Soccer release and appeared first in Europe through Dextell Ltd.
02
Why it matters
It documents how the Intellivision library continued after Mattel Electronics closed, with the French office finishing and publishing work the company left unfinished. For collectors, it also shows how one game circulated through different regional publishers and packaging rather than a single uniform release.
03
The physical edition
A complete copy typically includes the cartridge, the outer box, and the printed instructions, though exact package contents can vary by region and publisher. Regional boxes and manuals may differ in wording, artwork, and publisher markings even when the game inside is the same.
04
Playing it today
The game runs on a standard Intellivision and is straightforward to try with one or two hand controllers. With the ECS Computer Adaptor, larger player counts are possible, but that accessory is separate from the cartridge itself.