Drop everything and try: New Star Soccer

New Star Soccer has been around for ages…

Yes, we know that. But now it’s gone free for Android (it’s already free on iOS), meaning users of smartphones and tablets running Google’s OS no longer have an excuse not to try it out.

OK, but convince me anyway

Right, well New Star Soccer is the best footie game on mobile. Put simply, it plonks you in the boots of a 16-year-old fledgling footballer and challenges you to work your way up to the big leagues.

Impress your manager, your teammates and the fans with your performances and you’ll be rewarded with better contracts, transfers to bigger clubs and, well, money, which can be used to buy equipment (we never realised that energy drinks were such a vital part of every professional footballer’s training regimen until we played this) and improve your lifestyle.


‘Improve my lifestyle’?

Yes, NSS acknowledges the importance modern footballers place in things like crap tattoos, tasteless jewellery, overrated gadgets and overpowered cars by allowing you to purchase them. Avoid them and your image will take more of a beating than Crystal Palace’s defence has this season.

But it’s a football game so…

Yes, most of it is thankfully focussed on the sport itself. During matches you’ll be presented with opportunities to pass, shoot at goal, take free kicks and penalties and win the ball back from the opposition. You can also build up skills through training exercises (and again, by chugging those magical energy drinks).

Say I’m an old player who’s left NSS by the wayside. Any new features?

Yep. There’s loads of them, but in terms of just the matchplay element: headers are now included, opposing players will close you down, and you can focus your play on attack, defence or balanced movement during the match.


And it’s free you say?

Well, freemium. So if you don’t shell out at least a little bit of money (under a quid) for an in-app ‘Pro License’ purchase, you’ll have to put up and won’t be able to transfer to a new club or negotiate a more lucrative contract. It’s a move which has attracted a lot of negative reviews, but if you look at the free version as a demo and the Pro License as the real game, it hasn’t really got any more expensive.

You can download New Star Soccer for Android here and iOS here.