ISS Deluxe refines the formula, fuller and faster, with national licenses. The best 16 bit football, still enjoyable today.
Your verdict
Category
Sports2 players3+
Description
Enriched and definitive version of International Superstar Soccer with new modes. Published by Konami, released in North America in 1996. National teams with named players, additional modes including training scenarios, refined football gameplay and improved visuals. Second ISS by Konami, considered the finest Super Nintendo version.
International Superstar Soccer Deluxe review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The expanded version thickens everything around the pitch: turf mown differently from stadium to stadium, banners, floodlit night matches and celebration animations punctuating every goal. The running and shooting cycles gain intermediate frames, and the ball finally keeps a crisp shadow that helps judge a cross.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
The arcade formula gains teams, tactics and fuller modes without losing any of its legendary snappiness. Overpowered shots, razor-sharp passes and frenzied commentary galvanise every match. Deeper yet still immediate, it satisfies newcomer and strategist alike. With several players, it's an essential of football evenings, intense and gleeful.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Stringing passes and shots to the beat of a polished arcade football delivers an instant pleasure that calls for the next match. Cups to win, teams to master and duels with friends multiply the reasons to start another game. A benchmark of its day, this refined version keeps a dynamism and a hook that have barely faded.
The US NTSC SNES version of Konami's 1995 International Superstar Soccer Deluxe, a direct sequel to ISS with a markedly refined system. With football never gaining the traction in the United States that it had in Europe, the US printing was more modest, making clean North American CIB notably scarcer than the Japanese or European version. It is a niche title for the US collector, sought by Konami football fans hunting a complete NTSC copy.
Better with friends
An expanded version of the console's star footy, fuller in teams and finer in handling, ideal for two-player rivalry. The competition blends tactics, precise dribbles and decisive strikes, where a single moment of genius can flip the score. Deep without being austere, it chains tight matches and feeds stubborn rivalries settled overtime after overtime, in an electric atmosphere.
Is International Superstar Soccer Deluxe still worth playing in 2026?
International Superstar Soccer Deluxe refines the first ISS formula with national teams, more ball effects and a livelier tempo. The Konami engine gains precision and the tactical depth gives more leeway to anyone shaping their own play. The handling remains one of the most natural in 16 bit football, and the cup mode runs without dead time. Probably the best SNES football across all periods. Recommended to Pro Evolution Soccer fans and to any retro multiplayer evening.
