View source for Neo Geo Cup '98: The Road to the Victory

{{Infobox video game
| title = Neo Geo Cup '98: The Road to the Victory
| image = Neo Geo Cup '98 - The Road to the Victory arcade flyer.jpg
| developer = [[SNK]]
| publisher = SNK
| series = ''[[Super Sidekicks]]''
| platforms = {{collapsible list|title={{nobold|[[Arcade game|Arcade]]}}|[[Neo Geo (system)|Neo Geo AES]], [[Neo Geo Pocket]], [[Neo Geo Pocket Color]]}}
| released = {{collapsible list|title={{nobold|[[1998 in video gaming|1998]]}}|'''Arcade'''{{vgrelease|WW|28 May 1998}} '''Neo Geo AES'''{{vgrelease|NA|30 July 1998|JP|30 July 1998|EU|30 July 1998}} '''Neo Geo Pocket'''{{vgrelease|JP|28 October 1998|EU|1998}} '''Neo Geo Pocket Color'''{{vgrelease|JP|15 April [[1999 in video gaming|1999]]|NA/EU|1999}}}}
| genre = [[Sports game|Sports]]
| modes = {{flatlist|
[[Single-player video game|Single-player]], [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]]}}
| arcade system = [[Neo Geo (system)|Neo Geo MVS]]
}}
'''''Neo Geo Cup '98: The Road to the Victory''''' is an [[association football]] [[video game]] based on the [[FIFA World Cup 1998]], despite being released after the 1998 FIFA World Cup.<ref name="NEOGEOsnk">{{cite web|url=http://neogeomuseum.snk-corp.co.jp/english/catalogue/|title=Title Catalogue - NEOGEO MUSEUM|publisher=[[SNK#2003–2016: SNK Playmore|SNK Playmore]]|accessdate=2019-11-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828035857/http://neogeomuseum.snk-corp.co.jp/english/catalogue/|archive-date=2018-08-28|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.culturaneogeo.com/reviews/neogeocup98 |title=Ficha Neo Geo Cup 98: The Road to the Victory |access-date=September 5, 2019 |last= |first= |date= |work=Cultura NeoGeo |publisher= |location= |language=Spanish |quote=}}</ref> It features 64 teams' countries. Each team enters a "Regional Qualifying Round Final" where it plays a team it actually played in the [[1998 FIFA World Cup qualification]]. For example: [[Spain national football team|Spain]] would face [[Serbia national football team|Yugoslavia]], an opponent it actually faced in its qualifying group. Or [[Italy national football team|Italy]] would face [[Russia national football team|Russia]], an opponent Italy faced in the UEFA play-offs. If the player beats the opponent, it goes to a group much like the real life World Cup. In fact, the team faces opponents that were actually in its group. For example: Mexico would face the Netherlands, Belgium and South Korea. It is a re-make of ''[[Super Sidekicks|Super Sidekicks 3]]'', but the animations and designs were exactly the same. The only difference is teams to reflect the World Cup, kits again to reflect the World Cup, and players to resemble squads from the World Cup (teams that did not qualify use line-ups from friendly games and qualifiers). Its slogan is "We got the kick".
Unlike its arcade counterpart, the Neo Geo version tries to be more of a soccer simulation game. Differences include the Neo Geo version being more slowed down, and more realism added in shooting, passing, etc. A color version of the game was released for the [[Neo Geo Pocket Color]] as ''Neo Geo Cup '98 Plus Color''; this version was later re-released as part of ''[[Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection]] Vol. 2'' in 2022.
== Playable teams ==
The game has 64 countries, grouped in 8 zones:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|'''Europe (group A)'''<br/>* {{fb|Italy}}<br/>* {{fb|Netherlands}}<br/>* {{fb|Switzerland}}<br/>* {{fb|Norway}}<br/>* {{fb|England}}<br/>* {{fb|Turkey}}<br/>* {{fb|Portugal}}<br/>* {{fb|Croatia}} || '''Europe (group B)'''<br/>* {{fb|Germany}}<br/>* {{fb|Spain}}<br/>* {{fb|Belgium}}<br/>* {{fb|Romania}}<br/>* {{fb|Denmark}}<br/>* {{fb|Republic of Ireland}}<br/>* {{fb|Scotland}}<br/>* {{fb|Czech Republic}} || '''Europe (group C)'''<br/>* {{fb|France}}<br/>* {{fb|Bulgaria}}<br/>* {{fb|Sweden}}<br/>* {{fb|Russia}}<br/>* {{fb|Greece}}<br/>* {{fb|Hungary}}<br/>* {{fb|Austria}}<br/>* {{fb|FR Yugoslavia}} || '''Africa'''<br/>* {{fb|Nigeria}}<br/>* {{fb|Cameroon}}<br/>* {{fb|Morocco}}<br/>* {{fb|Egypt}}<br/>* {{fb|South Africa}}<br/>* {{fb|Zambia}}<br/>* {{fb|Ivory Coast}}<br/>* {{fb|Tunisia}}
|-
| '''North America'''<br/>* {{fb|USA}}<br/>* {{fb|Mexico}}<br/>* {{fb|Canada}}<br/>* {{fb|Costa Rica}}<br/>* {{fb|Puerto Rico}}<br/>* {{fb|Guatemala}}<br/>* {{fb|El Salvador}}<br/>* {{fb|Jamaica}} || '''South America'''<br/>* {{fb|Brazil}}<br/>* {{fb|Argentina}}<br/>* {{fb|Colombia}}<br/>* {{fb|Paraguay}}<br/>* {{fb|Chile}}<br/>* {{fb|Ecuador}}<br/>* {{fb|Uruguay}}<br/>* {{fb|Peru}} || '''Asia (group A)'''<br/>* {{fb|Australia}}<br/>* {{fb|People's Republic of China}}<br/>* {{fb|New Zealand}}<br/>* {{fb|Republic of China}}<br/>* {{fb|Iran}}<br/>* {{fb|Iraq}}<br/>* {{fb|Vietnam}}<br/>* {{fb|Singapore}} || '''Asia (Group B)'''<br/>* {{fb|Saudi Arabia}}<br/>* {{fb|South Korea}}<br/>* {{fb|Japan}}<br/>* {{fb|UAE}}<br/>* {{fb|Hong Kong}}<br/>* {{fb|India}}<br/>* {{fb|Thailand}}<br/>* {{fb|Malaysia}}
|-
|}
==Tournaments==
[[File:NEOGEO Neo Geo Cup '98 - The Road to the Victory.png|thumb|right|Arcade version screenshot showcasing a match between Colombia and Puerto Rico.]] The tournaments in the game are the following ones (between parenthesis, the real tournaments in which were based):
* World Tournament ([[1998 FIFA World Cup]])
* Europe Tournament ([[UEFA Euro 1996]])
* South America Tournament ([[1997 Copa América]])
* Americas Tournament ([[1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup]])
* Africa Tournament ([[1998 African Cup of Nations]])
* Asia Tournament ([[1996 AFC Asian Cup]])
== Release ==
{{nihongo|''Neo Geo Cup '98''|ネオジオカップ’９８}} is a [[soccer|football]] [[videogame]] released in Japan by [[SNK Playmore|SNK]] in 1998 for the [[Neo Geo Pocket]] handheld system. The game was released in Europe as ''Neo Geo Cup '98 Plus''. It is a scaled down port of the arcade game featuring black and white graphics.
In 1999, an updated version was released in Japan as {{nihongo|''Neo Geo Cup '98 Plus''|ネオジオカップ’９８プラス}}. This release should not be confused with the previous European release, since the Japanese version of ''Plus'' is compatible with the [[Neo Geo Pocket Color]] handheld system. The version was released in North America and Europe as ''Neo Geo Cup '98 Plus Color''. It is an update of ''Neo Geo Cup '98'' with, as its title suggests, colour graphics.
In both releases, there are three game modes; single- a single "exhibition" match, 2p play- an option for two players with two Neo Geo Pocket Colour systems, ''Neo Geo Cup '98'' cartridges and a link cable to play against each other, and story mode- a career mode in which players compete in the Neo Geo Cup competition, play friendly matches, play against friends via the link cable and purchase "power-ups" at the Soccer Shop using credits gained in the Neo Geo Cup competition.
==Inconsistencies==
Due to failure of getting any official [[FIFA]] license ([[EA Sports]] held the license) the tournaments are all unlicensed. Also, due to lack of [[FIFPro]] license player names are fake. For example: [[Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo]] is known as ''Rosa'', [[Raúl González|Raúl]] is known as ''Roul'',  [[Luis Hernández (footballer, born 1968)|Luis Hernández]] is known as ''Hernardo'', [[Eric Wynalda]] is known as ''Wyoming'', [[Carlos Valderrama]] is known as ''Valledupar'' and [[Martin Dahlin]] is known as ''Dahlgren''. Despite it, most player's appearance in this game resemble their real-life appearance. Easily identical players are: [[Colin Hendry]] (blonde hair), [[Luis Hernández (footballer, born 1968)|Luis Hernández]] (blonde hair and caucasian skin), and [[Jorge Campos]] (goalkeeper kit) and others appear in the game. Other appearances are inaccurate; for example, [[Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo]] is dark-skinned.
Though a majority of team qualifying matches are accurate, there are inconsistencies with some of the team's qualifier opponents. For example, England would face Scotland (although the player can also be paired against Italy, a team England faced in the 1998 qualifiers). Brazil would also play a qualifier against Uruguay. Brazil qualified automatically due to the rule that the winner of the last FIFA World Cup would qualify automatically.
Also, some players have incorrect numbers. For example: [[Hernán Crespo]] (Cresko in the game) has the number 11, but in reality he wore number 19, while number 11 was worn by [[Juan Sebastián Verón]].
==See also==
{{Portal|1990s|Japan|Video games}}
* ''[[Super Sidekicks]]''
* ''[[Tecmo World Cup '90]]''
* ''[[Tecmo World Cup Soccer]]''
* ''[[International Superstar Soccer]]''
* ''[[Legendary Eleven]]''
== Notes ==
{{notelist}}
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
* [https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/arcade/564889-neo-geo-cup-98-the-road-to-victory ''Neo Geo Cup '98: The Road to the Victory''] at [[GameFAQs]]
* [https://www.giantbomb.com/neo-geo-cup-98-the-road-to-the-victory/3030-37101/ ''Neo Geo Cup '98: The Road to the Victory''] at [[Giant Bomb]]
* [https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8849 ''Neo Geo Cup '98: The Road to the Victory''] at [[Killer List of Videogames]]
* [https://www.mobygames.com/game/neo-geo-cup-98-the-road-to-the-victory ''Neo Geo Cup '98: The Road to the Victory''] at [[MobyGames]]
{{Super Sidekicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neo Geo Cup '98: The Road to the Victory}}
[[Category:1998 video games]]
[[Category:1998 FIFA World Cup]]
[[Category:ACA Neo Geo games]]
[[Category:Association football video games]]
[[Category:Neo Geo games]]
[[Category:Neo Geo Pocket Color games]]
[[Category:SNK games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Japan]]
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]