For years, Konami's ISS series was widely acknowledged as the finest representation of the beautiful game on Mother Earth. From the days of Super Nintendo, console owners have bathed in the glory of Konami's uber-franchise, with those in the know well aware that it even eclipsed the stern challenge of EA's mighty FIFA.
Subsequently Konami has released the sublime, unsurpassed Pro Evolution Soccer series, exclusive to Sony hardware, while Major A - the developer of ISS - has continued to release high quality football games on multiple formats.  
 
As far as arcade football goes, FIFA has reigned supreme on PC for too long in Konami's eyes, thus, to the delight of fans across the land, Major A is bringing the deep delights of ISS 3 to PC this April. Is FIFA set to be toppled from its perch?
 
Presentation-wise, 58 international squads are included, with correct names, and player likenesses have also been created, making it that bit more satisfying when you're crippling rival teams with lunging fouls. Or graceful football.  
 
But, as with all of Konami's soccer titles, the emphasis is on gameplay, and while previous ISS titles may not possess the flashy front of FIFA, they more than make up for it by offering a deep, rewarding football experience which does an excellent job of recreating the feel of the real thing.
 
Stacks of options are available to those who wish to fiddle around under the bonnet, and those who fancy cutting their teeth in the art of ISS before heading into serious competitive matches will be pleased by the excellent, comprehensive Training mode.  
 
ISS3 on PC is a very good thing and if we were EA, we'd be a getting a little bit nervous right now...
 
This exclusive comes courtesy of our sister publication PC Zone magazine, so be sure to check out the latest issue, out tomorrow, for the full scoop, and in-depth hands-on and more stunning shots.
 
[Note: the eagle-eyed among you might spot board advertising in the screenshots that says ISS2. This is currently placeholder texture work.]