Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Name: Quattro Skills
Item: Quattro Skills
Author: Retro Replay

Quattro Skills brings together four of Codemasters’ classic sports titles—Professional Skateboard Simulator, 11-A-Side Soccer, Pro Tennis Simulator, and International Rugby Simulator—into one compilation. Each game retains its original mechanics, offering distinct control schemes that range from the precision-required half-pipe tricks of the skateboarder to the strategic passing and set-piece management in soccer and rugby. The variety means you’ll be switching mental gears constantly: balancing momentum and timing on a skateboard or plotting through-balls across a pixelated pitch.

(HEY YOU!! We hope you enjoy! We try not to run ads. So basically, this is a very expensive hobby running this site. Please consider joining us for updates, forums, and more. Network w/ us to make some cash or friends while retro gaming, and you can win some free retro games for posting. Okay, carry on 👍)

In Professional Skateboard Simulator, timing is everything. Landing a kick-flip demands precise button presses, and stringing together combos feels rewarding despite the slightly rigid physics. The soccer and rugby simulators share a top-down camera but emphasize different aspects: soccer is about tactical formations and goal kicks, whereas rugby leans into brute force rucks and offloads. Both modes let you rearrange your lineup and adapt strategy mid-match, adding real depth for players who crave a managerial challenge alongside on-field action.

Pro Tennis Simulator trades team management for one-on-one intensity. Court surfaces—grass, clay, and hard court—affect ball bounce and player movement, making you adjust your shot selection on the fly. Serving mechanics require you to combine power and direction bars, and volley exchanges can quickly turn into a test of reflexes. While the AI can become predictable after long sessions, multiplayer head-to-head matches revive the tension that’s essential to a good tennis sim.

Transitioning between four different control layouts might seem daunting at first, but Codemasters smooths the learning curve by keeping on-screen prompts consistent across all games. Quick-play modes allow you to jump straight into a skate run or a rugby scrum without navigating deep menus, while tournament structures in each title let you compete through season ladders. The compilation’s strength is its breadth: if you tire of one sport, there are three more ready to absorb your free time.

Graphics

Graphically, Quattro Skills wears its 8-bit/16-bit roots on its sleeve. Each game sports bright, block-coloured sprites and minimalist backdrops that feel nostalgic rather than outdated. On systems of the era, the frame rates hold up well—skateboard runs glide smoothly, and soccer matches maintain a steady pace even when players cluster around the ball. While modern players might balk at the lack of high-definition polygons, the pixel art has a certain charm that captures the era’s arcade-inspired spirit.

Professional Skateboard Simulator features a side-scrolling half-pipe rendered in bold primary tones. The animation on flips and grabs is surprisingly fluid given hardware constraints, and ramps are drawn with enough perspective to convey depth. In contrast, 11-A-Side Soccer uses an overhead view that zooms out to show nearly the entire pitch. Players are distinguishable by jersey colour and number, and small animations—like a bent-knee tackle or celebratory wave—add character to each match.

Pro Tennis Simulator shifts to a more zoomed-in perspective. You can clearly see the net and baseline, and the ball sprite changes hue slightly to reflect spin. Grass courts have a dappled green pattern, while clay courts feature a reddish-brown checkered look that makes you wistful for real-world clay stains. International Rugby Simulator opts for a simpler palette—green field, white lines, and blocky player models—but compensates with dynamic weather effects like light rain and occasional puddles that alter ball physics.

Across all four titles, the user interface remains clean and unobtrusive. Scoreboards, timers, and status bars rest in narrow strips at the top or bottom of the screen, leaving most of the play area free of clutter. Menu icons are large enough to navigate with a joystick or keyboard, and transitions between screens are instantaneous. For gamers seeking visual flair over pixel-perfect detail, Quattro Skills delivers a retro aesthetic that’s as functional as it is nostalgic.

Story

Unlike narrative-driven adventure games, the Quattro Skills compilation has no overarching storyline linking the four sports. Instead, each title weaves its own implied ambition—becoming a skateboarding pro, leading your national soccer squad to victory, conquering the Grand Slam in tennis, or winning the Tri-Nations in rugby. These implicit goals give you a sense of progression, even without cutscenes or character dialogue.

In Professional Skateboard Simulator, you start as an amateur, unlocking more complex ramps and tricks as you pull off successful combos. The feeling of earning your stripes through accumulated points subtly replaces any need for a linear plot. Similarly, the soccer and rugby simulators offer tournament brackets and league tables: advance through group stages to reach finals, and you’ll feel the tension build much like you would in a sports film.

Pro Tennis Simulator introduces a simple ladder system: win matches to climb from Challenger events to Grand Slam finals. Though there are no voice-overs or scripted rivalries, the structure encourages repeat play until you finally lift that pixelated trophy. The lack of story may disappoint those looking for character development, but it also means there’s no filler—every match and challenge feels purposeful.

Overall, Quattro Skills nails the “you are the athlete” approach, using gameplay milestones instead of narrative beats to keep you invested. If you prefer story-heavy experiences, this compilation won’t satisfy that itch. But if you’re drawn to clear, skill-based goals and the satisfaction of mastery, you’ll find enough implicit drama in each sport’s climb to the top.

Overall Experience

Quattro Skills stands as a testament to Codemasters’ knack for packaging diverse experiences into one accessible product. For retro enthusiasts, it’s a time machine back to the heyday of home computers and early consoles. Each sport offers its own flavor: at times arcade-fast, other times methodical and strategic. The compilation’s greatest boon lies in its variety—you can skate for half an hour, switch to soccer for a quick mini-tournament, then finish off with a tennis set before calling it a day.

Newcomers to 8-bit/16-bit sports sims may find the controls less intuitive than today’s analog sticks and motion-capture animations. There is a learning curve as you adapt to discrete button-press timing and grid-based passing systems. However, Codemasters eases you in with practice modes and simplified quick-play options. Before long, the mechanics click, and you’ll be chasing high-score tables or perfect match records across all four titles.

In terms of replay value, Quattro Skills delivers richly. The four disparate sports ensure you don’t burn out quickly, and local multiplayer in soccer and tennis cranks up the competition—perfect for couch-co-op nights. There’s little in the way of online features, but for a retro release, that omission feels appropriate rather than limiting. Leaderboards are local, but chasing your personal best across each discipline is motivation enough.

Whether you’re a vintage-game connoisseur or a newcomer curious about the roots of sports simulation, Quattro Skills is an engaging anthology. Its minimal presentation, tightly tuned gameplay, and genuine sense of progression make it a solid pick for anyone seeking bite-sized sports challenges in one convenient package.