2006 FIFA World Cup
EA's latest footy outing is the next best thing to being in Germany.
Published: May 31, 2006
I also noticed how true the ball played. It didn’t feel like it had helium in it as it some times did in previous versions. The bounces, rebounds and spin on the ball all played very true. This is especially evident when a ball rebounds off the post or is deflected by the keeper. As they seem to keep doing EA has taken another step forward on the pitch. As for the Dutch side, a draw with S&M leaves work to be done. (And yes, I chose the Dutch just so I could use S&M in one of my reviews.)
Next stop Stuttgart for a match up with underrated Ivory Coast, or so I thought. Apparently the scouts at EA feel Didier Drogba is the greatest striker in the world. I can’t figure out how to stop him. Not that the Dutch have the best defense or anything, but come on. Drogba is good, but a flat-footed header from 18-yards out beats Edwin Van der Sar? Not in anyone’s dreams. It doesn’t help that I can’t stand Drogba and Chelsea, but that’s an entirely separate conversation. Somehow I survive the onslaught and pull out a 2 – 2 draw with a late Arjen Robben beauty. Maybe the guys from Chelsea aren’t so bad.
While I’m in the complaining mood I’ll quickly point out something that needs fixing in the game. When a corner is played short on the near side of the field the flags hanging in the stadium rafters block the view of play. Once the ball carrier dribbles out or passes the ball the flags disappear. Annoying yes, but there aren’t many short corners. And at least the annoying end line movement had been improved. It drove me nuts in previous versions when your own player would tap the ball out for a corner when the ball would have clearly rolled out on it’s own for a goal kick. Or when the player would dribble straight out of bounds when trying to save the ball on the touchline. The players now make intelligent decisions around the lines. About time! Now back to my imaginary World Cup.
After two draws the show down with Argentina in Frankfurt is a must win. I’m sure the Dutch fans would be delighted to see this situation in real life. Third game in seems to be a charm. I feel fully up to speed with the game and I’m able to hold possession of the ball. My shooting percentage also increased as I became more comfortable with the new shooting controls. Instead of holding the shoot button for power, the button controls height of the shot. The longer you hold the higher the shot goes. Power and accuracy are determined by player attributes. Thank goodness I have Ruud van Nistelrooy. His double just sent me through to the second round. I’m dancing around the living room like a little girl and my wife officially thinks I’m nuts.
Speaking of dancing, EA consistently puts together some of the best soundtracks, or EA Trax as they call it, for the FIFA franchise. It all started with Blur – Song 2 and Crystal Method – Busy Child. The tradition continues in this release. My personal favorite is Sergio Mendes featuring the Black Eyed Peas – Mas Que Nada. Which brings up the question, which video game has the best soundtrack? Do Karaoke Revolution and Dance Dance Revolution count as having soundtracks? Without doing much research my pick is FIFA.
Another small detail I enjoy about the game is the intro to the games with the camera zooming in from outer space directly into the stadium. It reminds me of Google Earth on crack. Speaking of which, the camera just landed in Nuremburg. Portugal is on tap.
Fresh off my first victory I’m feeling good. My passing is quick, clean and I’ve finally taking advantage of the improved player movement off the ball. Twenty minutes to time up two goals I start thinking about punching my passport again with a move into the final eight. Then quick as I can type it all came to a crashing halt. Figo, goal. Ronaldo, goal. Overtime, another Ronaldo goal. Just like that, my World Cup dream comes to a crashing halt. Oh the drama.
As I came out of my daze I realized I’m no longer in Germany. No glory, no trophy. Just me and my brown leather couch. Time to pull out my Australia jersey and punch my ticket back to Germany. Luckily this ticket doesn’t cost a dime.
