FIFA International Soccer

Review

by Jonathan Sutyak

FIFA International Soccer is a good soccer game but is lacking in the area of graphics. Electronic Arts again supplies great gameplay which always keeps their games enjoyable but this game is just not much different than their Genesis offerings.

More than 60 teams is certainly a lot, unfortunately all of the players are generic. The strengths of the teams are based on their real life 1994 counterparts. Four modes of play allow you to play any way you want. Tournament mode is best when you play with friends and you can play with up to four of them.

The 4 Way Play is great for this game. Having four players in sports games is not always fun, but with FIFA International Soccer it really works. Probably because of the slower gameplay, smaller players, and larger field.

Controls are very tight and accurate. With the touch of a button or two you can lob / chip, pass, shoot, one-touch pass, back heel, head, volley, and bicycle kick the ball. Goal, corner, penalty, and free kicks are also included. Everything in real soccer can be found here.

CD quality sound makes the crowd come alive. Turn up the volume with surround sound and you will feel like the crowd is right there with you. The only problem is that the crowd chants are hard to understand.

While the sound is great, CD quality graphics are not in this game. They look just like the Sega Genesis version, which were not bad but they should have been improved. The introduction features live video and video some clips are shown throughout the game but they add nothing to the gameplay experience.

Overall FIFA International Soccer is not too difficult. The goalies stop a lot of shots but oddly the shots from farther away tend to go in more often than the close ones. For an added dimension unlockable secret game modes allow such elements as a curving ball and invisible walls. Simply put, if you own a Genesis soccer game by EA Sports then there is no reason to get this game. However, if you do not you might as well choose this one for the improved sound.