FIFA Soccer 2004

Ah the beautiful game, just like the team loyalties themselves, nothing divides gamers as much as their favourite football game. Well the ref has blown the whistle and we head out on the pitch to tackle the latest FIFA game and it seems, some pretty awful puns.

Ah the beautiful game, just like the team loyalties themselves, nothing divides gamers as much as their favourite football game. Well the ref has blown the whistle and we head out on the pitch to tackle the latest FIFA game and it seems, some pretty awful puns.

Ah the beautiful game, just like the team loyalties themselves, nothing divides gamers as much as their favourite football game. Well the ref has blown the whistle and we head out on the pitch to tackle the latest FIFA game and it seems, some pretty awful puns.

So it’s that time of year again, when EA release a new version of its high profile football franchise. Waiting for a new FIFA game is like a game of videogame Russian roulette. Will the game be a bullet like the great FIFA 98 Road to the World Cup or FIFA 2003? Or will it just be a blank misfire like FIFA 97 or FIFA 2002?

FIFA 2004 is a great soccer game. EA is definitely not letting this series fizzle, and there couldn't be a better time for soccer fans, old and new, to jump on this wagon. Plenty of teams, great control, tons of replay value and all the bells and whistles you could hope for make this game one of the best of its kind.

FIFA Soccer 2004 is a solid simulation of the sport that offers more teams and unique options not available in its main and only competitor on the PS2, Winning Eleven. Some minor control issues remain and the depth is still not where it needs to be, but it delivers a highly worthwhile experience nonetheless.

Once again FIFA reinvents itself, and once again the results are a vast improvement on the previous year. FIFA Soccer 2004 isn't perfect yet, but it's still an awesome effort.

FIFA Soccer 2004 is a solid simulation of the sport that offers more teams and unique options not available in its main and only competitor on the PS2, Winning Eleven. Some minor control issues remain and the depth is still not where it needs to be, but it delivers a highly worthwhile experience nonetheless.

The ambience that EA has created within this version of Fifa is simply amazing and it will be a challenge to both competitors and themselves to improve. The graphics set a standard that all sports games will have to achieve in the near future. The gameplay has vastly improved with the ‘off the ball’ feature and the distinctions the game makes between good, better and the best players. But there is room for improvement as far as dribbling past an adversary is concerned.

FIFA 2004 ist anders - und zwar nicht nur in der Beschreibung auf der Packungsrückseite. Denn EA Sports hat seine Vorzeige-Fußballer rechtzeitig zum harten Zweikampf mit Konamis Pro Evolution Soccer 3 völlig umgekrempelt: weg vom actionreichen, aber unnatürlich offenen Schlagabtausch hin zu einem authentischeren Fußballgefühl.

Bei meinen ersten Versuchen mit der Off-the-Ball-Steuerung dachte ich nur: »Die spinnen, die Kanadier!« Inzwischen möchte ich die famose Fingerakrobatik nicht mehr missen. Fantastische Spielzüge ohne KI-Hilfe auf den Rasen zu zaubern, macht einfach viel mehr Spaß als in den Vorgängern. Der Karrieremodus ist für mich eine nette Dreingabe, mehr nicht. Denn ob ich ein Spiel gewinne oder verliere, hängt nun mal nicht von meinem Trainingsplan ab, sondern nur von meinem Geschick am Gamepad. Zwar hat Fifa 2004 spielerisch im Vergleich zum Vorgänger keine Riesensprünge hingelegt, aber konsequent kleine Schwächen wie das unterrepräsentierte Kopfballspiel ausgemerzt. Die verbliebenen Makel, etwa dass Passempfänger immer noch stehen bleiben statt dem Ball entgegen zu gehen, sollten die Entwickler bei Fifa 2005 endgültig aus dem Programm bannen.

Was für ein Kick! EA Sports’ jüngster FIFA-Ableger hat sich wieder ein Stück vom einstigen Arcade-Gebolze zur anspruchsvollen Fußballsimulation gemausert. Weniger Torchancen, mehr Mittelfeldgeplänkel, abwechslungsreiche Spielszenen und ansehnliche Spielzüge sind die angenehmen Auswirkungen. Nervig ist allerdings, dass sich meine Spieler bei Pässen selten zum Ball bewegen, sondern sich das Leder stattdessen oft vom gegnerischen Abwehrspieler abluchsen lassen. Ein dickes Lob verdienen sich der umfangreiche Manager-Modus und die erstklassige Präsentation. Trotzdem reicht es nur zur Vize-Meisterschaft, PES 3 liefert auf dem Platz einfach das realistischere Erlebnis ab.

We egocentric Americans spend much of our late autumns engrossed with the playoff run in the NFL and the onset of the NBA. On home consoles, many gamers are deep into their franchise modes in Madden 2004 and NBA Live and have just about had their fill with sports games. This, along with the limited popularity of soccer in the States, has always left soccer video games permanently under the radar and limited their shelf space. Elsewhere in the world, sports fans are rejoicing, for this is the season of the latest edition of EA’s FIFA Soccer series.

Electronic Arts has been making some pretty major changes to its long-running FIFA Soccer series in recent years, and its 2004 edition is no exception. The game features the same slick presentation, official licenses, and instantly recognizable players that the series is known for, but it also boasts a number of enhancements, including a goal-driven career mode, online play on the PS2, more realistic ball physics, and the well-publicized off-the-ball control. FIFA Soccer 2004 is undoubtedly EA Sports' most realistic soccer game to date. Though some of the new features will inevitably take you a while to get used to--and there's still plenty of room for improvement--it manages to be both enjoyable and challenging.

Als leidenschaftlicher Pro Evolution Soccer-Spieler ging ich natürlich mit kritischem Blick an das neue FIFA-Spiel heran. Zu meiner Überraschung zeigt es sich gegenüber dem Vorgänger in vielen Punkten verbessert und kann nun auch spielerisch überzeugen. Technisch war FIFA schon immer top! Vor allem der Manager-Modus, lässt jedem Fußballfan vor Freude das Herz höher schlagen.

Because last year's game was a real treat for soccer fanatics, it's not surprising that for the 2004 edition EASports went back to the development team responsible. UK studio Exient used its FIFA Soccer 2003 design as a foundation and built FIFA Soccer 2004 on top of it. The do, admittedly look and play similarly, but there's enough additions and tweaks to validate its existence.

Nothing new in FIFA 2004 that you haven't already seen. But with the exception of that one FIFA World Cup game a few years back, there hasn't been anything wrong with the way FIFA looks. FIFA continues to be the standard for all Soccer titles, including those from 989 and Sega (if there will even be one from them anymore). And it's not so much the backgrounds or stadiums, which don't get me wrong look great, but the animation of the players.

While we Americans are neck deep in the midst of a wild, mud-crunching football season (that's American football, with helmets and stuff), the rest of the world is madly tapping buttons to a different beat. They're playing soccer, football, ah heck, futball. Regarded as the best selling soccer franchise in the world, FIFA Soccer might take the popular vote, but yet it never wins the presidency. It still hasn't convinced the Western world of soccer critics (i.e. the gameplaying population of Europe) that its easy-to-play FIFA series has the realistic roots and genuine cajones of its biggest competitor, Winning Eleven 6, aka Pro Evolution Soccer, or whatever Konami has renamed its stellar soccer franchise this year. So what has EA cooked up this year to turn our heads?

They do very little wrong when it comes to Soccer, and maybe that's the reason Sega opted out for a game this year, and we haven't seen much of a rumbling from 989 Sports. With the addition of PS2 online play and another tightening of the gameplay across the board, who's going to really be a challenge this year? FIFA is again where it's at. So I'll see you online for some great footie action.

The GameCube version of FIFA 2004 is almost on a par with the Xbox version, as far as the visuals are concerned, and, like the Xbox version, it boasts progressive scan support for those of you in a position to take advantage of the feature. The GameCube version also boasts connectivity with the GBA game, although the benefits are limited to being able to earn additional GameCube prestige points on the GBA and/or unlocking additional competitions on the GBA through strong career performances on the GameCube.

The Xbox version of FIFA 2004 is the most impressive console version, as far as the visuals are concerned, and, along with the GameCube version, it boasts progressive scan support for those of you in a position to take advantage of the feature. The gameplay in all three console versions is virtually identical, but it has to be said that the layout of the buttons on the Xbox controller can make some of the more-demanding moves a lot trickier to perform than on the PS2. In the absence of any serious competition, FIFA Soccer 2004 is far and away the best soccer game available for the Xbox right now. If you have any interest in the sport whatsoever, you'd be crazy not to give it a try.

Die positive Entwicklung der FIFA-Serie setzt sich mit der 2004er-Version fort. Die Entwickler setzen mehr denn je auf Realismus, was dem Spiel gut steht. Dabei wurde der Titel im Vergleich zum Vorgänger in allen Belangen verbessert: Die Basissteuerung geht einfach von der Hand, bietet aber dennoch genügend Möglichkeiten für die Leute, die sich auch länger mit dem Titel beschäftigen. Dank stark verbessertem Ballphysik-Modell und besserer künstlicher Intelligenz der Mitspieler lassen sich in FIFA 2004 sehr schöne Kombinationen auf dem Platz verwirklichen. Die Technik und Präsentation ist weiterhin überragend und der Konkurrenz um Lichtjahre voraus.

EA's FIFA Soccer 2004 offers the most significant changes the game has seen in years. The core gameplay is changing ever so slowly from super arcade play to a more comprehensive, more realistic style of soccer, and the series is better for it. But it's not quite there yet.

While we Americans are neck deep in the midst of a wild, mud-crunching football season (that's American football, with helmets and stuff), the rest of the world is madly tapping buttons to a different beat. They're playing soccer, football, ah heck, futball. Regarded as the best selling soccer franchise in the world, FIFA Soccer might take the popular vote, but yet it never wins the presidency. It still hasn't convinced the Western world of soccer critics (i.e. the gameplaying population of Europe) that its easy-to-play FIFA series has the realistic roots and genuine cajones of its biggest competitor, Winning Eleven 6, aka Pro Evolution Soccer, or whatever Konami has renamed its stellar PS2 soccer franchise this year. So what has EA cooked up to turn our heads?

Zoals te verwachten was, zet FIFA Football 2004 weer enkele stappen in de goede richting - jammer genoeg ook een paar in de verkeerde. De gameplay is eigenlijk nog steeds niet wat een echte voetballiefhebber verlangt, maar desondanks is en blijft het het beste voetbalgame op de pc.

Comme tous les FIFA, l'édition 2004 se compose d'une belle réalisation associée à un gameplay un peu moins emballant. Ca reste quand même du bon football, le meilleur sur la console à l'heure actuelle.

I’ve learned to appreciate soccer for the strategy, skill, and tension involved. I’m just not sure I want the same out of a soccer video game. FIFA 2004 is a good game that real soccer fans will appreciate, but it has a steep learning curve and is a little too much of a simulation for average gamers looking to run down the field and score goals.

Comme tous les FIFA, l'édition 2004 se compose d'une belle réalisation associée à un gameplay un peu moins emballant. Malgré les problèmes de connexion rencontrés, l'ajout du online est une option non négligeable qui devrait rallier beaucoup de joueurs à sa cause.

FIFA Football 2004 is a worthy update that owners of previous games should pick up. Online play is good but could have been better, and despite the appealing presentation and the licensed clubs, the overall experience of the game still doesn't match up to that of Pro Evolution Soccer 3, but the series is certainly catching up.

Comme tous les FIFA, l'édition 2004 se compose d'une belle réalisation associée à un gameplay un peu moins emballant. Ca reste quand même du bon football, le meilleur sur la console à l'heure actuelle.

Já que essa opção pode ser facilmente desativada nas opções de jogo - e pela falta de opções no mercado brasileiro, "FIFA 2004" é, sem dúvida, uma das melhores maneiras de se divertir e de testar suas habilidades como boleiro dos teclados!

Cette édition 2004 apporte quelques nouveautés comparé au précédent volet. C'est plus joli, la base de données des joueurs et des équipes a été actualisée. Malgré le peu d'utilité du mode "Off the Ball", il y a quand même quelques améliorations de maniabilité. Mais il y a surtout un nouveau mode carrière très intéressant. En revanche, l'interface des menus laisse un peu à désirer, et on ne peut pas reconfigurer les touches. Cependant, FIFA Football 2004 reste un bon cru que les fans de jeux de foot apprécieront.

Overall, a strong effort from an established name. A few major problems in the gameplay keep Fifa 2004 from being a truly great sporting title, but the bells and whistles of this game are not to be dismissed. Although there's no real competition for EA's Fifa in North America, this is still a must have for any soccer fan.

A game can look terrible and still play great, but graphics are sometimes related to the gameplay. FIFA may look like it's powered by a basic engine, but there's a lot going on in the game that makes it seem like so much more. Several players can be seen on the screen simultaneously. They're most likely made up of sprites, but they look like the polygon character models from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. It's always clear which player is which, who has the ball, and who you're controlling (if you don't have the ball). Arrows effectively point you in the right direction whenever the game becomes a little unclear.

It's amazing that in this day and age that brand-new PSone games are still being made. We're on the brink of a new generation. Before we know it PlayStation 3 news will be all over the net (major PS3 announcements are about 12 months off, but that time will fly faster than you think). The original PlayStation is eight years old – that's nearly the equivalent of two game console generations! But the biggest third-party developer in the world, Electronic Arts (who would not develop for Sega's final console, the Dreamcast), still releases their top sports games for it.

Year after year we hear the familiar cry from friends and colleagues that Konami's Pro Evolution is king, yet Johnny Punter still shells out for FIFA regardless. After a few consecutive years of Konami breathing down EA's neck, last year EA simply turned up the heat, made the best FIFA ever and tripled its marketing spend. Result? Over double the sales and a game that to this day still sits proudly in the top 10.

In the last few years FIFA has come a long way and it shows. The latest installment is graphically superb, has a decent lifespan and plays like any football game should. With the less than satisfactory manual and confusing interface, there's still work to be done, but I commend EA for the work they've done. FIFA 2003's game engine has been taken and tweaked, producing one of the finest football games around. For Xbox owners who are fans of the sport, this is the best game money can buy.

Taking every facet of the package into account, FIFA completely kicks PES' arse all over the park, and it's obvious that EA has worked impressively hard on all aspects to drag the game up to the kind of high standards that it needs to be to tempt away the growing band of PES-philes. But however much positive energy we lavish on FIFA all the areas that EA beats Konami on - bar online - are simply gloss. In a straight tussle between the games, we just don't enjoy playing FIFA as much as we do PES3, and, for most of you, that's what matters.

Mijlenver van de snelle arcade game van weleer, maar van een realistische sim kunnen we door de stroeve bediening nog niet echt spreken.

The biggest compliment I can give FIFA 2004 is that it’s worked my thumb back into gamepad toughness. Several friendly games, two separate career seasons, and a handful of laggy online games into this latest version of the perennial soccer sim, and I’m getting more and more excited as I go.

All in all, FIFA 2004 seems to take several steps forward, while at the same time it takes a few steps back. It definitely does not push the gameplay to the high level that so many FIFA fans have waited for it to reach. Still, it is in many ways the best soccer game to be found on the PC. If you're a soccer buff who's never played the game on your PC, it will surely be a positive experience. If you're a returning veteran, you may want to weigh the game's new perks against some of its downfalls before you set down your hard-earned cash.

FIFA 2004 continues along the improvement path and delivers EA's best effort yet, if still not the best soccer game out there.

After FIFA 2003, it would be hard to imagine yet another major improvement for 2004. But Winning Eleven 6 from Konami came out and suddenly everyone forgot about FIFA. With tighter control and better AI, FIFA returns this year and makes itself truly competitive with the Konami effort.

Ett annat problem är grafiken. Animationerna är visserligen verklighetstrogna, men den långsamma skärmuppdateringen gör spelet ryckigt. Dessutom är laddningstiderna fortfarande alldeles för långa, i synnerhet när det blir dags att spara en pågående spelomgång. Onlinefunktionen, det nya karriärläget och noggrant uppdaterade laguppställningar är vettiga kompensationer, men som helhet betraktat är FIFA 2004 ändå en liten besvikelse. Vi talar ju trots allt om uppföljaren till världens bästa fotbollsspel.

Tout en continuant à essayer de trouver un équilibre entre jeu d'arcade et simulation, cette nouvelle mouture de FIFA apporte un nombre conséquent d'améliorations qui parviennent à enrichir le gameplay. Reste qu'on est davantage confronté à une démo technologique qu'à une véritable simulation de foot.

Despite all its faults, FIFA 2004 is still worth buying. If you like to see real teams, leagues, and players, I'd recommend this game. As long as you don't mind the faults listed above. On the other hand, if sheer playability is the overriding factor for you, then maybe Konami's offering might be your best choice.

I honestly can't recommend FIFA Football 2004 to those of you who aren't thinking of using it online. Playing through the management mode is entirely without merit and the latest playmaking addition is a minimal one that does nothing for the overall appeal. That said it has the licences, which Pro Evolution 3 doesn't and it's a far prettier game than Konami's effort. However, FIFA 2004 doesn't capture the excitement of the beautiful game in the way it should and as such is perhaps worth overlooking this time round.

Quasiment pas de nouveautés pour cette édition par rapport à la précédente mais le jeu étant toujours aussi beau et jouable, on y passera encore de nombreuses heures. La connexion GBA/GameCube vous apportera deux nouveaux modes de jeu, mais encore faudra-t-il investir dans un FIFA 2004 GameCube, ce qui n'est pas donné à tout le monde. Bref un bon jeu de foot mais il serait temps que EA Sports innove vraiment. Dans le cas contraire, les joueurs finiront par se lasser.

Le tournant pris par EA Sports lors de la sortie de FIFA 2002 peut ne pas plaire. L’édition 2001 du jeu de foot le plus joué au monde sur nos beaux PC avait atteint des sommets dans la jouabilité si bien que tout utilisateur pouvait, dès son premier match, réaliser les actions les plus spectaculaires. En gros, l’équipe de Foufgnies-les-Bains-de-Pied devenait du jour au lendemain le Real Madrid. Le niveau de difficulté le plus élevé parvenait à peine à proposer un défi aux plus doués. Les plaintes ont fusé et les concepteurs de la série ont décidé d’orienter leurs nouvelles sorties vers une nouvelle façon de jouer.

There's nothing particularly special about FIFA Soccer 2004, but as it stands, it's still one of the more playable sports games currently available for the N-Gage. Obviously, if you're looking for the same level of gameplay and team management depth featured in the console versions of FIFA, you're definitely not going to find it here. But if you're searching for a fairly rudimentary game of soccer that's pretty fun to play, then FIFA 2004 is worth a look.

The FIFA series has undergone another evolution, rather than revolution. Die hard fans will lap it up, despite knowing the heart of the game remains the same. But for the rest of us Pro Evolution Soccer 3 is here, and this long reigning monarch faces the chop.

I'd consider myself a more casual soccer fan, and I enjoyed FIFA 2004. It's about as good as I hoped for an N-Gage sports game, and is faithful to the console versions. However, there's nothing that will bowl you over. It's just good soccer.

Overall we'd have to say that those of you that have yet to pick up a soccer game for your Gamecube should grab FIFA 2004 simply for the superb Career Mode. It's great fun. However those with FIFA 2003 already might want to pick this up for a rental first before forking out the dollars.

In many ways, FIFA follows the template set by other EA Sports mainstays -- primarily Madden. This means a few new control mechanics and a career mode that's so deep you may have to occasionally come up for air. Sports titles no longer get by on the updated roster schlock the genre's naysayers use to bash digital jocks, and fans of FIFA's past will have no qualms about getting into this year's game.

The U.S. release of Konami's Winning Eleven 6 shocked EA like a corner kick to the ear. The makers of FIFA knew of the series, which is iconic in Japan to say the least; however, this year was the first time it challenged EA Sports' domination of the real football. Not one to shy away from a fight, EA has pulled up its knee socks and delivered the best FIFA title to date.

FIFA has been rock solid since most of you were knee-high to a kneepad. With no competition on the Xbox, its reign has been absolute. This is not a generous dictator, however. FIFA keeps improving on its base mechanics and inching toward the sublime every year, but it still has some ways to go before reaching perfection.

D'année en année, Electronic Arts fournit de moins en moins d'efforts pour porter ses titres sur Playstation. Cette fois-ci c'est la débandade. Réalisation sommaire et gameplay sans challenge, on touche un peu le fond. On pourra réserver le titre aux plus jeunes joueurs qui pourront profiter de sa facilité pour s'entraîner. Pour les autres, restez-en à la version 2003.

Surfant sur la vague du championnat de France en pleine effervescence, ce dernier opus de la série lucrative d'Electronic Arts, parviendra sûrement à dénicher grand nombre d'acheteurs. Cependant, s'ils espèrent découvrir un titre novateur et ludiquement passionnant, leurs espoirs seront rapidement réduits. Il faut même relativiser le verdict en mentionnant le fait qu'une grande partie des lacunes incriminent le support en lui-même et non le soft. En espérant que le prochain coup de pied d'EA Sports atteigne la lucarne, et non le caméraman posté au poteau de corner.

Det handlar inte om fördomar, utan om fakta. Om att EA Sports föredrar licensierad musik framför en spelmotor som åtminstone påminner om den sport som spelet trots allt baseras på. Om att FIFA 2004 är så omodernt att spelet lika gärna skulle kunna vara hämtat från det tidiga nittiotalet. Givetvis är det sorgligt. Och helt poänglöst.