GameCube

FIFA Soccer 06

Simply put, if you’re a fan of football (or soccer), you really can’t miss with this title. The gameplay is extremely solid, the managerial mode is surprisingly deep and the additional features make FIFA 06 a great sports addition for fans of the sport.

EA's other football franchise remains popular but isn't always the choice of the most serious soccer fans. For the 06 version, the developers at EA Canada have jammed every detail of every team and player into the game, making it the most thorough, most accurate representation of FIFA football we've seen yet. Knowing Thierry Henry's birthday, however is only so much fun. The challenge set before FIFA 06 this year and every other year is how well it can appeal to soccer fans who crave the gameplay depth and control found in Konami's Winning Eleven series.

Cette année promettait un choc de titan entre FIFA et PES, ce ne sera pas le cas puisque le premier nommé étant une franche déception. Si Konami se moque des licences, EA Sports se moque du gameplay en nous proposant encore et toujours la même façon répétitive de jouer. Au final, nous avons un bon jeu de foot mais qui est loin de tutoyer les sommets. La révolution n'aura donc pas lieu même si de petits efforts ont été faits mais l'évolution entre ce volet et son aîné est bien trop faible pour prétendre à une meilleure note.

This is one of the few years in FIFA's seemingly constant restructuring where one of its gameplay elements actually got stronger instead of being ignored or inexplicably dropped.

And it's this, combined with smart marketing and a plethora of licenses that will no doubt win over mainstream fans in FIFA's 15th year. But for skilled gamers looking for a more realistic and deep challenge it doesn't come within cooee of Pro Evolution Soccer's godliness. A decisive run up the midfield for sure, but robbed of the ball just before the penalty box.

If you hear the word football and you automatically think World Cup instead of Super Bowl, then this is definitely the right game for you. Anyone thinking of experimenting with the world’s most popular sport may want to try before you purchase FIFA ‘06. This is not the right game for everyone, but it is the right game for many of you. Fans of previous versions will be right at home. In the meantime there’s always EA’s other soccer title FIFA Street for some faster paced arcade style action.

In the end, hardcore soccer fans who wanted even more realism from this series will enjoy playing around with the new controls but if you’re a player who thought FIFA 2005 wasn’t a great game might as well rent this game or stay away from it cause you won’t be missing much.