GameCube

FIFA Street 2

Soccer is a worldwide phenomenon. Here in the States, it may not be as sprawling as, say, football or baseball, but the fans who appreciate the sport are rabid, and if you go overseas, you'll find some hardcore soccer viewers who take their sport extremely seriously. I suppose that's why EA wanted to capitalize on the opportunity and make two types of FIFA-licensed games to satisfy them. Of course, you have their original sim-like FIFA Soccer games, and then you have FIFA Street, a game that was released a while back and tried to add a streetwise, arcade-ish flavor to the product. Granted, it didn't fit entirely with everyone, but those who stuck it out were rewarded with a game that definitely had its moments of footy joy. (Is that even a word, footy joy?)

EA Big a mis tout son savoir-faire dans ce FIFA Street 2 qui vient confirmer les bonnes dispositions du premier volet. Ajoutant judicieusement le gamebreaker, les développeurs ont su accentuer le côté spectaculaire de l'Urban Freestyle Soccer sans que le réalisme n'en souffre trop. Le jeu n'est cependant pas parfait et mériterait quelques améliorations mais il est clair qu'à ce rythme, EA semble bien parti pour faire de cette franchise une série à succès. On attend la suite impatiemment.

FIFA Street 2 is like Napoleon Dynamite's Liger, you know, a lion and a tiger mixed, bred for its skills of magic. It's soccer and trickery and it's actually executed quite well. It's obviously far less cartoony than Nintendo's Super Mario Strikers and I'm guessing that game is the reason why Mario and Luigi don't appear in the Cube version of Street 2. It's not the deepest game of soccer you're going to play, but if you'll remember I already painstakingly explained for your benefit why this game exists, at the beginning of this review. It's a fun, fast paced arcade-style soccer title which you'll have fun playing alone or together for an unspecified period of time. It's not perfect, but it's chockfilled with entertaining gameplay modes. If FIFA 06 is fine cuisine, FIFA Street 2 is a corndog and a coke and sometimes, there ain't nothing better than that.

Though the game functions best as a casual two-player shootout, single players will mostly occupy their time in "rule the street" mode, which puts you through various matches and skill challenges at playground pitches around the world. Of the four-on-four confrontations, "Kick Abouts" are the only option that approach conventional soccer, but tricks allow you fill up the Gamebreaker bar and unleash devastating strikes. Other games are about controlling the ball and wanking away on the right analog stick during every possession, whether it involves accumulating "trick points" or a pulling off a devastating between-the-legs move called a "panna." Sadly, in this case, scoring is just wasting a possession.

When FIFA Street was released in February of 2005, the game boasted far more style than it did substance, offering a gameplay experience that was as flawed as it was flashy. Nevertheless, when we reviewed FIFA Street we alluded to the fact that we'd very much like to see its problems addressed in a sequel at some point. Now, one year later, EA Sports Big has done just that. FIFA Street 2 is far from perfect, but it improves upon its predecessor quite significantly and can be enjoyed solo or with up to three friends.

Obwohl an den Schwachpunkten des Vorgängers gearbeitet wurde, lässt auch der zweite Teil noch Verbesserungswünsche in Hinsicht auf KI, Kameraführung und Spielbarkeit offen. Fans haben den zweiten Teil sowieso schon vorbestellt, Fußballfreunde und gesellige Spielernaturen sollten einen Blick riskieren.

What this franchise did to deserve a sequel I really don’t know. I’m sure some marketing fellow has an equation filled with sales numbers that made a second outing seem reasonable, but for my part, I’m at a loss. While mild improvements have been made to the camera, trick move system, and customization tools, the actual gameplay of FIFA Street 2 feels even more ramshackle than the first time around. Somehow, my players can bust out insane bicycle kicks and juggling miracles one moment and then suddenly trip on their feet the next. If my high school coach saw so much bunching on the field he’d probably have an aneurysm. I love soccer, but this is insulting.

Over the past few nights I've found it difficult to face the oncoming doom. See, I've been assigned to review FIFA Street 2. Scratch that, I asked to review it. After the monstrosity that was the original FIFA Street, I felt it my obligation to see if EA had redeemed itself with the sequel. If redemption is equal to the amount of tricks one can pull off in a given soccer game and not having the worst announcer in the history of videogames, then EA at least isn't going to hell.

European Football purists aren't likely to enjoy FIFA Street 2 any more than they did the first game in the series. Like its predecessor, this is an arcade-style game in tune with EA's other alternative sports titles, such as NBA Street. As such, it's more about flashy tricks than the actual game of soccer, although it's entertaining enough for what it is. The artificial intelligence is improved and ball physics are much more realistic than in the first game, but while FIFA Street 2 makes a good first impression, it gets bogged down by unresponsive player controls and repetitive action.

Unfortunately, the delivery is the only real upgrade here. Games like FIFA Street 2 make it no wonder why derivative franchise factories are problematic. Shiny lights and fancy facades cannot hold a candle to a robust, well-developed engine that delivers complex, engaging gameplay, which is exactly what the game lacks. Even after a sequel, this Street still falls flat on its asphalt.