PlayStation 2

FIFA Street

So, is FIFA Street a worthy addition to the neverending FIFA saga? I'd say yes. The refreshing EA Big approach finally gave me the feeling that I was playing a "new" game. The smooth gameplay we've experienced in Pro Evo Soccer and earlier FIFA's (98-2002) is present and that's a great thing. I'd even say this is the first football game since PES 4 that's actually worth you hard-earned cash.

Pour un entrée dans le genre, EA Sports Big réalise une belle cascade. En effet, FIFA Street se révèle dynamique, prenant, et véhiculant vraiment une bonne dose de "fun". Souffrant d'un certain manque d'innovations et de petits détails trahissant parfois un manque de finition, ce titre possède néanmoins un potentiel ludique assez imposant, qu'il serait dommage d'ignorer. En ces beaux jours qui reviennent, voici un choix chaleureux qui s'impose. En tout, cas, je retourne ridiculiser Roberto Carlos.

If you're a person that gets bored easily on the weekends, like me, then FIFA Street is the perfect source of entertainment. I found myself playing until 3 a.m. Sunday morning (whoops, sorry God!), about four to five hours straight. It's the perfect weekend rental, but for the lack of a cohesive multi-player experience, it's hard to warrant a purchase for anyone that's not a junky of soccer video games. Online multi-player wasn't included, but that will be fixed with the inevitable sequel. Still, whether soccer is your thing or not, FIFA Street is worth your time.

Well, it was bound to happen sometime. Every developer who makes an extreme sports game of some kind takes the dive into whatever other sport they can. We've seen extreme Football, Baseball, Basketball and more. And of course who stands at the top of the hill but EA Sports. EA's "Street" series has been one of the most popular to date, even overtaking such rivals as Midway and Sony. We've seen three versions of NBA Street, and two incarnations of NFL Street. And so it made sense that EA would want to branch out and start bringing in some of their other sports. Next on the list, FIFA Soccer! And so Fifa Street was born. Three on three soccer action with no rules, ball hoppin' tricks, and legendary Gamebreakers.

It's the largest sport in the world, and Americans are just beginning to understand its many facets. One such unique aspect of soccer is its appeal on the streets, and while EA gets kudos for exposing us to this urban pastime, FIFA Street doesn't quite make the flashy goal it intended to make.

Hot on the heels of NBA Street V3, which was released earlier this month, comes FIFA Street--EA Sports Big's first attempt at applying its successful "Street" formula to the most popular sport in the world. Like its NBA and NFL counterparts, FIFA Street offers a highly stylized, over-the-top version of the sport on which it's based and sees soccer's most famous players competing in locations far less glamorous than the stadiums that they're accustomed to. The game they're playing, on the other hand, is straight out of a Nike commercial, and it places as much emphasis on humiliating your opponents with flashy moves as it does on scoring goals. The result? FIFA Street is a soccer game that boasts far more style than substance and has more in common with the FIFA games of old than it does with FIFA Soccer 2005.

FIFA Street is definitely an interesting starting point for EA Big, but until I see a few refinements into the system, it will not be nearly as big and popular as the NBA Street series. Even with wide assortment of teams, the game probably would have worked better with club teams, but the selection is not bad. The game is a hit or miss, since some can enjoy this arcade system while others like me will be attached to the realistic sims and can't really enjoy this as much as we do other soccer games. Give it a spin, and even if you don't like it, you can experience a soundtrack not usually heard in EA titles.

There's a solid base for a franchise in FIFA Street, but it's buried under several layers of crap, so you're not likely to have much fun with it. There's no question that this title was rushed out the door, and it's appalling that anyone would be expected to pay $50 for a clearly unfinished game. There's no point in buying this game; just wait for the sequel that will surely feature online play, more game modes, and better controls.

Mesmo com todas as críticas, "FIFA Street" é um jogo bastante competente. Com seus elementos analisados separadamente, é um título bastante problemático para uma série da importância que tem. Mas o estilo é promissor e merece um carinho maior de seu fabricante em termos de acabamento e conteúdo, não só uma estrutura de marketing gigantesca por trás de seu lançamento.

Fifa Street is the result of an attempt to blend together the world's most popular sport with flashy, hip-hop presentation. In this respect, Fifa Street accomplishes everything it sets out to do but falls short in every other department that makes a game fun and replayable.

Make no mistake, this is the one I’ve been waiting years for. Ever since EA Big wowed my ass off with its SSX series I’ve always entertained the prospect of it creating a football game. And why not? Basketball, Snowboarding, Wrestling, American Football… hell, even jet skiing. EA Big has sampled many wide delights but never something as obvious as football.

There is no doubt in my mind that EA has worked hard to create new innovations in sports games in the last four years, whether it's creating exciting new feature sets or perfecting the use of the analog stick in football or boxing. Just a few short years ago, EA's fierce competitive and ambitious nature resulted in the gleaning of NBA Showtime, the natural grandchild of NBA Jam, and took on the mantle of arcade hoops king as a result. FIFA Street, however, is not NBA Street. I knew NBA Street, he was a great game and my personal friend, and you, FIFA Street, you're no NBA Street.

Imagine if you will that you find yourself in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil de Janeiro. You step out into the dusty streets of a sun-baked tenement, or favela, with three of your closest friends wearing matching jerseys and shorts. From where you are you can smell the beaches of Rio and in the far distance you can make out the hill with the statue of Christ looking out towards the east. Suddenly, four familiar athletes step into view, all of them wearing their own colors. Somebody tosses a soccer ball and the streets come to life with soccer. Welcome to FIFA Street, EA Sports Big answer to freestyle soccer.

EA really are in an enviable position in the industry. They've got the licences, they've got the franchises, they've got the game engines and they've got a fair few talented people working in their offices. Quite where any of those people were when FIFA Street was being bungled out the door is anyone's guess because given the Street template, the FIFA engine and talent that obviously resides at the company (look no further than the NBA Street franchise for evidence) this game is an unpolished and unfortunate release.