Xbox

FIFA Street

Fifa Street is a great game and EA managed to bring new life into their FIFA series. The controls finally work as they should and the gameplay never bores thanks to the fantastic tricks. The graphics could use some tuning just like the annoying commentary but nonetheless we have to say that this game is a must for any soccer lover who hates referees.

FIFA Street does what a lot of 'extreme' football games have been promising to do for ages. Sega Soccer Slam and Red Card did a pretty decent job a few years back, but the neat structure, slick playability and the benefit of having access to all the world's star players makes for a surprisingly compelling take on the sport. If you can take the world's most annoying commentator and want a footy game that lets you leave you opponent wiping football pie off his disbelieving face, then it's a worthy purchase.

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.

Nach nun mehr drei Ausflügen auf die Hinterhöfe der Streetball-Szene und zwei bodycheckgespickten NFL Hinterhofkeilereien war es nur eine Frage der Zeit bis EA auch die Fußballfraktion mit einem „Street-Ableger“ beglückt. Nun ist es soweit und EA schickt mit „Fifa Street“ seine Fußballhühnen auf eher unkonventionelle Plätze um sich die Bälle um die Ohren zu bolzen. Fußballfreunde hatten große Ansprüche an das Spiel, denn wer wollte nicht schon immer mal zaubern wie Ronaldinho und Co!? Ob das Spiel qualitativ mit seinen großen Brüdern mithalten kann erfahrt ihr hier…

Well, in the end, I have to say I am vastly dissapointed in a couple of ways. The game itself is good, but not as good as I hoped it would be. As a Soccer fan, I had high expectations of what FIFA Screen could be, and it was just not as good as I hoped. And not having online gameplay is a big big big issue for me. This is good for a weekend rental, but really nothing more.

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.

As the first entry in what will almost certainly become a series, FIFA Street is disappointing, but it is definitely a better game than the sum of its parts. It's not a difficult game to pick fault with, as you've probably gathered, but it can also be fun for a short while when played with the right people. Should you go out and buy a copy? No. Should you keep an optimistic eye out for a FIFA Street 2 announcement in the future? Definitely.

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.

In the now classic Sylvester Stallone movie, Victory, real-life soccer legend Pele said that real soccer is played not in a stadium but on the streets. On the streets there are no clashes of big egos or endorsement deals - there’s just participants playing for the pure love of the game itself. Forget the rules and the referee blowing the whistle every minute, this is soccer at its rawest form ... or at least this is the feel EASports Big is going for with FIFA Street. Does is succeed in bringing us stylish street soccer, though? Let’s find out, shall we?

This game isn't as bad as other “Street” titles have been this round, but that's basically only because this is their first go at it, and because they left it Canadian, I guess. You already can see the signs of general EA-style lack of care starting to develop with it, though. I think with a bit wider field, and 5-on-5 soccer, with an assigned defender would make this a more overall playable experience. That way, you could have the AI still suck, but at least have a shot at stopping breakaways. As it is now, the fun of abusing your defender in whatever way you see fit loses its appeal shortly, and all you're left with is the perverse joy that comes from scoring 20 goals on an opponent. Defend your wallet against this weak shot from EA. Save your cash and rent, if anything.

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 fiercely competitive and ambitious nature resulted in the gleaning of NBA Street, the natural grandchild of NBA Jam, and took the mantle of arcade-style 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.

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.

While some people might not realize it, soccer is still the most popular sport in the world (although basketball has been steadily gaining ground over the last decade), due largely to the fact that you don't need much in the way of equipment if you want to play. Basically, all you need is a ball, two feet (although even that requirement is open for discussion), and some way to denote a goal line. Though there's a tendency to think of the game always being played on well-kept grass fields, the reality is that, more often than not, kids play wherever there's open space, be it a dirt court or an asphalt-covered parking lot. Like basketball, it's a sport of the people. It's no surprise, then, that EA decided to apply its successful Street formula to futbol, resulting in FIFA Street. Unlike the titles in the excellent NBA Street series, however, this game feels like it was rushed out to capitalized on the Street name.