FIFA Street (GameCube) Review

There have been three iterations of the NBA Street series, with each version improving upon the next. Then up came the NFL Street editions, two of them so far, again both of excellent quality. So the question was where was EA's BIG label meant to go from there? Well, if you sit back and seriously ask yourself what sport is played in the streets the most around the world it would be football, or 'soccer' to our US friends. So the logical step was that FIFA Street grew from mere concept to in your face reality.

With the latest outing for the regular FIFA series, FIFA Soccer 2005, being technically impressive except for the hideous character models, expectations for FIFA Street were not too high at all. Thankfully it would seem that the different in-house studio at Electronic Arts has made the world of difference as this Street version literally oozes with charisma. From the worldwide outdoor locations and the apparel adorned by the select choice of famous footballers, right through to the design of each player to look just like their living counterparts. A real lick of paint has been given to this offshoot and it the pay-off is fantastic. Fluid movements, slick replays and a general gloss that has been missing from previous FIFAs. At last you can rid your mind of the horrible jerking freaks from the past...

Now when it comes to the sound side, matters become a little trickier as the EA Trax associated with FIFA in general are on the whole quite astounding thanks to the vast range of different songs brought together. Street, however, cuts down this number and goes for a more urban feel that still suits the game due to its change of pace, skill and setting. Hard to fault in some respects, but not that easy to praise either as there is less to choose from. The same goes for the commentary...You will certainly not find any John Motson, Gary Linekar et al here. Instead you get a reggae-style voice-over throughout the whole of the match, chucking little 'hip' phrases at you on a too-regular basis. He can really grow tiresome, but thankfully the excellent sound effects of the football being thwacked around the outdoor pitches and zooming toward goal drown him out. Phew!

The main problem lies with the gameplay. Now, the NFL Street and NBA Street games have been superb, but they have also had time to mature, with NFL on its second edition and NBA turning out for its third appearance. Therefore, the negative feedback has been received and improvements made to ensure that the sequels are far more pleasing. Unfortunately, FIFA Street is the debut effort, and really lets the side down. Hopefully future sequels will get better as lessons are learned.