We’re mindful of overstating this - regular readers might be aware of previous false dawns for FIFA on PS2 - but maybe, just maybe, this is the year FIFA emerges as a legitimate alternative to Pro Evo, not only for casual fans, but hardcore gamers, too. Truth is, the process has already started. We’re at EA’s offices in Vancouver, Canada, ready for our FIFA 09 hands-on. Before play, however, we’re given a presentation
FIFA 09 is a fantastic game, but you’ve probably won every cup there is to win and moved on to something else by now . Well, get ready to come crawling back, as EA is set to release downloadable content for the game in the form of virtual trading cards.
For basketball, there's NBA Jam. For football, there's NFL Blitz. And for soccer, there was Fifa Street, EA's over-the-top arcade-inspired soccer game. But after a few successful iterations, EA Sports has gone back to the drawing board with the Fifa Street series, and revealed a newer, more realistic Fifa Street that more accurately represents actual street soccer - a brand of soccer that has been rising in popularity over the last few years. We took the game for a spin, and came out missing the insane action of the past Street games, but appreciative of the new additions...
Last summer, we played Fight Night: Round 4 for all of a week. And then… well, we never played it again. Partly because fighters felt a little too weedy, partly because the game’s Total Punch Control felt a bit unwieldy. That’s why we were so pleased to see the radical changes being made to Fight Night Champion at a recent EA event. With a simpler, more intuitive punching system and the most wince-inducing, meaty punches we’ve ever seen with our eye holes, EA’s latest boxer really could be a champ.
We won’t lie. We’re really conflicted when it comes to Fight Night Champion. On one blood-stained glove, it’s arguably the most surprising and thrilling game in the series. And on the other… well, lets just say the boxing is currently more ‘Hulk smash!’ than sweet science. Based on our hands-on with the game at a recent EA event, it’s definitely got all the hallmarks of a champ… just with a bit of chump snuck in there, too.
Fight Night Round 3 was a great game, but its Rock’em Sock’em Robot-style of gameplay wasn’t exactly a realistic representation of boxing. Because the game's original developer, EA Chicago, no longer exists, the franchise has been placed in the hands of EA Canada.
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