Referees also tend to play advantage fairly intelligently and there weren't too many occasions when we felt too hard done by. Occasionally, a glaring lapse in the AI does pop up and spoil the illusion. We're talking ludicrously ineffective free kicks, punts into touch for no discernable reason and the odd strike on goal thwacked so high you'd think you were playing Rugby 06.

Some classy commentary from reliable punditmeisters Tyldesley and Townsend is also worth a mention, though it's still not as context-sensitive as you'd imagine for a next-gen product. Still, between them these two certainly conjure up an atmosphere that's almost as balmy as that famous night in Barcelona.

Gameplay feels smoother than it has in years. Surprisingly, the 360 version (while redeeming itself through liberal amounts of eye candy) isn't quite as slick to play as current-gen versions, given that EA appears to be using the same core engine to power all four.

Above: Any kids out there wanting to be keepers, protect your near post better than this

Players (who admittedly look phenomenal up close) look oddly jerky and unrealistic from afar next to their current-gen equivalents, and seem to pass with all the finesse of Momo Sissoko. In the end, we actually found using the through ball to play the majority of our more elaborate passes was a much more successful method.

For all its qualities, World Cup 2006 isn't faultless. It's still frustratingly hard to keep shots down. The lack of finesse when it comes to truly spectacular goals also grates. Although we bagged a few spectacular volleys, we're pretty sure it's technically impossible to score from 35 yards, never mind the halfway line.

Tricks are also still a weak point, and don't seem particularly well implemented into the gameplay. Ho hum. Rant over, then, because we certainly don't want to end what has turned out to be a surprisingly glowing review on a negative.