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The International Superstar Soccer
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When ISS meets Winning Eleven -
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The International Superstar Soccer
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When ISS meets Winning Eleven -
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A Fifa game reviewed at an ISS/PES/Winning Eleven site? Well, any long-term reader would be aware of the deteriorating interest in subsequent PES games over the years. I have personally bought EA's Fifa World Cup games in the past simply as they commemorate the World Cup. Now, after the staleness of the PES series, this edition was greeted with good enthusiasm from the day I was pleasantly surprised when playing the Xbox360 version of Fifa 2006 in a games store early in the year. First, the controls were virtually identical to WE/PES, and secondly, most important of all, the game played well and was highly addictive in the fun factor.
Onto the World Cup game, and that flavour remains. In the four years since the last World Cup game, EA have changed virtually the entire game so much so that World Cup 2002 is barely recognisable as even being part of the series. Or maybe that's WC06 being recognisable to his forbearers? Gone are the sluggish and slow traditional EA controls for almost a duplication in gameplay and virtually identical controller set of the PES series. Not only have they duplicated the controls and general gameplay, but also forsaken peculiar, traditional "FIFAisms" and adopted classic PES elements. The ridiculous repeat-hit-button run command of the Fifa games is replaced with the simple process of holding it down. The players run at the speed they are designed, not at the thumb speed of human input. Gone is the crazy big bendy arrows for set pieces for the PES trait of no guides. It may make things more difficult, but it's far more realistic. Incorporated into the game is the "Press2" move (by holding the L button) and the manual goalie rush move by holding down Y button (or triangle button on a PS2 controller). Probably the only aspect that has remained "FIFA" is the cursor switch, which is still the main Pass button, and not the left shoulder button of the WE/PES series. It takes a little adjusting, but proves satisfactory.
More crucially than just ripping off another game, this game actually has improvements. Or should I say, "ISSisms". The traditional bug-bear of the weak supporting offensive artificial intelligence (AI) in PES is conspicuously absent with a far improved system that is almost light years ahead of what PES could ever dream of doing. Trust me, they've had almost 10 years to get it right, not to mention their sister development house of the ISS series as guidance, yet still the same haphazard AI raises its ugly head. It is probably the one big aspect of that series' evolution that severely holds it back from true greatness, and is the one big area of this game that ISS has really crashed. Occasionally the WC06 AI does wobble, and it is not quite in the same league as the AI in the N64 ISS series, but its lapses are no where near as severe or as predominant than in the PES series.
World Cup 2006 just doesn't have better AI, the general gameplay is more fluid and intuitive. The passing is more snappier, and long balls, especially, are a dream to play, with swiftness and ease of picking out targets - something not really seen in PES since PES2. Through-balls go where you aim with players always eager to chase them and make runs. Crosses are superb and far more simpler to execute - especially the low grounder cross.
Overall, some of the movements that can be produced in this game is quite breathtaking. Just in preparation of this review, I won the ball in defence and quickly made a long through ball down the wing. Then as approached by a defender, cut back just before the penalty box and whipped a curling cross to the other side of the field for the supporting winger to play a lovely one-touch cross into the box. It was headed clear, but this sort of mesmerising action provides a sensation not really felt since the 3D ISS games launched on the N64.
If there's one element that is not quite the measure of the rest, it is the shooting, with often too many going wide, especially from headers, or being saved. But that's acceptable given the exciting action this game generates. I'd prefer that than having few shots on goal at all, and it's certainly more user friendly than what PES offers these days with the over-sensitive controls and fumbling control. That game still hasn't grasped the concept of first-time shooting, while WC06 has. It just makes for a far more exciting, and fun, game.
My most favoured feature of this game is the fact you can draw players to almost contacting you and yet still get a pass away. In PES, often these are blocked or rebounded, which creates a nasty pinball effect in midfield. It's something I've really missed since the demise of the ISS series, and just totally adds to the realism, strategy and user friendliness of the game.
I also like the fact eight strategies are available on call during the game - four for offence and four for defence. Assigned to the various points of the d-pad, naturally these can only be selected during the respective phases of the game. A nice way to double the strategies on offer without over-complicating things.
That really is the essence of this game: features, variety and action, without over-complication. This is where the ISS influence has really come in.
Tackling in this game is slightly superior mostly because of that over-zealous fouling currently in PES5 when harassing the ball carrier is not in this game. However, neither is the ability to set referee strictness - something that was an inclusion in the WC02 game and the ISS series.
If there is a genuine negative it is that there are too many shots hitting posts, going wide, and maybe even saves. Not that the goalies are any more herculean than in the current editions of PES, but they are not as proficient one on one or from direct shooting, which sort of encourages attacking more through the middle than wing play much like PES almost exclusive enforces. Still, at least fervent wing play is allowed, and I'll take this sort of action any day of the week than no action at all.
Reality is, that despite the action, goal scoring remains realistic at an average of about 3 per game - with halves of 6 minutes. In PES it would be barely over one per game in 5 minute halves.
The other negative is the murky graphics. They are just not as vibrant or bright as the colours in the PES and WE series - even against WE6 Final Evolution on the Gamecube some years back. It just doesn't make sense. To be picky, I also don't like that the auto cursor change cannot be removed totally, even if on the lowest setting it rarely changes automatically. Why there is not a setting for no change at all is mystifying. There's no facility to save replays at all. This is the game where the great goals scored would make it really welcome. The scoreboard is way too big an intrusion on the screen, while the default camera view is too close and can often lag behind the action (I set it to sideline camera with two-thirds zoom and one-third height for the best viewing). I'll always hate a game clock that counts using scaled football "90 minutes time", and not real time of the actual game. There should at least be a setting for that. Why is the poor old Gamecube constantly accessing the disk during the game? It all should be loaded into memory - surely. This could be the case with the PS2 and Xbox versions, which, by the way, only differ in that the Gamecube misses out on the stadium tour videos of World Cup venues and stadium fly-ins of the other versions. For a true World Cup momento, the Cube one might be the one to avoid. But it does come in at $20 cheaper and four players can hook-up with ease. Final thing to pick out is that some of the in-game fonts are too small.
Lost on the PES series over the years was the fun factor. Something that the ISS series delivered in buckets. It diminished as each new instalment was released. Games produced less and less action, and less and less goals. Those goals that did come were often scrappy and winning could be achieved by persistently probing the defensive AI with direct passes to strikers and through-balls and then waiting for the inevitable opportunities to arrive. Sometimes you just felt you had little control in the game, and scoring goals from traditional sources of passing and crossing became almost extinct from the game. In contrast, the ISS series was all about action, and shots, and crosses - maybe even at the expense of a total "simulation" aspect. But gaming is about fun, and it is those ISS elements that sorely needed to be introduced into the PES series to restore the fun factor of the earlier version. In Fifa World Cup 2006, that is what you have.
The ISS Realm will go on record and say right now that the best football game on the market right now is this game. When the ISS Realm wrote a piece three years ago idealising the perfect ISS game, this is the game closest to that vision. Forget the next PES (unless there's a radical change) or even the next-generation systems. This is the game to try now. At the very least you'll get something different. Now that EA have finally come to their senses, you're also getting something that is highly playable.
Note: Fifa 2007 is due in PAL territories on most game systems 29 September 2006. There will be no release for the Gamecube nor the original Xbox. This World Cup 2006 edition is your final option for those systems.
Note 14/05/2010: Good thing I return to these reviews for reference. FIFA07 did arrive, at least on the Gamecube. It was a purchase.
March 2006
2006 FIFA World Cup perfectly captures the emotion and passion of the world's fiercest national rivalries by giving users the opportunity to play with their heroes and the chance to win the FIFA World Cup. Play as your home nation and control your favourite players as you battle from qualification right through to a virtual re-creation of the final tournament in Germany.
EA Sports has brought to life close to 100 superstars by emulating the real-life abilities of the world's most recognizable players. Signature moves, playing styles and flair moves have all been authentically captured in this game. Gameplay advancements in passing and shooting, including improved penalty kicks, make this the most realistic and playable soccer game yet.
2006 FIFA World Cup introduces a new game mode called Global Challenge that will test even the most hardcore gamer. Global Challenge re-creates 40 classic moments in FIFA World Cup history for fans to tackle. Compare your results with history and measure yourself against the world's best.
Take control of one of 127 national teams and play against friends in up to eight-way multiplayer matches. Track your results in The Lounge to create your own rankings and earn rewards.
As the only officially licensed videogame of 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany, EA Sports has included a plethora of in-game unlockable content such as legendary players and exclusive apparel that will make this game a coveted collectable for soccer fans. Play with some of the game's greatest legends and outfit your squad in exclusive team apparel.
Key features
PLAY WITH YOUR HEROES: The world's superstars look and play like their real life counterparts. Player attributes like ball skills and playing style have been uniquely re-created for each player to mirror real life.
WIN THE 2006 FIFA WORLD CUP: Compete as one of 127 teams from qualification right through to a virtual reproduction of the FIFA World Cup Final in Germany. Play in any of the 12 official stadiums that come to life with the pageantry and festivity of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
GLOBAL CHALLENGE: Introducing a new mode called Global Challenge that recreates 125 classic moments in FIFA World Cup history. Earn rewards to unlock legendary players and classic apparel.
