Overview

This was the first game in the now massive, hulking behemoth FIFA series and while it didn’t bring much new to the table (compared to other soccer games that had been previously released in Japan and Europe) it helped introduce soccer gaming as a yearly staple to the mainstream North American audience.

Graphics

I think it was a bad idea to re-play this game just after playing International Superstar Soccer Deluxe because, by comparison, FIFA: International Soccer looks kinda crappy. However, ISS:DE was indeed released a year later, and as I understand it, FIFA for the SNES was a port of the PC version which does hold up nicely with respect to the resolution and colorfulness of the graphics.

FIFA: International Soccer features a ¾ isometric view, however, the camera is more zoomed out compared to ISS:Deluxe. As a result the player models are fairly small and don’t feature a great deal of detail – you can see differences in player skin colour but not in build. The player models are also too small to notice things like hairstyles or boot colour.

Though the player models are small they do feature a decent number of different animations such as shooting, passing, heading, bicycle kicks and diving headers. The transitions between the animations aren’t particularly smooth but aren’t jarring either.

FIFA features only one stadium, however, it has nice pitch-side details and an excellent crowd with individually modeled fans! With respect to TV-style presentation there are no instant replays of goals (you have to go into the menu manually if you want to replay a goal) and the goal celebrations consist of the goal-scorer running to the touchline and then seeing a massive overlay of the jumbotron with the worlds ‘GOAL’ flashing in different colors. Speaking of colors, one area that particularly brings down FIFA’s visual presentation down are the bland/dull colors compared to other games released around the same time (i.e. Super Goal and Super Soccer) which featured more vibrant and ‘alive’ visuals.

Audio

Crowd sounds are sparse and menu music is entirely forgettable (how different from the dozens of licensed tracks you find in today’s FIFA games!).

Options

FIFA: International Soccer has a roster of 30 international teams from various regions. The available modes of play are Exhibition, League (featuring 8 teams), Tournament (a World Cup-like competition where you start in the group stage), and Playoffs (where you start off the Tournament mode in the knock-out round).

The game features a barebones choice of five formations (Sweeper, 4-4-2, 4-2-4, 3-5-2 and 4-3-3) but also features strategy and coverage options. With respect to strategy you can select your team’s mindset from Auto, Long-Ball, Attack, All-out-Attack, Defend, and All-out-Defend. The coverage option allows you to select (move up or down) the line your defenders, midfielders and forwards will hold during the match.

The other gameplay options are pretty straightforward as you can select half length, field type, clock (Continuous and or In Play), power-bar, offisdes, fouls, music and sound effects. The biggest option available is that of Game Type where you can select between Arcade and Simulation style gameplay. The difference between the two is that Arcade doesn’t feature player fatigue.

Gameplay

FIFA: International Soccer’s controls are as follows;

A – shoot, speed burst (without the ball)
B – low pass, switch player (without the ball)
X – give & go pass, body check (without the ball)
Y – lobbed pass, sliding tackle (without the ball)
Shoulder Buttons – Curl/Aftertouch, call up view window (if you press both during a
throw-in)

FIFA features a power-bar not just for shooting but for all types of passing. While this does allow for a greater deal of control with your passing, it also makes one-touch or even quick passing, very difficult - if not impossible. That said, FIFA: International Soccer isn’t the type of game in which possession or slick passing leads to success - at its core it’s very much an arcade-style soccer experience.

Though the ball zips around the pitch at a very quick pace the players lumber around the field very slowly by comparison, particularly when they have the ball at their feet (you can only sprint without the ball). Furthermore, the pitch itself is fairly small and you can get from one end of the field to the other in two quick passes. As a result, play consists of winning the ball in your own end, making one or two (at most) direct passes and then taking a shot.

The simplicity and shallowness of the gameplay is evidenced by the fact that 4-2-4 is the most effective formation in the game as you can bypass much of the midfield on a goal-kick, make a pass between the forwards, and then let loose a shot. Although many of the goals are spectacular (every other goal is a 30 yard screamer into the top corner) this simplistic, overly direct, gameplay gets old quickly.

A final point worth noting is that when a keeper grabs the ball, the opposing teams forwards aren’t forced to leave the 18 yard box – as a result you can just stand in front of the keeper as he kicks/throws the ball and pick it off for an easy goal! Of course, only cheap bastards would do this…… :)

Replay Value

Although it was initially nice to take a trip down memory lane, with only three game modes (two of which are more or less the same), 30 teams and shallow gameplay FIFA: International Soccer probably won’t be getting much more of my play time. I played a bunch of exhibition games, won the world cup (er…I mean ‘Tournament’) with Argentina and that was about it for me.

Overall

Much like Super Soccer for the SNES, FIFA: International Soccer is a game that, while remembered fondly, doesn’t stand up particularly well today. That said, this game’s importance in the history of soccer gaming shouldn’t be ignored and for the nostalgic it may be worth taking a short trip down memory lane with Rico Salamar and co.

Lavan Chandran
13/09/2006

Overview

This was the first game in the now massive, hulking behemoth FIFA series and while it didn’t bring much new to the table (compared to other soccer games that had been previously released in Japan and Europe) it helped introduce soccer gaming as a yearly staple to the mainstream North American audience.

Graphics

I think it was a bad idea to re-play this game just after playing International Superstar Soccer Deluxe because, by comparison, FIFA: International Soccer looks kinda crappy. However, ISS:DE was indeed released a year later, and as I understand it, FIFA for the SNES was a port of the PC version which does hold up nicely with respect to the resolution and colorfulness of the graphics.

FIFA: International Soccer features a ¾ isometric view, however, the camera is more zoomed out compared to ISS:Deluxe. As a result the player models are fairly small and don’t feature a great deal of detail – you can see differences in player skin colour but not in build. The player models are also too small to notice things like hairstyles or boot colour.

Though the player models are small they do feature a decent number of different animations such as shooting, passing, heading, bicycle kicks and diving headers. The transitions between the animations aren’t particularly smooth but aren’t jarring either.

FIFA features only one stadium, however, it has nice pitch-side details and an excellent crowd with individually modeled fans! With respect to TV-style presentation there are no instant replays of goals (you have to go into the menu manually if you want to replay a goal) and the goal celebrations consist of the goal-scorer running to the touchline and then seeing a massive overlay of the jumbotron with the worlds ‘GOAL’ flashing in different colors. Speaking of colors, one area that particularly brings down FIFA’s visual presentation down are the bland/dull colors compared to other games released around the same time (i.e. Super Goal and Super Soccer) which featured more vibrant and ‘alive’ visuals.

Audio

Crowd sounds are sparse and menu music is entirely forgettable (how different from the dozens of licensed tracks you find in today’s FIFA games!).

Options

FIFA: International Soccer has a roster of 30 international teams from various regions. The available modes of play are Exhibition, League (featuring 8 teams), Tournament (a World Cup-like competition where you start in the group stage), and Playoffs (where you start off the Tournament mode in the knock-out round).

The game features a barebones choice of five formations (Sweeper, 4-4-2, 4-2-4, 3-5-2 and 4-3-3) but also features strategy and coverage options. With respect to strategy you can select your team’s mindset from Auto, Long-Ball, Attack, All-out-Attack, Defend, and All-out-Defend. The coverage option allows you to select (move up or down) the line your defenders, midfielders and forwards will hold during the match.

The other gameplay options are pretty straightforward as you can select half length, field type, clock (Continuous and or In Play), power-bar, offisdes, fouls, music and sound effects. The biggest option available is that of Game Type where you can select between Arcade and Simulation style gameplay. The difference between the two is that Arcade doesn’t feature player fatigue.

Gameplay

FIFA: International Soccer’s controls are as follows;

A – shoot, speed burst (without the ball)
B – low pass, switch player (without the ball)
X – give & go pass, body check (without the ball)
Y – lobbed pass, sliding tackle (without the ball)
Shoulder Buttons – Curl/Aftertouch, call up view window (if you press both during a
throw-in)

FIFA features a power-bar not just for shooting but for all types of passing. While this does allow for a greater deal of control with your passing, it also makes one-touch or even quick passing, very difficult - if not impossible. That said, FIFA: International Soccer isn’t the type of game in which possession or slick passing leads to success - at its core it’s very much an arcade-style soccer experience.

Though the ball zips around the pitch at a very quick pace the players lumber around the field very slowly by comparison, particularly when they have the ball at their feet (you can only sprint without the ball). Furthermore, the pitch itself is fairly small and you can get from one end of the field to the other in two quick passes. As a result, play consists of winning the ball in your own end, making one or two (at most) direct passes and then taking a shot.

The simplicity and shallowness of the gameplay is evidenced by the fact that 4-2-4 is the most effective formation in the game as you can bypass much of the midfield on a goal-kick, make a pass between the forwards, and then let loose a shot. Although many of the goals are spectacular (every other goal is a 30 yard screamer into the top corner) this simplistic, overly direct, gameplay gets old quickly.

A final point worth noting is that when a keeper grabs the ball, the opposing teams forwards aren’t forced to leave the 18 yard box – as a result you can just stand in front of the keeper as he kicks/throws the ball and pick it off for an easy goal! Of course, only cheap bastards would do this…… :)

Replay Value

Although it was initially nice to take a trip down memory lane, with only three game modes (two of which are more or less the same), 30 teams and shallow gameplay FIFA: International Soccer probably won’t be getting much more of my play time. I played a bunch of exhibition games, won the world cup (er…I mean ‘Tournament’) with Argentina and that was about it for me.

Overall

Much like Super Soccer for the SNES, FIFA: International Soccer is a game that, while remembered fondly, doesn’t stand up particularly well today. That said, this game’s importance in the history of soccer gaming shouldn’t be ignored and for the nostalgic it may be worth taking a short trip down memory lane with Rico Salamar and co.

Lavan Chandran
13/09/2006