2002 FIFA World Cup

"The Greatest Pitch-Play In History!"

Hello, GameCube owners around the world. This is Arturo Larcinese(Juggernaut0183@aol.com)reporting to you on FIFA World Cup 2002. I have sincerely enjoyed this game, and I hope you will too-- surely this review will convince you to play it. Read on!

Gameplay: 9/10
Ah, the most important part of a game. This game is absolutely astounding in this category, providing the smoothest, most realistic play I've ever experienced in a sports game, let alone soccer. In FIFA WC, not only is ground play perfect, but air play in almost flawless a well! Headers, juggling, duel kicks, scissor kicks, and cartwheel kicks are just a few of the different ways to control the ball in this marvelous game, and it's amazing to see what you can do with the it! The only con to this game are the fouls. Depending on what you have set the referee strictness to, he can get a little unfair. He makes some stupid mistakes, while not very numerous, and they can get pretty aggravating at times.

Graphics: 8/10
Pixelation, colour, shading... All done very nicely. In some of the opening cinema, I was blown away by how detailed the players and the stadiums were. Now, in gameplay, the graphics aren't quite as fine as the are out-of-play, but they are still pretty spectacular. The players are visually recognizable, and the cheering fans are actually all visible! Kudos on the stadium graphics as well, they are done beautifully. Also, weather is definitely and aspect in the graphics department of this game, and they are flawless.

Music/Sound Effects: 10/10
Overdone to perfection. I think that EA put a bit too much effort into this! The opening theme music is very dramatic, and so is the pause menu music... They both set a great tone for the match. From the stands, cheers, jeers, and every other type of scream imaginable are audible. Much of the time, they are even chanting in different languages! In play sound effects are just on key, and so are the announcers. Andy Grey does his job of keeping you encouraged well, and while he can get a little repetitive, he never get annoying.

Modes: 7/10
This is the weak spot of the game; the only two modes allowed to you are World Cup and Friendly. While they suit me fine, I could definitely understand someone disliking the game over this. It is a bit bland at times. World Cup is simply a series of matches, leading you through the ranks to the most coveted prize in soccer, and Friendly is just a match to play for the fun in it; your friends can join in too.

Replayability: 10/10
While the modes do limit you, the results in World Cup mode are always different, and for the better! I've beaten the game countless numbers of times, and am now at the Professional difficulty level. With four difficulties in all, and all of them varying greatly, this game never gets lame.

OVERALL: 9
This game is all I could ever ask for. It is the essence of modern virtual soccer, and it keep you begging for more, no matter how many times you play it. If you don't believe me, you had better rent it; after that, you'll have to buy it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/25/03, Updated 05/25/03