GameSpy: FIFA Street - Page 1

By Will Tuttle | Mar 6, 2005

The most popular sport in the world heads to the streets in this disappointing debut.

While some people might not realize it, soccer is still the most popular sport in the world (although basketball has been steadily gaining ground over the last decade), due largely to the fact that you don't need much in the way of equipment if you want to play. Basically, all you need is a ball, two feet (although even that requirement is open for discussion), and some way to denote a goal line. Though there's a tendency to think of the game always being played on well-kept grass fields, the reality is that, more often than not, kids play wherever there's open space, be it a dirt court or an asphalt-covered parking lot. Like basketball, it's a sport of the people. It's no surprise, then, that EA decided to apply its successful Street formula to futbol, resulting in FIFA Street. Unlike the titles in the excellent NBA Street series, however, this game feels like it was rushed out to capitalized on the Street name.

Although other soccer games feature two full-sized squads doing battle on the pitch, FIFA Street's action is limited to three-on-three matches (not counting goalies) played out on small, short courts. Like its Street brethren, this game is straight out of the arcade, so you can be sure that you'll be seeing lots of crazy tricks, and you won't have to worry about getting called for being offsides. There aren't any referees around, either, so you can feel free to slide tackle to your heart's content without worrying about getting a red card. You can decide how long you want each game to be, although the default setting is that five goals are required for a win. If you'd prefer, you can set a time limit and play until the clock ticks down to zero.

As is the case in many of EA's recent sports efforts, the "Trick Stick" make an appearance in FIFA Street, and you'll be able to use it to pull off the game's repetitive tricks. Flicking the right analog stick in a particular direction will result in a canned animation, including passing the ball through an opponent's legs or performing a stop-and-go move before blowing by him. While some of these tricks look impressive at first, it doesn't take you long to realize that your opponents' can be easily thrown off if you can time your move correctly. Making your way down the court is as easy as pulling off trick after trick, and you're even rewarded for performing them when no one is around you.

Of course, you can have tricks pulled on you, too, and this is easily the most frustrating aspect of the game. See, when an opposing player performs a trick move, it begins a canned animation on both sides of the ball. He'll do his special move, and you'll lose control of your player as he gets beat. It's most frustrating when you switch from one player to another, just to have that man get taken out of the play when a trick is pulled off on him. Thankfully, you can switch to another nearby player to help out, but it's still a pain when you don't even get a chance to make a play for the ball. The same can be said for your teammates, who, more often than not, will end up letting their man waltz by them toward the goal.

Like all of the other Street titles, pulling off enough tricks will gradually fill up your GameBreaker meter, at which point you can take an uber-powerful shot on goal. Unlike the other games, however, getting a GameBreaker isn't always a guaranteed goal for your team. You still need to get an open look at the net before blasting your shot, because if a man is in your way, the ball will careen off his body, forcing you to build up your GameBreaker again. I like that your success isn't assured when you get a GameBreaker, as well as the fact that, since games are generally close in score, scoring on one only results in one point for your team. The game also features a mechanic that increases your scoring chances if you shoot at the end of a long trick combo. While this sounds good on paper, it results in some lame goals. It seems that the opposing goalie is mesmerized by your tricks, because he usually ends up letting in even the weakest shots.