2006 FIFA World Cup

With the World Cup right around the corner, it was no surprise that EA Sports would release a World Cup soccer title. After all, it has done so before with other World Cups, like my personal favorite - World Cup 98 for the original PlayStation. I’m sure I wasn’t the only soccer fanatic that wished that one day we could take our soccer game on the go and I’m happy to say that that day has finally come for us fans. 2006 FIFA World Cup for the PSP is, more or less, the World Cup game we always wanted and it also turns out to be great sports game you will want to take with you.

Every four years, 32 teams from across the globe are locked in a tournament to end all tournaments and this year’s FIFA World Cup finds itself in Germany. The 2006 World Cup is also an interesting one with France’s Zidane retiring his jersey after the games, Mexico’s surprising lineup change and Angola qualifying for the first time. There are good match ups this year as well as some interesting possibilities like a USA versus Iran match or a Brazil versus France rematch. The beautiful thing about 2006 FIFA World Cup is that in this game if those matches never happen in real life they can happen in the game. Apart from the qualifying teams, however, you can take control of a number of other countries that didn’t qualify so you don’t have to play using the current World Cup lineup of qualifying teams.

The game tosses in a Play Now feature that allows you to take any of the qualifying teams and pitting them against a team of your choosing and the best part is that the game adds a number of options to make the match interesting. You can choose to play a friendly game or a Group Stage game or even a Final 16 game complete with the option to play sudden death and golden goal. The game’s other main playing mode is 2006 FIFA World Cup and Global Challenge. As you can see, the game modes are quite limited but that doesn’t mean the modes here aren’t deep. The real meat of the game is in the 2006 FIFA World Cup mode that follows your favorite team through the entire tournament from the qualifying rounds to the finals for the glory of going for the prize.

Global Challenge is a nice addition and a mode that allows gamers to take a time machine back to a nail-biting World Cup moment that allows you to re-enact the last half of a classic game or change the course of history by defeating a team that won that particular match. The mode actually sets up various scenarios and they’re quite good but don’t expect some real classics so if you were dreaming of going back in time to control Argentina’s Diego Maradona you are out of luck. Still, Global Challenge offers a number of challenging objectives to complete that will help your gameplay style considerably.

Control-wise, it is hard not to notice that the gameplay borrows elements from Konami’s own soccer series, Winning Eleven. The realistic gameplay style of the Winning Eleven games is evident in the controls, particularly in the analog control and your team or rival’s ball-handling skills. It doesn’t, however, sacrifice the loose FIFA Soccer feel that gives the game its fast-paced feel and momentum. The analog control makes movement feel more natural this time around, leaving the D-Pad to issue attacking strategies (wing play or counter attack commands) or defense strategies (zone defense or setting up an offside trap). Despite a few small framerate stutters, the game moves at a good pace.

The game also includes a multiplayer mode using the Ad Hoc as well as online Infrastructure connection. Online the game allows you to set up matches anyway you like or accept the challenges of those in the lobby. While the framerate does tend to slow things down at times, it doesn’t get severely bad enough that you’ll be frustrated with it. Just about the only real frustrating part is that you do have to pay a fee to play ($2 at setup or free if you accept EA Sports’ sponsors to email you with product offers) and will certainly encounter your share of gamers who pull out of the game at the first sign that they’re losing.

Visually, 2006 FIFA World Cup is not as beautiful as the console version but it is a good-looking game with a slick interface and a great televised presentation. The player models are actually handled better than past attempts on the PSP with star players like Brazil’s Ronaldiho or England’s Owen looking a lot like the real thing. Replays of goals are what stand out since we get a good angle of the goal and the great thing is that there are a wide variety of player animations to make each goal and goal celebration stand out. The stadiums look amazing, particularly the one in Hamburg that look a lot like the real stadium, and the fans look more natural this time around. Overall, the game’s visuals are not bad at all.

Then, of course, comes the game’s sound that is just as good as the game’s visuals. The stadium sounds alive with noise, whether it’s cheering, the Brazilian side singing or the African drums from the Egyptian fans the game sounds like the World Cup. The familiar two-man commentary team of Clive and Andy is now better than ever with commentary that’s less repetitive and more insightful. Better yet their reactions to goals and particularly spectacular plays are more emotional … these are the World Cup games, after all, not your average friendly match up. 

2006 FIFA World Cup for the PSP might not be as great as the console version but it is one of the best portable World Cup games you will not want to miss. It’s an addictively enjoyable soccer game that has a lot to offer fans of the sport and with a perfect online multiplayer mode how can you go wrong with this one? Even with the limited game modes this is a real Must-Have.

Gameplay: 8.5
Taking a page from the Winning Eleven games, 2006 FIFA World Cup feels slightly like a realistic soccer simulator without losing its arcade game style, giving gamers the best of both worlds. The game modes do a brilliant job of bringing the World Cup finals to life and there are an assortment of options to fit your playing style.

Graphics: 8.0
Visually, the game hasn’t changed much from past PSP versions but the overall presentation is slick and certainly very pleasing to the eye. The star players looks like the real thing this time around and there are more player animations that make each goal unique. Even the stadiums and the fans look good.

Sound: 8.0
At last we get real emotions from the color and play-by-play commentators that do a great job of calling plays and making insightful comments about a particular play. The collection of world tunes is not as good as previous EA Trax in the FIFA franchise but it does the trick. Best of all the stadium sounds alive with fans that sing, chant and cheer.

Difficulty: Medium
Like the real teams, each team has its strengths and weaknesses and this game accurately portrays this fact beautifully. You’ll find yourself working hard to keep Brazil from breaking your defenses while exploiting Mexico’s reliance on its strongest player. Even in the game’s Amateur setting you will find a good challenge.

Concept: 8.2
All the World Cup qualifying teams are present and are grouped accordingly to capture this year’s World Cup accurately. Global Challenge is a really nice treat as is the tournament itself but the fun part comes with all the options available. There are plenty of rewards worth unlocking and multiplayer is a dream come true.

Multiplayer: 8.0
Whether you’re playing with a friend nearby using the Ad Hoc connection or online using Infrastructure, the multiplayer doesn’t run smoothly but it’s still really fun. You’ll have a great time taking your favorite team and pitting them against other teams online - now that’s what I call a tournament. Now if only online players stuck around even if they’re losing this would be a great online experience.

Overall: 8.5
One of the most enjoyable soccer games you will play on your PSP, 2006 FIFA World Cup is the perfect traveling companion for any sports fan. While the game concentrates on this year’s World Cup and its qualifying teams, you’ll still have a great time playing through this tournament. If you love a good portable sports game and/or are a soccer aficionado, this is the game you will want to buy.