2002 FIFA World Cup

FIFA makes a quick return to the GameCube, this time sporting official World Cup colors.

2002 FIFA World Cup arrives for the GameCube less than a year since its last appearance with a fancy new look, but not much more. If you already own FIFA 2002, upgrading to the World Cup edition actually gets you fewer teams and play modes. Instead of the field of over 400 teams in last year?s edition, now you choose from 41 (plus a handful more that can be unlocked) and either compete in a Friendly match or the World Cup itself. EA makes the most of the license and does do a great job at simulating the grandeur of the experience, but it often feels shallow and forced as if the whole thing were directed by Micheal Bay. Another GameCube soccer alternative, Virtua Striker, does a much better job of recreating the rewarding feeling of earning your way to the World Cup after months of training and team management.

Visually, the game looks identical to the previous installment with minor enhancements like more flags waving in the crowd and the official stadiums from Korea and Japan.

The controls are a tad crisper with better pass sensitivity, but overall are handled in exactly the same before. The default speed of the action is much slower than most soccer titles to make it easier on beginners, but that can be changed through the menu options. The play-by-play is once again handled by the capable duo of John Motson and Andy Gray who talk up the big event for all its worth further enforcing the illusion of ?being there?. The comments are enjoyable, but repeat far too often. The music is what really takes center stage courtesy of a full blown orchestra. This makes every match unfold like the grand spectacles they are.

On the extras front, you get game previews and some nice DVD-style video features about different aspects of this FIFA disc. It?s worth noting though that the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions have more videos due to the larger storage capacity of their discs. It?s also worth mentioning that saving your World Cup progress will take up almost an entire memory card 59 so it?s a good idea to upgrade to the new 251 when it hits stores this June.

If you really must have a football sim that has all the official stadiums and mascots flitting about, then 2002 FIFA World Cup is the game for you. Last year?s installment still has a lot more replay value and there are plenty of noteworthy soccer alternatives for the GameCube that you can spend your money on.

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