Having bought FIFA 2005 when it came out for the PSP and being totally disappointed I was a little hesitant to pick up 2006. The previews that mentioned that the framerate issue had been sorted and the promise of proper online play swayed it for me.
I've got to say that it's a marked improvement, very playable now with few slowdowns (free kicks just outside the box appear to be one area where slowdowns do occur).
The online mode is brilliant, not many people online just now but I'm sure there'll be loads in a few days. My only gripe is that it doesn't work flawlessly, took many attempts to actually get it into a match, most other attempts ended in a "a player disconnected" message right after the game had practically loaded after the team selections. Chatting in the lobby is a bit difficult if you need to type a custom message, but there are some basic phrases already available quickly via a menu (things like "want to play?", "2 minutes per half?", "4 minutes per half?", "good game"). The in-game seems to be well thought-out though with a limited number of game pauses allowed per player (these have a time limit too) and I think that if one player is winning and the other gets disconnected or deliberately disconnects then it counts against their record if the match is ranked.
Another interesting feature I haven't tried out yet is the team roster update, which looks as if it will allow you to download a full set of updated teams if/when EA release such a patch.
Having played WE9 recently the gameplay of FIFA is obviously different, WE9 still felt smoother as far as player movements.... I don't know if it was just sweaty hands but I had a bit of a hard time keeping my thumb on the analog stick when playing FIFA tonight.
Apart from what I've already said, FIFA 06 as always has slick presentation with some nice menus and licensed music as well as some reasonable commentary (a slight improvement over the last one). I've got to say that the crowd chanting seems to be very good in creating the right atmosphere during the game, it seems quite good and varied.
Initial rating based on first impressions: 8/10
I've got to say that it's a marked improvement, very playable now with few slowdowns (free kicks just outside the box appear to be one area where slowdowns do occur).
The online mode is brilliant, not many people online just now but I'm sure there'll be loads in a few days. My only gripe is that it doesn't work flawlessly, took many attempts to actually get it into a match, most other attempts ended in a "a player disconnected" message right after the game had practically loaded after the team selections. Chatting in the lobby is a bit difficult if you need to type a custom message, but there are some basic phrases already available quickly via a menu (things like "want to play?", "2 minutes per half?", "4 minutes per half?", "good game"). The in-game seems to be well thought-out though with a limited number of game pauses allowed per player (these have a time limit too) and I think that if one player is winning and the other gets disconnected or deliberately disconnects then it counts against their record if the match is ranked.
Another interesting feature I haven't tried out yet is the team roster update, which looks as if it will allow you to download a full set of updated teams if/when EA release such a patch.
Having played WE9 recently the gameplay of FIFA is obviously different, WE9 still felt smoother as far as player movements.... I don't know if it was just sweaty hands but I had a bit of a hard time keeping my thumb on the analog stick when playing FIFA tonight.
Apart from what I've already said, FIFA 06 as always has slick presentation with some nice menus and licensed music as well as some reasonable commentary (a slight improvement over the last one). I've got to say that the crowd chanting seems to be very good in creating the right atmosphere during the game, it seems quite good and varied.
Initial rating based on first impressions: 8/10
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