2002 FIFA World Cup (GCN)

For folks who want to experience the thrill and insanity of the FIFA World Cup but can't afford to make the trip, EA Sports has a lower-cost alternative -- 2002 FIFA World Cup for the Nintendo GameCube. Sporting the official 2002 FIFA World Cup license, all the official Korean and Japanese stadiums, and all the licensed players, uniforms and teams, EA Sports has once again managed to deliver intense soccer action to our living rooms.

New for 2002 FIFA World Cup is the addition of "air play." Not only is it more intuitive for the player, it looks a lot better on screen. For example, when the ball is approaching your player, you hit one of three buttons (X, B or A) to make the player head the ball in a particular direction. What's cool about this new feature is the height of the ball, when it reaches your player, will determine which part of his body he will use to play the ball. If you're not quick enough to hit a button before the ball gets to you, the player will automatically trap the ball. So the player is not limited to just headers -- the player will execute butterfly kicks too.

Going in for a goal! 2002 FIFA World Cup also incorporates new moves while dribbling the ball as well. Players can fake a shot on goal, a pass, or even a lob by pressing the L and R buttons while holding the appropriate button. With a little practice, players will be able to perform a step-over, a double step-over, and even a reverse step-over with little to no effort.

Probably the coolest new feature of 2002 FIFA World Cup is the inclusion of juggling. A player who masters juggling can truly be devastating on the field. Executed by a few simple button presses, players can control passes while running, get by defenders, and my favorite, juggling the ball in front of the goalie before kicking it over his head into the net for a spectacular in-your-face goal.

Visually, 2002 FIFA World Cup looks better than FIFA 2002. The motion-captured animations are truly life-like and the new moves (like juggling and trapping) are nicely rendered as well. All the stadiums of the World Cup have been flawlessly recreated -- complete with all the official signage, mascots, and flags. Another cool aspect of the graphics are the stadium crowds. Never before have I seen a crowd so lifelike. Throwing confetti, streamers, and camera flashes going off really makes you feel you're actually there.

News source: SportPlanet