A Historical Look at World Cup Video Games

April 17th, 2006 | by: WC Bob |

We’re not too big into video games these days, but there was a time when we spent days on end playing FIFA 1994 by Electonic Arts. There was a move we had when we played as Spain that was simply unstoppable. We always thought that Spain would fair better in the World Cup if its players would run like the a-b-a button combination. We’re waxing nostalgic thanks to a posting that takes you through the history of EA’s sports games. Looking at the simple graphics of those early games makes us long for the days when you didn’t need an advanced degree to figure out how to control the players. Here’s a snapshot of the various World Cup related games over the years. To get your hands on this year’s games, go here.

1994

1998

2002

2006

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Euler

I have the Fifa 06 game, but I can’t control the players!!! Ha! Ha! Very frustrating :(
Mont

Wow, thank you for making me feel so old!!!
http://portugal.worldcupblog.org Luis Paulo

Fifa 98 is my favorite one. But I do remember playing Fifa International Soccer (before it had any year attached) on the Mega Drive. I would always choose Netherlands because of their strikers Arnold De Boer and H. Van Smith. Back then there was no real names on the game and if you would stand still in front of the goalie you would always take the ball.
soze

Yeah I’m with LP…Fifa 98. It all started going downhill from euro2004 game, the players became too difficult to control, for me at least. I have a few un-employed friends who swear by 2006. They say once you figure out how to control the players, it’s superior to the earlier ones.
http://www.originalrudeboy.com/ Tomislav Chagall

pro evolution soccer is unbeatable.
Futahaguro

Word to the old school! Yah, I am only 29 and that makes me feel old. I remember the NHL 94 days of yore where you had 8 directions you could move and a one timer was almost a gauranteed goal:) FIFA 06, 05, and others are and were plagued by to much automatic movement by the players. If I have control of a player, he shoudl do nothing unless I tell him to. PERIOD. No set corner kicks where I can’t move my damn player! FIFA sucks. PES rocks.
Thomas McBride

I’ve got Fifa 06. It’s not bad, but why the hell did they make it so difficult to play? I used to love the way the game would do the finer stuff for you. In this it seems every twitch you make, during what is already a stressful game, can screw everything up. I think the best and most addictive Fifa games have already been and gone.