FIFA Football 2006 (PS2)

I really like Fifa 06, I play as Juventus and won the competition pretty quickly. I didn't lose any games and only got one goal scored against me. Overall this is a very good game, give it a try.

Another year and another of EA sports Fifa games. For many years Fifa had slipped behind Pro Evolution Soccer after being the premier football game. The movement of players, the style of play seemed so much more realistic in PES than in the Fifa games. Sure Fifa had the graphics and design but the substance keeps avid football fans hooked and in that department Fifa couldn't match up.

However with the 2006 game there seems to be a vast improvement in the series. The game is easily the best version for many years. The manager mode and online play give it an added edge and a different dimension in comparison to Pro Evolution Soccer. The commentary team have changed as this is for the good of the game as John Motson's commentary was getting rather cumbersome.

One of the biggest criticisms of the Fifa series, was it's complete unrealistic scoreline, even when you play as the likes of Portsmouth or Bolton against the like of Barcelona and Chelsea, you could easily win the match by 6, 7, 8 goals. Whereas in Pro Evolution Soccer you always had to work hard to get anywhere near these scorelines. However Ea Sports seemed to have over compensated slightly and in the 06' version, goalscoring has become infuriatingly difficult from many positions. Scoring free-kicks is particularly challenging and soon enough your style of play changes so that you can score 'realistic' goals. Overall it is still an enjoyable game and the fact it has all the licensing to leagues and players does give it that authentic feel, which PES lacks. Most football fans would still prefer the latter though, but many fair-weather football fans wont mind this games and will overlook it's slight flaws.

FIFA Football 2006, an excellent game that all football fans should buy. In my opinion it is not as good as PES5 but still an amazing game. They just keep improving as the years go on. Who knows what football games will be like in 5 years? I can't wait.

If you haven't done so already, you should buy this game and give it a go. You won't be disappointed.

FIFA 2006 is the latest in a long range of playable football games released by Fifa. With Pro Evo now getting licenses for the teams and leagues, Fifa cannot afford to let slip anymore with no joker card in that it is the only game with the offical names since it isn't any more.

It certainly starts off the right way, when you are thrown in the deep end straight away, asked to play against a 'Classic XI Team' with your favourite team on the semi pro mode. You may reject this if you want, but you should take it really since it doesn't matter whether you lose or win, the only bonus being that if you win you automatically unlock the classic xi team.

You will then be greeted with the menu, which is well laid out, clear and easy to read.

You will want to start your career at that point probably, where the first thing you will see will be your e-mail computer screen. You then do the usual create-a-manager thing and then you start your game.

Unlike most games now, you cannot start off with a top team, the best teams you can only gain as your managerial prestige grows. The best teams you can start with are mid range premiership teams e.g. Middlesbrough and Charlton.

One of the annoying things about the game is that it will automatically take you to your first match as a manager, meaning you lose most of the transfer summer season because of the break, you only have around a month to grab some new players.

Once you are ready to play your first game, you will have a budget in which you have the option of upgrading your staff e.g. stadium manager or striker coach or to save your money for making transfers. You now also have the option of a scout which you may send out at any time, with specific instructions to what sort of player you want and in which continent he is to look. Costs vary on the type of player you want and the place you send the scout to. The higher level your scout is, the better players he will come back with.

Graphics, as mentioned earlier, set extremely high standards most of the time, but make unforgiveable lapses at times, such as when the ball goes in, but doesn't register as a goal, or doesn't go in but is registered as a goal.

However, to be fair, these don't happen too often and the manager mode is so good that you won't be bothered after a while. Want to raise a team and it's players to the top from League 2? You can do that, and what's more, the players ratings rise as they get better as does the teams, so that you can see your management kicking in.

Verdict - Fifa 2006 is a reasonable game - which becomes an exceptional one when coupled with the brilliant manager mode which can beat some simulation managerial games.

I love FIFA Football 2006 and any football fan should definitely buy it!

It's great!

The Fifa Football 2006 PS2 game sometimes makes Match of the Day look like a home video, but Match of the Day doesn't freeze for no reason, and it plays at the speed of a normal match, unlike FIFA 2006, which plays as though stuck in super slow motion. This game is so slow to play, even Eto and Ronaldo look like grandad's on this game, and they're just too slow for you to enjoy this game. The kits and licences are perfect, almost. The Birmingham kit lacks names on the shirts, as do most of the league 2 teams. The commentary is solid, and the trick stick is as useful and intuitive a ever.

This game is as good looking and famous as a Porsche 911, but it's let down by the speed of a shopping trolley.

FIFA Football 2006 is a gaming masterpiece and is as close as you can get to playing football without playing. But a player from Boston can outrun world class players. Overall a great game.

Pro Evolution is so much better than FIFA Football 2006.

Fifa Football 2006 is a mint PS2 game, and it is worth every penny I spent!

The graphics are good. The season mode is great, and creating your own players is even better!

On the whole, FIFA Football 2006 is better than all the previous games in the FIFA series.

Whilst the game has improved, the main factors that have always made Pro Evolution Soccer far better in the past are yet to be brought up to the level required if E.A. Sports are going to compete with Konami when it comes to bringing the beautiful game to the PlayStation in such a realistic way.

The game is heading in the right direction, but still remains in the shadow of Pro Evo.