I have to admit I’m one of the retards that run out every year to get the latest version of certain EA Sports games. FIFA is one of these games. Not that I actually need another GameCube soccer game (I have 6 now for Christ’s sake), but I was hoping EA would fix a few things with their third GameCube soccer title. EA Sports has made some improvements, but still seems to come up short.

The menu interface has been completely reworked, and is in a sense rather “artsy”. There are plenty of options, including European Club Championships, loads of different tournaments, and friendlies. Unfortunately, EA left out create-a-player, create-a-team, and even a training mode in this version. With some of the changes they made in the control scheme, a training mode would have been much appreciated.

The whole control scheme has been altered, so it’ll take some time to adjust your prior skills to FIFA 2003. EA smartened up and made the R button the sprint button, so you don’t have to tap the Y button any longer while trying to execute passes or shots with another face button. They’ve also moved shoot from X to B, and lob from B to X. These subtle changes in the control scheme have made this so much easier to play. Unfortunately, EA has taken spin out of the equation, as they had this in both FIFA 2002 and World Cup, so you’ll no longer be able to arch a pass around a defender. Also, they’ve added some “total control” c-stick stuff that’s supposed to let you do special moves, but I have no idea how to use it, and the instruction manual doesn’t tell you either. It seems to be a sort of juke move, but in game seems to me more of a hassle than anything.

Gameplay is decent, but with some of the control changes, I’m not particularly sure if FIFA 2003 plays better. Headers are extremely difficult to execute, and I have no clue how to do a bicycle kick. These are important gameplay elements that worked well in prior versions. It’s as if they dumbed down the game a bit. I would have opted for them to toss out the new total control, and let you change your team formation on the fly with the c-stick, instead of once again having to pause the game and do it in the menu.

The AI is mediocre. Your offense will almost always be where you would want them to be, but your defense isn’t the most intelligent. They’ll be oblivious to an open break to the goal, and may just sit there and watch if they aren’t close to the center of the action. This makes the radar almost necessary just in case you get into this situation (which you will).

FIFA 2003 is visually one of the best I’ve ever experienced. The players, stadiums and crowds (upgraded from World Cup) are absolutely unbelievable. If it’s possible for players to be over animated, FIFA 2003 could be just that. Dribbling the ball while turning seems to have too many frames and it appears a little sluggish. The camera work is great, yet it took a few games to figure out which camera to use due to the removal of the zoom function. During half time and the end of the match, they’ll even whip out highlights. It’s pretty slick.

The audio in FIFA is brilliant. The commentary has lightened up a bit, but is still high quality. The crowd is what’s most impressive. They sing and chant along with the particular home team’s songs, and it flows well with the gameplay. This is what soccer should sound like. EA Trax has been installed, and will bless you with a fine variety of Euro-pop and techno. You will have a barf-rock free experience with FIFA, and for that alone, I could kiss who ever made this happen. God bless your soul.

It’s another year of FIFA, and with its ups and downs, you may want to think twice before plunking down another 50 bucks for the latest version. I liked some of the changes they made to the franchise, but I’m really confused with other decisions. It’s pretty, sounds great, and fun to play, but wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. I do believe that FIFA 2003 is easier to pick up and play for people that have never played a FIFA title before. For soccer purists, you may feel like you just got kicked in the shins.