FIFA Street 3 (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

If you are at all a fan of 'The Beautiful Game' then you'll know that one thing most people dream about is bumping into their sporting idol. Better still, imagine simply coming across a selection of the world's best having a kick about at your local 5-a-side pitch while they hone their skills and attempt to pull off gravity defying tricks which are shown repeatedly on TV specials. From a console point of view, FIFA Street is an attempt to turn the more strategy-based FIFA franchise into a simple but engaging arcade sports title. Last year's FIFA Street 2 (the first outing on the platform) hardly set the world alight so has this one got the required skills?

Gameplay

You are likely to tackle the single player mode first and this allows you to select a team of four from some of the world's finest players along with one location, although you can unlock more as the game progresses. It's then up to you but the game only opens up by you earning respect, not just for scoring goals but also the manner in which you actually play. So, placing balls in the back of the net, whilst also showing off your ability to manipulate the ball with all types of fancy footwork, will gain you far more points than if you opted to play the game 'straight'. Tricks are pretty much at the core of FIFA Street's gameplay and there are a great many available should you wish to learn them. For example, the same button can initiate a different trick dependent on what you are doing or even where you are standing on the play area. Tricks also appear to increase your chance of scoring a goal and the more you do (in addition to actually being on target) the better your chances.

This trick style of playing also makes you more difficult to tackle, as you tend to be faster and more maneuverable than when you're running after the ball or tackling. Ten there's the 'game breaker' meter which, when full (thanks to the tricks, of course) allows you to score an almost certain goal providing you are in the right position. All the matches have victory criteria; so simply scoring more than the opposition isn't always enough. You may have to pull off a certain tricks or even score within a given time limit but as challenging as this sounds it actually adds little to the overall gameplay.

Finally, being a sports-based title, you'd expect a multi-player of some description and in FIFA Street 3 it not only has a local option but also an on-line route. Don't expect the same number of options on-line as are featured in the main game though. The on-line play is actually quite good though, with the DS keeping up a surprising speed for the majority of the game although you need to be lucky enough to find someone who happens to be playing on-line at the same time.

Controls

While you are probably expecting this section to force you down to the touch-screen, I'm not entirely sure that the world of football is quite ready for this type of sports sim to be completely reliant on the stylus. All the action can also be controlled via the more traditional methods, which some of you may prefer. Don't forget to give the touch-screen the once over though: you may be pleasantly surprised.

Graphics

Visually the game is quite impressive and the detailed environments range from shipyards to riverside locations, which add nicely to the overall atmosphere. The animation is also well above average with the players moving in a fluid and realistic manner. Just don't expect to tell the difference between any of them.

Sound

Thanks to EA's TRAX library of music the soundtrack is pretty good if a little generic. Elsewhere there's a collection of grunts and groans from the players but absolutely no dialogue. This is a shame really, as anyone knows who's actually played a game of this nature, as there should be constant banter.

Dual screen

As we've mentioned you can go down the more traditional route with the controls or you may opt for the touch-screen method. The first problem with this is the lack of feedback so where the d-pad and buttons have an obvious move and respond quality, it's not always apparent that your instructions are getting though here other than a selection of arrows which occasionally appear on the otherwise sparse background. On the plus side the whole thing is much more responsive and certainly much better than the previous outing. We can't leave this section without also mentioning the various rhythm games (keeping the ball in the air to the beat) which are much more difficult to play without the touch screen. These are a nice diversion from the main game but don't expect but can be a tad repetitive.

Final comments

There's no question that this is an improvement on the previous outing but the aspects that the developers have concentrated on are all too minor and the overall experience is still flawed. Yes, there are a great many unlockables and even a multi-player with a single copy of the game, but the shallow gameplay still isn't as entertaining or rewarding as the autumnal FIFA outing. Arguably they've had years to get that just right but given that this is only the second in a series which may, or may not continue, it's probably not worth your time or effort.

Pro: Great Animation, Better than Last Year's Outing
Con: Dumb AI, A Little Too Repetitive.
Final score: 5.9

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