FIFA 99

FIFA 99

FIFA 99 is strong on presentation. Both sides march onto the field in unison prior to the match and the captains shake hands with the referee. Teammates console one another when trailing at halftime and celebrate enthusiastically after goals.

The player models look fairly blocky when viewed up close, but animate very realistically. The uniforms look great and the players are unique in terms of height, weight, face, skin and hair color, designed to resemble their real-life counterparts.

The stadiums and pitches look smashing. The barriers that ring the sidelines are adorned with all manner of advertising, and the variety of textures and color used on the field give it a freshly manicured look. Portions of the pitch are blanketed in shadow during games played in the early evening and are indicative of the attention to detail that EA have given the graphics.

The game moves very smoothly during games played in fair weather, but there is some nasty slowdown when playing in the rain. The rain effect is so pronounced that there's just too much activity on the screen for the engine to keep pace. The game remains playable, but just barely. It definitely takes some time to adjust. On the plus side, the rain will subside and resume throughout the course of the game. A neat touch if only the rain didn't interfere with playability.

REVIEW FROM NEEOSEEKER