FIFA: Road to World Cup '98

Developer: EA Canada Publisher: EA Sports

Released: November 30, 1997 Rated: E 7/10

After rushing to make the launch window for the N64 in Europe with the disappointing FIFA Soccer 64, EA Canada manages to right the ship by year’s end with more than just a simple tune-up for their flagship franchise. This comes not a moment too soon, of course, with the following year’s World Cup just starting to peek over the horizon, and a global audience of football fans that much more excited to get their hands on the latest title. The holiday season release of the time also helps that much more as rival series International Super Star Soccer debuted on the system that summer to much greater fanfare.

The World Cup marketing is one of the main ways in which FIFA 98 stands out from the rest of the series from the era, as even a non-soccer fan can acknowledge that the global tournament carries a lot of weight and is the main touchpoint for a lot of less-engaged fans of the world’s game. With an engaging single-player format built around the lead-up to the upcoming France-hosted iteration, the sense of progression available upon the titular road is a solid reason to choose this entry above others on the N64. With the qualifying process often more arduous and involved than the World Cup itself, it proves satisfying in a way unique to the sport in lieu of other regular season modes and the like, and even includes the “playoffs” as you attempt to follow through all the way to the World Cup tournament and take home the trophy for your country.

Most fans of the franchise do consider FIFA 98 to be something of a renaissance, judging by reviews and discussion of the time, and this concerns both the N64 version coming off of the sluggish and sloppy FIFA Soccer 64, as well as the flagship versions of FIFA 97 on Saturn, PS1, and PC. Major updates to player animation, stadium recreation, player and referee AI, and an overall improved TV-style presentation are all massively upgraded from previous entries.

Without being deeply familiar with the franchise, it’s still clear to see how much better this effort is than its predecessor for the N64. Controls are snappy and responsive, and fit in well with an overall arcade-style gameplay feel that can be sped up or slowed down as needed. The commentary is far less repetitive, and the addition of “Song 2” by Blur as the theme is a nice bonus to further capture a snapshot of the time it was released in. The highly-regarded indoor mode, which was not featured in FIFA 64, also makes an appearance here, providing an even more high-energy and even high-scoring gameplay mode that is often considered one of the series best features when available.

This game legitimately got bumped up a whole point from the indoor mode as I lament the fact that all real soccer isn’t actually played this way.

Without being able to attest fully to how it compares to other entries in the franchise, it does seem that FIFA Road to World Cup 98 or its yearly sequel, FIFA 99, are safe bets for the top entry on the N64. At the very least, with 172 teams on offer and a full array of gameplay modes for both quick and long-term enjoyment, 98 raises the bar significantly and should be considered alongside Konami’s offerings, with fans of the sport likely able to draw their own conclusions based on the finer points and personal preference among the two series.