FIFA Football began back in the early 1990's, when Electronic Arts first produced the first of what was to become one of the most popular football series ever. It quickly became the company’s biggest franchise, but had stiff competition from Konami's offering, International Superstar Soccer. Regardless, more than a decade on, the series is still going strong, with the release of FIFA Football 2004 for PlayStation.

As a game, FIFA 2004 is virtually identical to any other footy game, but th ... more >>

FIFA Football began back in the early 1990's, when Electronic Arts first produced the first of what was to become one of the most popular football series ever. It quickly became the company’s biggest franchise, but had stiff competition from Konami's offering, International Superstar Soccer. Regardless, more than a decade on, the series is still going strong, with the release of FIFA Football 2004 for PlayStation.

As a game, FIFA 2004 is virtually identical to any other footy game, but the series has always boasted one very significant advantage over many of its competitors - official licenses. Thanks to EA’s deep pockets, FIFA 2004 plays host to more than 500 official licenses, with 350 teams and a massive 10,000 players available at your disposal. All player names are genuine, making it one of the most authentic sports games the industry has to offer.

With regards to gameplay, FIFA 2004 on PSOne doesn’t stand out from the crowd, but it’s a solid game nonetheless. The analogue stick and uniform button layout of the PlayStation controller make it easy to pick up, and although the on-screen action looks a little dated on a platform as old as the PlayStation, it’s still a good example of a football game.

A career mode is also at hand to extend the life of the single player experience. Here you’ll be able to build your own squad, make frontline decisions, manage a budget and even promote and relegate players from the game. There are literally hundreds of hours of gameplay to be had if you’re willing.

It’s nice to see some companies still supporting PlayStation, but this is probably the last FIFA game we’ll see for Sony’s ageing console. Enjoy it while you can. << less