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The third soccer game to hit N-Gage? You bet! FIFA Soccer 2005 is actually the third soccer game in the N-Gage admittedly small lineup. EA Sports dominates the genre on the N-Gage with two-thirds of the game, the previous being the uninspired-titled FIFA Soccer 2004. Well, how does the N-Gage version compare to the excellent console game? Surprisingly, the game is a rather enjoyable handheld soccer title perfect for those soccer-craving spare moments.
FIFA Soccer 2005’s main draw is the Career mode. Much like the console version, in it, you play as a newcomer coach, and as such will have to begin in the bottom with the worst teams of whatever region you choose. As you progress through the career, you’ll be offered jobs in more prestigious teams and you can pack up your beefy coaches and take them with you. The Career mode lasts through five seasons and is quite beefy for a handheld game, specially considering that EA Sports managed to include over 350 teams in the game.
Additionally, the game includes a Challenge mode, where you’re able to play the last few minutes of historic games to see if you have the skill to change the outcome. Or perhaps you want to make sure that the losing team does win the game… like it happened in real life.
FIFA Soccer 2005 for N-Gage also includes two-player multiplayer support via Bluetooth, although both users need a copy of the game. Moreover, it is possible to unlock additional challenges and upload your favorite goals via N-Gage Arena.
The actual soccer gameplay is quite solid. The game is very fast paced which works wonderfully for the handheld but gives you a good bit of control over the characters. The games includes new features such the through ball and the one-two pass, which allows you to pass the ball to another player without losing any time. The AI in the game puts up a decent fight all throughout, never feels cheap and isn’t too dumb.
The game’s visuals are commendable for on N-Gage. There are many characters on-screen at any given time, and they all animate smoothly. The character models, however, don’t have much detail and all pretty much look the same. The engine scrolls through he field as the action moves and does a commendable job at keeping up despite the N-Gage’s narrow screen. The N-Gage version looks considerably better than the GBA, with more detailed textures for the fields and overall sharper character models.
The audio doesn’t hold up so well, though. The soundtrack is limited and repetitive, and the quality isn’t that great. The sounds are soccer are otherwise accurately represented, including the enthusiastic chants of the crowd.
FIFA Soccer 2005 has a competent, thoroughly enjoyable game on the consoles and on the GBA. While the N-Gage version doesn’t deviate far from the GBA’s formula, the graphics are cleaner, and the Bluetooth and N-Gage Arena support are welcome additions. -- Adam Nunez, PGNx Media
---- Nov 29, 2004
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