Review: FIFA 07 (NDS)

Gamestyle was somewhat cautious when approaching the DS version of Fifa '07; not because we thought EA had sneakily slipped some anthrax in with the review copy, but because they've typically shown little regard for the console's strengths, and everything seemed to suggest another cut down conversion of their console game. How wrong we were.

It's surprising how much EA have managed to squeeze out of the DS hardware. Aside from moments when the camera gets close up (which is very rare), the graphics are shockingly good. Animations are fine (apart from a few hilarious looking dives), some EA Trax style songs are included (although less of an annoyance here) and the game also features a rather hilariously bad commentary track. It's always a laugh when he describes a Stoke City vs Hull match as having a "sell out crowd" and a match that "every fan can't wait to see"; not to mention other various nonsense that is spewed out having nothing to do with the on-screen action. You could class this as a bad thing, but seeing as no football game has ever mastered good commentary, it came as no surprise to see the same on the DS. Further, the handheld limits don't disrupt the amount of teams on offer: a vast selection is a major plus with 510 teams across 27 leagues all available; and once you pick a particular team, the game's main menu will have their badge proudly displayed on the top screen.

Although single matches, challenges and tournaments are all available, the career mode is where most of your time will be spent. Here you can pick a team of your choosing and aim to top the division with various season objectives giving you something extra to aim for. The organisation of your squad is made easier with help from the DS touch screen; once that's done, you get on the pitch for a pretty decent game of football. Controlling your player using the D-pad is just as good as using an analogue stick, and apart from the occasional issue of unresponsive controls, it's spot on. Bottom screen action is given to a handy layout of the pitch and your players, but EA have also decided to implement some touch screen options during the match, allowing you to quickly organise your squad's tactics. Not stopping there, they've also shoehorned in some microphone support by being able to create your own custom chants - an option that Gamestyle tried once before never returning to it again.

As already mentioned, you do have a challenges mode, similar to the other Fifa games. Here you have a set goal to complete with each challenge varying in difficulty. It's a welcome diversion from the main career but one that doesn't overshadow it. However, what would have been an even more welcome break from the career is a WiFi online game, but alas you'll have to make do with the local multiplayer. Make sure all your friends own a copy of the game, though, as being able to play with one copy of Fifa '07 is a luxury that has unfortunately been excluded.

Where Fifa '07 falls down the most is its terrible AI. Even on the highest difficulty setting, your opponents can still be incredibly dumb. At times the opposing team will try walking the ball into the back of the net; or, better yet, when they pass it back to the keeper, he will often kick it out for a throw in even when you're nowhere near getting the ball. The AI issues also stretch out to the referee: red cards come out quite frequently, yet the most glaringly obvious fouls are often ignored. It's like watching the World Cup again.

Apart from a few pitfalls the game tumbles into, Fifa '07 is definitely a worthy purchase for those wanting a bite size (and cheaper) portion of the console games. Get past the inherent limitations and you'll find a surprisingly good rendition of the beautiful game. 

Rating: 7 / 10

Words by Adam Gulliver