During my trip to China, BCH the China FIFA player asked me that since when I start playing FIFA. Very well, I told him since FIFA97. So he replied me by telling me that i had already played FIFA for 9 years. I wasn't counting about the years of my FIFA gaming until he tell me. Yesterday night while i was on my bed turning around (well I always can't sleep easily), I count the amount of years I spent on FIFA. Basically, I really spend 10 years for FIFA gaming, but I did slack on FIFA2004 and FIFA97.
Throughout all the versions of FIFA, I experience the graphic changed slowly, until I cannot imagine how's FIFA97 looks like. Buttons of the game do change. I remember when I first played FIFA97, it was only 3 Button; Lob, Pass and Shoot. No sprinting that time because in order to spring u need to hold the pass/lob button. So I was using a 4 button gamepad that time to play with my bro.
Then in FIFA1998, they start introducing 5 more buttons that can be used, which is Q(Evade slide tackle), W(Sprint), E(I forgot what is it for) and Alt + Ctrl(perform skill). The cool part i can remember about this version is that you can play for 45mins per-half. Guess what, I tried it! I was using Brazil that time, and i was scoring 90 plus goals. Ronaldo's name was No.9 last time, and he headed uncountable amount of goals.
Then in FIFA1999, the world class standard's passing was like ping-pong speed @-@. New player definitely cannot cope with the speed of passings by the AI. However, my good twin-friends who is currently in UK now (Alan n' Antony) taught me a cool trick of beating the AI. It's cheating I can say, because from that time onwards, the game is no longer need teamwork. I can score myself as long as my Q and Shoot button does not spoil.
When it comes to 2000, it's again a non-teamwork game. I went to wisd's house and see how he play this game. He was using a striker and keep on spinning all the defenders and end up one on one with the keeper. Whoa, Zidane is everywhere that time! I still remember that i went to the twin's house, I got thrashed badly. However my Bicycle Kick after an indirect free kick surprises them. HAHAHAHHA!
On the same year, Euro2000 came out. This time, your player will goes blur after a spin. Realisticly, it's true..........but the blur thing is way too much. The player is looking down on the floor after a spin and keeps on running where I don't see Zidane doing that after doing a spin.
2001 comes and this time, it was another non-teamwork game. Because you can spin around and score again! But the cool thing is, you can perform overhead kick after a cross quite successfully. This is the game in WCG, so my clan leader told me that, in order to block this trick, is NOT TO PRESS ANYTHING when your opponent is performing overhead kick. Strange huh.
FIFA 2002 is the game where long shot start to come in. Initially, I find that the AI is cheating, becoz all their shots are undefendable! But when I start to learn how to shoot like them, I abuse it. HAHAHAHAHA! I use it and score after a kick-off. So this is the time where after a kick-off, we must back pass rule comes in. And the rules continue until now.
On the same year as well, FIFA WC 2002 also comes in. This is even more cheating. Star player can score easier using longshot. Previously, I still need to hold Z or C to curl, but in WC, i just need to hold D to shoot. It was even possible to score directly from corners!
Logically, after 2002 is 2003. So, this time me and wisd taught crossing rules in the game. But, if we were to enter WCG that time, I think we will get thrashing by longshots. This version was my first ever version to play LAN with wisd also. So we enjoy being as a team and enemy as well. His favourite formation was the one with 2 defenders, a Gung-Ho type. But when we start playing LAN, it was the end of 2003, waiting for 2004 to officially come out.
So, FIFA2004 introduced a buggy thing called OTB (OFF THE BALL). From the trailers, the feature is so cool until everyone was impressed. But in the end, the feature spoils the game. The whole WCG tournament was full of unrealistic long balls. So that time, the buggiest player own everyone. I wasn't too long with the game, because i switched to PES3 to have more fun. No LAN, but more realistic. This game was the one made my housemates don't want to play soccer games with me. Because they turn off my monitor, but my speaker sounded GOAL from the commentator. It was crazy, but I really did score that time!
In the year 2005, it was the year that i officially steps into the FIFA Gaming scene. This version introduced FIRST TOUCH and it's really useful. This is game with least bug and really fun to play. My best move was Rebounds and Rainbow skill. It's unique and I'm the only one using it in WCG.MY. Although the founder of the rainbow skill is wisd, but i practised from time to time until i master it. Only two person in Malaysia get to counter that, which is wisd and si_jali! It was my debut in tournament, so getting 4th in every major tourney doesnt sound so bad >.<
In 2006, the gameplay is different from 2005. Initially, I can't get used to the sprinting, because all the defenders can run faster than strikers. This is also because that they put it in a way that, player who's running with the ball, runs slower. But crossing still rules in this version. With this program called multitool, it canceled lots of longshots and proper build up is really required in this game. So, the German guy won and he really had a calm build up.
As usual, every two years EA will have 2 FIFA games. This time is the FIFA WC 2006. I owned lots of people before the multitool is introduced. Because I can do chipping shot and score every one on one. But once the tool is out, I started to get owned. The game is kinda random and I couldn't really understand the game well before EFC(A game tournament) start. So, I lost terribly in that competition despite beating some kid 12-1. MUAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!
OK, then the latest FIFA games is FIFA2007. It was more random and buggy game compare to previous few version. Even until now, I still cannot cope with the method of playing it. Corners, Longshots, Crossings and LONG Longshot can be scored anytime. The keeper got better and got worse in certain situation. So in the end, the keeper still bad. After trying the whole game and testing most of the scoring method, I really did ask myself whether should I continue to participate in competitive tournaments such as WCG or not. Very well, it's already the 10th FIFA, why I would gave up. The road is still long for WCG.MY 2007 and I'm not giving up until I see dead-end.
Since it's a decade of FIFA gaming, I would point out some of my favourite version, which is FIFA 99 and FIFA 2005. This two is really a nice game for me to play, even now I feel like playing it. Thanks for reading if you really reads until this line.
