FIFA Soccer 96
| FIFA Soccer 96 | |
|---|---|
North American Saturn cover art, featuring Andy Legg and Ioan Sabău
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| Developer(s) | Extended Play Productions Probe Entertainment (SNES, Game Boy and Game Gear) |
| Publisher(s) |
Electronic Arts Black Pearl Software (Game Boy and Game Gear) |
| Series | FIFA |
| Platform(s) | Windows DOS Sega 32X Sega Genesis SNES Game Boy Sega Game Gear PlayStation Sega Saturn |
| Release |
Genesis
Windows
|
| Genre(s) | Sports |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Multiplayer |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Publication | Score |
| EGM | 8/10 (SAT) |
| Maximum |
  (PS1) (SAT) |
| Next Generation |
(GEN, SNES, WIN) (SAT) |
| Sega Saturn Magazine | 80% (SAT) |
FIFA Soccer 96 (also known as FIFA 96: Virtual Soccer Stadium) is a video game developed by Extended Play Productions and released by Electronic Arts in 1995. It was released for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, Sega 32X, Sega Game Gear, PlayStation, Super Nintendo Entertainment System and DOS systems.
FIFA 96 is the third entry in the FIFA Series, its tagline being Next Generation Soccer. It was the first in the series to feature real-time 3D graphics on the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, 32X, and DOS versions, using technology called "Virtual Stadium". The SNES and Genesis editions used the FIFA '95 engine. It is also the first in the series to use real player names and positions, with ranking, transfer and team customisation tools.
FIFA 96 features 15 songs which were composed and arranged by Graeme Coleman.
The game was a bestseller in the UK. For the DOS version PC Gamer gave a 92 out of 100.
Reviewing the PlayStation version, Maximum applauded the game for the realism in the player controls and AI behavior, as well as the large number of features, such as the multiple camera angles and league play. They summarized "The remarkably user-friendly options ensure that even the most demanding players will be satisfied, and once the game begins properly, you will appreciate the time and honing skill that has been lavished upon this product by the truly professional EA Sports coders." Tommy Glide of GamePro hailed the game for its realism as well, saying it managed to surpass even the 3DO version of FIFA International Soccer. He praised the use of more than 3,000 real players, the realistic passing controls, and the audio commentary.
Rob Allsetter of Sega Saturn Magazine applauded the comprehensive selection of players, customizing options, and camera angles, but complained that the animation is "both slow and slightly jittery." He concluded, "Fifa '96 makes a brave attempt to capture the real thrill of football. At the end of it all though, it lacks the smoothness and speed to merit championship distinction." The two sports reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly both gave the Saturn version an 8 out of 10, particularly praising the multiple camera angles and the play-by-play commentary, both of which they felt made the game very lifelike.GamePro too praised the camera angles, but put greater emphasis on the deep gameplay. Comparing it to the PlayStation version, they remarked that the Saturn version has more vibrant colors and larger sprites, but rougher characters and less smooth scrolling.Maximum highly criticized it as having a lower frame rate than the PlayStation version, adding that other Saturn ports of soccer games all were very close to the originals. Despite this, they declared FIFA 96 "the dominant soccer in the Saturn market" due to the advanced gameplay mechanics and the weakness of the competition. A Next Generation critic was wildly enthusiastic about the game's accurate recreation of real professional soccer, particularly remarking that it is possible to identify individual players on the field just by looking at them, and that executing game plans produces realistic results. He added that even with all the devotion to realism, the game is also tremendously fun, and concluded to be one of the best games for the Saturn.
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