The title that foreshadowed modern soccer simulators
Who knows how many FIFA games have been produced to date, given the many platforms that have received a title, and the many, many games that have been produced every year. My guess is, probably in the hundreds. However, FIFA 99 is a turning point for the series for two very pertinent reasons. On one hand the titles in the series begin to look like the modern games everyone knows and enjoys with this one. The animations have become by the time this game hit the market, quite modern, both in the way the players look on the field and, to a degree, in the way they interact with each other. The control scheme is also a bit more simple than previous incarnations. Though not as simple and as playable as a Sensible Soccer game, FIFA 99 still managed to include a whole lot of in just 4 directional buttons plus other 3 control buttons. The question for today's audiences will be a very simple one: is the game really worth it, wouldn't a 2012/2013 title be more playable, overall. Certainly, but, then again, if you want to sample what football simulators could do in 1998, this is the title to go for. It will be a while until Konami will launch their soccer games and steal the crown from EA, but for the era, this was the pinnacle of football simulation.
