What is it?
After FIFA International Soccer, FIFA 96, FIFA 97, FIFA 98: Road to the World Cup and World Cup 98, EA Sports will release their next Soccer Action game later this year to follow their pattern. As usual, we will be expecting the maximum graphics and gameplay, and the minimum disappointments from the highly reputated EA Sports.

New Features
New features will be what will make this game better from its ancestors. EA Sports never failed in adding something new which would never be seen on any other soccer action game, and it seems that this time it won't be different.

For the first time, they thought about the beginners, so they've added a Quickstart mode so that begenners would feel more comfortable on the pitch.

In all the previous soccer games by EA Sports, the 7 foot players were as high as the 5 footers. This time they've added different player hieght, which should also affect the heading skill. Even the chest trapping moves have been enhanced so that you would have more control on air balls.
Wanted more stadiums? FIFA 99 will feature 20 new stadiums to satisfy your needs. According to EA Sports, the graphics have been vastly improved, which should bring the game to life with player head-tracking, in-stadium real-time lighting effects to give players an unprecedented level of realism, night games and improved player animation.

What's a soccer game with stupid opponents? Nothing, so this time they've improved the AI to support more realistic wing play, and to be more responsive in FIFA 98's and World Cup 98's weakest point; The Tackling.

That's not all. EA Sports are also adding a European Soccer League. This would be a league with the best teams in Europe consisting of the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Paris St. Germain, and 13 other European club teams to choose from. If you get fed up of the cups or leagues you have with FIFA 99, you would always be able to create yours. You would be able to select from 2 to 24 teams and apply a league or cup structure. The club teams and the leagues have also been increased from those of FIFA 98. They've removed the Malasian League and added the Belgian and Portugese Leagues, so now FIFA 99 will feature the Spanish, English, Brazilian, Italian, French, German, American, Portugese, Scottish, Swedish, Dutch and Belgian Leagues, with a total of 250 club teams.

We've seen the Goalkeeper's AI improve from the arcade and unrealistic goalkeepers of FIFA International Soccer to the near perfect keepers of World Cup 98. They've come to a point where the keeper's AI cannot be imrpoved much more, so now EA Sports will be giving you the option to have more responsibility on your keeper's actions. Featureing the new feature called Semi Automatic Goalkeepers, you will be able to tell the goalkeeper when to run out for the ball.

Why might people like it?
EA Sports has built it's excellent reputation with the other soccer games that the company has released in the past. Even if FIFA 99 won't be that good, it will still succeed. Even though, from all the new features that we've seen, and from a little look to some screen shots, you'll immediatly notice that this would be the game that will rule the soccer action games community. Usually, gamers look at good graphics, fun and realistic gameplay and plenty of details. FIFA 99 should excel in all the three points, so again, this game cannot fail.

Why might people hate it?
There will be some competition, though. We will soon see the release of Actua Soccer 3, which will try at all costs to beat it's rival; FIFA 99. For now, this game has come very close the EA Sports' soccer games, and this time Actua Soccer 3 seems that will give us some surprises.

Another reason why people might not sympasise with FIFA 99, is because it will only features 12 leagues, where most of the gamers' favourite clubs are not included. This has always been a problem with most of the Soccer games. There are so many clubs in the world that a game cannot ever satisfy everyone.

Preview by: Daniel Vassallo.