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A history of FIFA Soccer: Ranking the best games from FIFA 94 to FIFA 17

By Peter Johnstone

TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 06: Shinji Kagawa of Borussia Dortmund during a press conference for the new FIFA 16 game from EA Sports Japan on July 6, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund/Getty Images)
TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 06: Shinji Kagawa of Borussia Dortmund during a press conference for the new FIFA 16 game from EA Sports Japan on July 6, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund/Getty Images) /
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22. FIFA 96

FIFA 96 was the first game in the series to be released on a PlayStation console and it came with the tagline of “Next Generation Soccer.” This was where EA Sports really set itself apart from competitors in soccer gaming.

Gameplay

The biggest difference between FIFA 96 and previous editions of the game was the fact that it was the first to feature 3-D graphics as well as a side-on view which made it feel much more realistic for players. Now gamers had greater control over their players and their movements. It could be argued that the artificial intelligence of computer controlled players in this game was leaps and bounds ahead of the previous two releases.

New Features

The new look of the gameplay is certainly the biggest and most importance difference between FIFA 96 and the past two games. However, one of the most notable new features was that EA Sports managed to secure the official licenses for player names. This was a huge bonus for EA as no other game at the time had access to these licenses. Now the gameplay was more realistic but so too were the players. This gave players the feeling of actually playing as their soccer heroes instead of just players represented by numbers or fictional names.

Special Features

Jon Motson’s commentary and improved crowd sounds were certainly highlights of FIFA 96, while cheats were once again prominent in adding something funny to the game.

Verdict – Top half of the table

FIFA 96 demonstrated that EA Sports meant business. The improvement in the gameplay, coupled with the player licenses, make this the best of the early releases.