“It’s gone from bad to worse for the goalkeeper – he’s having what they call a nightmare.”

The reason? Well executed through-balls have led to four goals. The first was a sweet touch pass from Landon Donovan onto the foot a new member to the team (one bearing a name similar to the author of this review), a jostle with the defender followed by a left-footed blast low-near corner that slid neatly under the diving keeper. Then the latter-named player returned the favor, leading to a 25-yard sprint before Donovan eludes the keeper with a well-placed shot to the far corner.

The game was possession after that, and the qualifying World Cup match victory was secured.

What joy! What excitement! What fun! EA Sports is back at it with 2006 FIFA World Cup, an Xbox title long on options, briskly paced and with a few new features that will make the experience all the more enjoyable.

The game has several ways to play, including an online component through Xbox Live. Other game modes include Play Now, a new Global Challenge mode that recreates 40 classic moments in World Cup history using modern teams (you can earn rewards to unlock legendary players and classic gear), Penalty Shootout (you can really learn to direct shots with this mode), Practice, Team Management (you can create players here) and My FIFA World Cup (profile management).

The graphics are solid for the Xbox, with some nice ball movement and player ballhandling skills that are intelligent. Of course what would the experience be without some dynamic lighting effects and World Cup has that as well. Moving from the sun-lit areas into the shadows created by the stadiums can cause a few problems. The game is not without some visual setbacks, though. The camera is defaulted to the broadcast mode and while that is a strong presentation, it can be hard to determine where the defense is aligned on a run down the field.

While the music is all over the place and does not seem as eclectic as the 360 title, one of the easy highlights of the game is the play-by-play announcing of Clive Tyldsley and Andy Townsend. There may be repetitive phrases used, but it always seems appropriate and holds the excitement of the game very well.

The control scheme seems more responsive than its next-gen counterpart, but there are some options in the 360 not evident here. For example, the 360 enables players to hot-key to menus on out-of-touch plays by using the D-pad. You can still do that but you will need to hit the start button to pull up the menu interface. Just a minor inconvenience. An eye must also be kept on the player’s stamina; if they wear out, there is a greater chance they can lose the ball.

The left analog stick controls movement and ball direction, while the right analog allows for special moves. The rest of the control scheme falls in line with what was seen in previous games in the franchise. The shooting mechanics have undergone some upgrades, allowing button-pressure sensitive touches.

In addition to the ability to create a player and place him on the World Cup side of your choice, the pre-built international cast of players does resemble their real-life counterparts, not only in appearance, but with their skills. There are 127 teams that head into the qualification tourney, playing in official stadiums that are rendered out very nicely. Of course, with the 127 teams come 127 national anthems, and a wonderful stadium fly-in. The FIFAWorldCup.com Zone features in-game videos of 2006 World Cup, and multiplayer (when available) will allow eight-way multiplayer sessions.

The FIFA Lounge is new this year, through Xbox Live, allowing players to hook up for ranked or unranked matches. The experience is rich and while there are occasional lag issues, they are minor.  

This is a World Cup year and EA has done a terrific job in bringing the passion, the excitement and the skill of the “beautiful game” to the Xbox console platform. It is challenging, and a lot of fun.

Or, to quote the announcer: “It’s the best job in the world watching this class of football.”

Gameplay: 8.3
The game has some load times but the controls are reasonably tight. The options package is rich and allows for great entertainment value. The AI can be a little suspect at times, though, with players stopping moving once they lose the ball but quickly tapping the appropriate button gets players back into the game in a hurry.

Graphics: 8.0
The in-game animation is solid and the stadiums are well done. Dynamic lighting and shadows, instant replays all add to the thrill.

Sound: 8.5
The musical score is Ok, but the stars of the show are the announcers and the crowd noises.

Difficulty: Medium
The game has a variety of difficulty settings to enable players to set up the challenge quite well.

Concept: 8.4
Customization packages always add to the thrill of the game, as well as being able to place yourself into the game. FIFA World Cup for 2006 offers that, enriching the experience.

Multiplayer: 8.3
Ranked or unranked matches through Xbox Live provide more depth to the game.

Overall: 8.5
The controls are more responsive than the 360 platform, and there is the create-a-player option to put you squarely into the heat of the battle. The 2006 FIFA World Cup edition is definitely a lot of fun to play, and provides a solid challenge as well.