FIFA International Soccer - Championship Edition
 

"Faster gameplay.  Tougher computer opponents.  16 new teams.  Extended play options - 8 new secret game modes.  Over 150 full-motion video clips."
 
Game Information
Developer Extended Play Productions
Publisher Electronic Arts
Copyright Date 1994
Players 1 - 4
Age Rating(s) None given
Save Type RAM
Cart Version Yes
 

 
 
Part Numbers
Game T-50055-50
Front Cover E262SCXI(1)
Back Cover E262SCYI(2)
Manual E262SCXM
Spine Card E262SCXA
CD 1 E262SCXD
Bar Code 5 015839 262920
 

 
 

     
     
 
 
 
 
 
Thanks to Nick Russell for the composite image of the FIFA spine card from a sealed copy.
 
Look, you know about the FIFA series so I'm not going to write an essay on it, but concentrate instead on the differences between the cart version and the CD.  So EA's now perennial football game comes to the Mega-CD with a so-so list of improvements.  150 FMV clips may sound fantastic on the back of the box but they don't actually add anything to the game, and most of them are contained in the very flashy intro sequence, though on the bright side the team roster is bolstered to 64 and the AI for both your team and the opposition does seem a little sharper.  The most worrying claim is for the "8 new secret game modes" - either it's such a good secret that no-one has written anything about it on the net, or they really are them same 8 modes that are tucked away on the cart version, making them not very "new" at all.  Whilst these add light relief (such as invisible walls or super curve balls that turn 180 degrees) or alter the challenge by stat maxing part or all of either team, they remain a distraction rather than anything that's going to extend the title's life very much. 

The box also proudly boasts "faster gameplay" and whilst things might run very slightly quicker the loading times between halves, accompanied by some of the most God-awful loading screens I've ever seen, totally ruin any momentum the match had.  On the upside CD audio does add some atmosphere with crowd reactions and chants that are distinguishable and appropriate for the teams playing, and the seek time for these is unnoticeable.  The excellent replay function is brought over from the cart version, as is the the ability to stand in front of the opposition's goalkeeper and rebound the ball off your forward and into the net that decided many a hard fought 2-player game.  There's nothing wrong with this game at all - FIFA was and remains a solid, enjoyable football game with support for up to 4 players to play on the same or opposing teams, but there's also nothing here that you'd really miss if you bought the cart for 50p from eBay.  This might explain why none of the other 4 FIFA titles were converted, although FIFA 96 did make in onto the 32X and was only released in Europe making it somewhat prized by US-based collectors.
 
 Mega Power Demo #6 was limited to two teams and one minute each way.  Another demo CD featuring only the Paragon Publishing logo was given away with issue 43 of Sega Pro CD.