Video Game Vintage Title: 2006 FIFA World Cup

2006 FIFA World Cup

2006 FIFA World Cup is the official video game for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, published by EA Sports. 2006 FIFA World Cup was released simultaneously on the GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox and Xbox 360 on April 24, 2006. In Europe it was simultaneously released on April 28, 2006. It was also released on the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS handheld systems at the same time as the console versions. This was the last game released for the Xbox in Japan. As with some other PlayStation Portable games it was released later on May 22, 2006. In Europe, this version was released May 19, 2006. There are nine region-specific covers that feature a major player from each region.

Microsoft bundled the game with the Xbox 360 in Japan and Europe. It was also bundled with the pre-release order version introduced in India during the days when World Cup fever gripped the nation. In this featured bundle, there was a limited edition faceplate included from Adidas packaged inside.

2006 FIFA World Cup Gameplay

The game allows players to participate in the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany by taking control of one of 127 national teams. Since the release of the game 2002 FIFA World Cup, the menus have been redesigned and have more options. It even includes a satellite map when choosing countries to play in a Friendly. Online support is provided for ranked and unranked matches on PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360. The online service provides lobbies, leaderboards and a global challenge mode where the player can play through over forty historical World Cup scenarios, and even change the history.

By playing online and in single-player mode, spending points for the virtual store are earned, where players can purchase uniforms, historical players, various footballs, boots, and gameplay options. As with the previous World Cup video game, matches in World Cup mode are played in the same order as at the World Cup in Germany.

Reception

Both IGN and GameSpot rated several versions of the game before its release in North America. The ratings below are the ratings achieved for that particular platform with IGN rankings first, then GameSpot.