FIFA 2000

FIFA 2000

FIFA 2000 (called FIFA 2000: Major League Soccer in North America) was a football video game made by EA Canada and shared by Electronic Arts. It was the seventh game in the FIFA series. The game let players enjoy football at home, using real teams and star players.

The game came out for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation, so many gamers could play it. A version for the Game Boy Color was created by Tiertex Design Studios and shared by THQ. This let fans play football anywhere with a portable system.

Game features

This version of the game added a new feature. Players could compete over many seasons. They could try to move up or down in leagues and qualify for European Cup competition. For the first time, the game had an official license for the US Major League Soccer. This was used as a subtitle for the North American version.

Sound

The FIFA 2000 game has commentary from famous sports broadcasters. In the UK version, you can hear John Motson and Mark Lawrenson. They recorded their voices in a studio in London. In the US version, the commentary is done by Phil Schoen from ESPN and Julie Foudy, a famous US soccer player.

The game also includes music from singer Robbie Williams. His song "It's Only Us" is the main theme of the game. Because of this, EA Sports added Port Vale, the soccer club Robbie Williams supports, to the game.

Reception

The game was liked by many people. The Game Boy Color version did not do as well, with a score of 47% on GameRankings. The PlayStation version scored 87%, and the PC version scored 85%. In Japan, where the PlayStation version was released as FIFA 2000: Europa League Soccer on March 30, 2000, it got a score of 28 out of 40 from Famitsu.

PlayStation Max gave the PlayStation version a gold rating. They liked its look, sound, and lasting appeal, but thought it was too easy to score goals. The Official UK PlayStation Magazine said the gameplay was too precise and easy to beat defenders but liked the graphics and commentary, giving it a 7 out of 10.

One review in GamePro said the PlayStation version was a top choice for soccer fans. Another review said that despite some flaws, the game was fun and exciting. A review of the PC version liked the single-player AI and MLS features but felt the cartoonish player designs and limited plays were drawbacks.

By 2000, the game had sold 500,000 units. The PlayStation version earned a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association for selling at least 300,000 units in the UK.

The PC version won the "Computer Sports Game of the Year" award at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences’s 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.