Joining the ranks of NHL Hockey '94 and Madden '94 in the category of "classic sports games" is FIFA Soccer by Electronic Arts. I spotted this one at the CES in Chi-town last summer and knew they had hit the mark. The national teams of over forty countries have been rated for this World Cup simulation. From powerhouses like Italy and Brazil to the lowly Qatar squad - does anyone even know what street Qatar is on?

I don't believe soccer translates as well into a videogame as does football or hockey. More than any other sport, there is a need in a soccer game to see as wide of an area of the field as possible. This couldn't be done, of course, without some major sacrifices in gameplay.

Even with that disclaimer this is a great game! All of the moves are there - bicycle kicks, headers, sliding tackles... and for you dirty players out there, they threw in yellow (and red) cards. To become a quality passer will take some time - there is a temptation to just give the ball a boot and try to be the first one to reach it. The purists out there will need a little practice to make those nice crisp passes consistently. Play the World All-Stars vs. Quatar to sharpen your skills.

Anyone who has seen a match on public TV broadcast from Europe will recognize the singing that continues for much of the game. I can't figure out what they're chanting, but it sounds great. If FIFA Soccer doesn't put you on the mid-field line at Wembley Stadium then the fault lies within yourself, pal! So pick this one up and go have a super kick-about