WORLD CUP '98
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World Cup a ball buster

By JAMES ANTHONY

Well, well, France is the world champion soccer nation at last. And not a bad thing for anyone who remembers their campaign in 1982 when Michel Platini's boys were just so sensational and yet ended up being monstered out by those horrible Huns!

For those too young, France played the most wonderful soccer imaginable and almost got past Germany in the semi-final but one of their great talents was taken out by the thuggish German goalkeeper in one of the game's most shameful - and unpunished - incidents and, consequently, they lost.

Still, all's well that ends well and you can relive the great moments of the most recent tournament, along with some of the classic cup clashes in World Cup 98.

Electronic Arts Sports has come up with an absolute winner with this title, which gets you in from the kick off with the lively Chumbawumba song "I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again".

The graphics are without doubt some of the best produced in a sports game with motion capture again proving its magic as the players run, jump and react in 3D as real sportsmen do.

The camera angles are imaginative and realistic, but the commentary does lack spark.

A bonus to winning the competition is the ability to play eight of the greatest World Cup finals matches going from 1930 to 1982. There are cheats to trigger this without holding the cup aloft.

Next time, hopefully, the Socceroos will qualify for the World Cup Finals and will give it a bit of a shake. 

ORIGINALITY 85%
SOUND/GRAPHICS 95%
PLAYABILITY 85%
ADDICTION 80%
ENJOYMENT 85%