How to sneak the silverware from Fifa
Pro Evolution Soccer
PS2 £44.99
Konami
Rating: *****
FIFA 2002 PS2 £44.99
EA Sports
Rating: *****
Forget Liverpool vs Man Utd - the biggest footie clash is on the PlayStation 2. Defending the goal to the right we have EA Sports' best-selling Fifa series. Full of polish, bona fide player names and popstar intro sequences, the Fifa games have always been the punter's choice. To the left we have Konami's Pro Evolution - the latest in the acclaimed International Superstar Soccer series.
It promises to be a tight game. Fifa attacks from the kick-off and takes an early lead. Its authentic team and player names, with Motty on the mike, making mincemeat of Pro Evo's limited selection and grating commentary. The early dominance continues as Fifa shows off its new passing system. Unlike before, where a team-mate was always reached, there is now a more realistic through-ball option that allows for passes into space. Unfortunately for Fifa this improvement can't mask deeper failings as Pro Evo equalises before half time; its player likenesses and graphical prowess outshining an unusually under-par visual performance from Fifa.
The second half is one-way traffic as Pro Evo scores quickly. The sharper control and plethora of control options allow for a more measured, and realistic, build-up. Despite a laudable slowing of pace, Fifa is still susceptible to unrealistic 5-5 scorelines, with even midfield journeymen able to dribble past defenders. Pro Evolution seals victory with a couple of late goals as the depth of the tactical options and single-player Master League becomes apparent. Fifa nabs a late consolation, as the lack of club-sides haunts Pro Evo once more, but there was only one winner here.
Pro Evolution Soccer is by far the greatest footie game the world has ever seen.
Greg Howson
A tennis game set to match the real thing
Tennis Masters Series
PC £29.99
Microids
Rating: *****
It has been many years since I was so comprehensively thrashed at a game of tennis, especially at the rookie level.
The object of Tennis Masters Series is to play a year-long season as an unseeded challenger along with 65 other pros, in an attempt to make the top eight and qualify for the finale, the Tennis Masters Cup. Each pro has individual attitudes, tactics and skills: tournaments include Indian Wells, Monte Carlo, Montreal and Paris.
Choose your game plan, from being a power hitter, a baseliner or a net rusher, with three types of serve - flat, slice or topspin. Matches are played on three court surfaces - hard, clay and carpet - and at different times - noon, 5pm and at night, with the lighting and shadows changing accordingly.
The players' court craft is excellent. They conform to the number one tactical rule I learnt: always hit to the open court and keep your opponent on the run, although the occasional attempt at wrong-footing is fine.
The graphics are also excellent, with the court settings realistic even down to the adverts courtside, the skylines and the scuff marks on the clay.
The crowd applauds, whistles or jeers as appropriate, but if you are having a bad day at the office, it is a simple matter to switch them off.
The game boasts that its artificial intelligence simulates the players true reactions, but the constant displays of anger from one top player would surely prove his undoing. And I found it difficult to direct the angle and power of my groundstrokes, so I felt I was simply reacting as my opponent dictated the points. Somewhat unrealistically, highly ranked opponents did not miss a first serve and consistently hit deep, unplayable groundstrokes to both corners of the court.
The post-match ritual handshaking with the left hands jarred. But on the whole, Tennis Master Series is addictive and, fortunately for exponents of the real game, not a skill that can be picked up overnight.
Elizabeth Minter
· Elizabeth Minter was a professional tennis player from 1982 to 1990.
It's time to hit the wrong side of the road
Burnout
PS2 £39.99
Criterion/Acclaim
Rating: *****
Ah, the roar of oncoming traffic. This isn't just any old driving game, it's a dangerous-driving game. Burnout drops you and three computer-controlled opponents - or a friend - into circuits teeming with traffic. To win, you'll need to use your boost facility. But you only get the boost meter maxed out by driving like a maniac - zooming up the wrong side of the road, power-sliding recklessly around junctions, and buzzing traffic with near-misses. If you crash, you lose boost energy and valuable time.
Burnout executes this concept, with its roots in coin-op Thrill Drive and PC game Midtown Madness, with head-melting velocity and great visual elan. The racing environments are solid and stylish, with long laps punctuated by ruthlessly spread-out checkpoints. The vehicles, from superminis to pick-up trucks and buses, all boast handling of an appropriately unrealistic responsiveness. The AI of the civilian vehicles is scarily good - drive up the wrong side of the road and they'll flash their lights in panic and then, most likely, veer just the way you are steering to avoid them; at other points, the developers have evilly choreographed dense crossroad traffic, which you can learn to sneak through.
The inevitable crashes are treated with slo-mo glee, much motion blur and camera zooming, helping to convey an entertaining sense of weight and smash.
Criterion are obviously so in love with their central concept that not much attention has been lavished on the presentation. It feels rough around the edges, with dull menus, unoptimised loading times and limited options. But the game's central, arcade thrill is enough. For those turned off by the petrol-head structure of Gran Turismo 3, Burnout has triumphantly put the fun back into driving.
Steven Poole
