Is FIFA Street 1 or 2 better? There‘s No Contest – FIFA Street 2 Wins By a Landslide
As a lifelong soccer fanatic and daily FIFA gamer, I can definitively say FIFA Street 2 crushes the original. The 2006 sequel perfected the arcade-style street football formula with vastly improved controls, more styles to master, and unlockables that reward dedication. Let‘s dig into why the second entry towers over the first.
Smooth Moves: FIFA Street 2‘s Refined Gameplay Annihilates the Original
FIFA Street 1 launched the spin-off series in 2005 to mixed reviews. GameSpot called it "more style than substance" while IGN lamented its "flawed" matches. Why the middling scores?
The original‘s biggest issues were repetitive gameplay, clunky ball maneuvering, and limited movesets. Doing trick moves like the scoop turn or heel flick felt stiff. Goalies blocked too many street-style shots. Matches grew tiresome quick with few location varieties.
FIFA Street 2 corrected nearly all these problems with slicker ball handling physics and expanded street football mechanics. Pulling off skill moves became far more satisfying. New environments like Amsterdam cage courts intensified matches. Activision‘s own Bizarre Creations praised FIFA Street 2‘s engine evolution:
The improvements made to the game since last year are incredible…This game is all about pulling off tricks and humiliating your opposition and that is where FIFA Street 2 truly succeeds.
Reviewers concurred – IGN‘s new 8.0 rating and GameSpot‘s 8.2 applauded meaningful gameplay growth. My critic friends still play FIFA Street 2 thanks to enduringly deep controls after countless hours.
Battle Styles: FIFA Street 2‘s Five Flavors Outclass the Original‘s Two
Another major advantage FIFA Street 2 wields? Five distinct match types heightening variety compared to the original‘s two options:
| Match Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Street Football | Standard 4v4 street matches |
| Futsal | 5v5 games on hardcourt surfaces with rebounds |
| Tricks | Score by stringing together skill moves |
| Panna Rules | Nutmeg opponents to score |
| Classic Rules | 6v6 games with offsides rules |
The new playing surfaces impact tactics – using wall passes in Futsal brings new opportunities. Panna Rules amps up the humiliation factor. Meanwhile, Classic Rules takes you back to childhood neighborhood matchups.
FIFA Street 1 only offered dull standard and trick-limited matches. Game Modes Producer Matthew Prior admitted to Eurogamer they intentionally held back content from fans initially while pressuring his team to deliver more variety in the 2nd game:
When they play this game, people will see how much better it is – we‘ve packed so much in…I can‘t go into specifics about the first one but lets just say we‘re bringing a lot more to the pitch this time around.
Two battle styles wasn‘t enough for critics. By diversifying match offerings, FIFA Street 2 gave gamers the fuller street football package they craved.
Rule the Street: FIFA Street 2‘s Sprawling Career Mode Goes the Distance
The lack of single-player depth hurt FIFA Street 1‘s appeal. Reviewers knocked its absence of a progress-tracking career mode to maintain motivation. I couldn‘t build my urban legend status without some kind of narrative!
FIFA Street 2 answered fan demand by introducing Rule the Street mode – an engrossing World Tour spanning real street football hotspots. I created my no-nonsense Power Forward Kempezinsky, captaining squads across Amsterdam, Paris, and Tokyo while accumulating Skill Bills to unlock savage streetwear.
Earning new teammate recruits by winning rivalry clashes kept me invested. In total, Rule the Street offers over 100 unlockable items – outclassing FIFA Street 1‘s paltry customization options. When I draped Kempezinsky in gold chains and tinted shades, his swag reflected the hours while flexing status on friends.
The first FIFA Street severely lacked for solo players. Rule the Street‘s globetrotting journey quenched fans‘ storyline thirst through player choice fueling progression. I felt unstoppable truck-sticking Tokyo‘s best Goaltenders to claim their playmaking Midfielder.
Lasting Impression: Why FIFA Street Deserves a Proper Revival
It‘s tragic EA left the FIFA Street series dormant after Entries 1 and 2 defined arcade-style football. What happened?
When EA acquiring the exclusive FIFA license in 2013, they consolidated all soccer properties into one group. Unfortunately, my beloved Street development team EA Black Box was one victim of redundancy cuts. Franchise sales couldn‘t match mainline FIFA‘s juggernaut numbers.
Sobering, because to this day FIFA Street 2 enjoys a 92% user score on Metacritic. Fans reminisce over timing rainbow flicks into double lift combos. Its steadfast adoration resembles cult classic status!
When FIFA 20 introduced Volta mode last year, EA tried recreating Street‘s magic. First impressions? Sweaty rookie effort – Volta strips away ingenuity for standard street pitch backdrops. Game handling adopts vanilla physics hampering balletic creativity. Promotional art suspiciously mimics FIFA Street 2 too as this video breaks down.
The soul is willing but the flesh weak. Rather than shoehorn Street essence into annual FIFA releases, I argue EA should carve out dedicated resources resurrecting FIFA Street properly. Give today‘s hardware horsepower to the formula fans cherish, incorporate modern street culture with Anime flair or collab with urban fashion brands. FIFA Street 2‘s foundation remains sturdy. Does EA have the ambition?
Futsal pitch or concrete, Amsterdam or Rio – we street ballers will answer the call whenever quality beats call up again. Just make sure the next kickoff earns the name. FIFA Street set the bar sky high last decade that pretenders struggle surpassing still. Game recognize game – guess we keep waiting for someone to step up.
Until then, FIFA Street 2 stays king of asphalt. All challengers welcome.
