Matt's FIFA 2001 Thoughts
It was as if Christmas had come early, as the man carrying a FedEx parcel addressed to Soccer Gaming arrived at the door later yesterday afternoon. I snatched it off him and ran to my PC as quickly as my legs could carry me. After entering the usual series of registration keys and secret passwords most BETA copies carry, I was about to experience FIFA 2001 for the first time.

Before I did though, I took some time to look through the options. After years of fast paced action, I was delighted to be able to change the Game Speed to "Slower". Anticipating the new larger field I changed the camera angle to "Tower", and decided to experiment with the new "On Field" sounds option.

As they game began I realised my dreams had come true. On top of this, I was filled with excitement as realisation of just how enjoyable the upcoming FIFA 2001 season will be for not only the fans of the game, but the vistors to this website who will be able to expand a game, which in all honesty is magnificent in it's current state, to near perfection.

The pitch was big! I pinched myself then looked again, and I wasn't imagining things, but the pitch as we've always wanted it to be: the size of a real football field. As I kicked off, and passed the ball back to one of my midfielders, I was amazed at the new feel of the game. No longer did I feel like I had to get rid of the ball as soon as it hit my feet. I was able to stop it, look around for options, and if no one was open, lazily lay it back to one of my defenders. The new "Slower" game speed was working like a charm.