We’re just hours away from being able to play EA’s latest installment in its long-running football-simulator franchise, FIFA 16. I thought it would be a nice trip down memory lane to have a couple of its most memorable intros, and it’s also a good reminder of how far they’ve come (Pay special attention to the “EA Sports, it’s in the game”).
FIFA International Soccer, aka the first one. This intro is completely bland and devoid of content, but it meant the beginning of one of the longest running and most succesful videogame franchises of all time.
FIFA 96, the third installment, was the first kinda-cool one. The music is great (Wouldn’t expect less from the Genesis) and the effects of the letters and the players look very nice for a 20 y/o game.
FIFA 97 took full advantage of the PS1’s capabilities and added some real life footage for the first time, a giant leap for this intro packages.
The millenia ends with this beautiful intro, which has a cinematic beggining and catchy tunes accompanied with colorful gameplay for the rest of a personal favorite intro.
Watching this one almost brings a tear to my eye. The music, the graphics, it straight up awesome. FIFA 2000 had a spectacular intro for the time.
One of the last good FIFAs before the dark years, 02 had Henry, Gorillaz and what one could almost call a story. Can you really ask for more?
I dan’t really tell objectively how good this one is. Nostalgia goggles cloud my judgement, as this was the first FIFA I remember putting hundreds of hours into back when I was younger. I love this game and this intro, and I will always get goosebumps hearing those opening notes and “You are Ronaldinho. YOU, are Wayne Rooney”. Beautiful.
After 05 I believe they got really lazy. Repeating music from one edition to the next one, making them very short and only using some gameplay with no context. However, we mustn’t forget how good they were with this stuff a while ago, and I don’t know you, but I hope when I turn FIFA 16 on tomorrow, I’ll be greeted by an awesome intro that I’ll never forget. I’ll leave you with FIFA 15’s opening, which is pretty decent, and a good base over which I hope they built a good one.
