ADIDAS POWER SOCCER 98 PS 1

Adidas Power Soccer 98 doesn't have the smoothness or the clarity of FIFA 98. There's a certain jerkiness about the individual moves, and the victory celebrations are a little loopy - no goalie-cameraman squabbles either. What the game does have going for it is its awesome camera work. It's totally dynamic and effortlessly zooms in and out and around the action. It's so smooth in fact, that you might not notice how much it changes while you play. From nearly overhead to straight-up sideline shots, you're never missing anything, and the continual shifting improves the excitement of play and makes it look a lot more like broadcast TV. The options department is a hotbed of pros and cons too. While the game offers no stat tweaking, it does offer 427 teams to choose from. While the game may be played in either arcade or simulation mode, they're actually very similar and not really worth the distinction, especially when compared with the last version of Power Soccer's near-NBA-Jam levels of arcade fighting. Adidas Power Soccer 98 does a number of things well, but its shortcomings are frustrating enough to turn most players off before the whistle blows. If you're a dedicated video soccer enthusiast, ball handling and camera work are worth the price of admission. But if you're like most of us, and only require one soccer game in your life, either of 98's FIFA contributions would be better worth your while.