Pros: great graphics, good sound, realistic
Cons: replays
The bottom line: Fifa is my most favorite sports game, and I don't even like Soccer... go get it!
This was my first soccer game but I have to say...

I got my PS2 in December and FIFA 2001 was the first game I purchased. If you play sports games on any game console, you probably know that Electronic Arts has traditionally done a great job. In fact, the FIFA series was my favorite, even though I don't like soccer all that much.

Game play is great. With many sports games, especially basketball games, I've noticed that the programmers spend so much time on making the playing surface, the faces, the fans, etc. look realistic, that they forget about the most important thing - the game play. In FIFA, the animation is fluid and realistic looking, and player control is a snap. You also have the ability to adjust game speeds so that players move slower or faster. This may not seem like much, but one complaint I have about Madden 2001 is that the players move a little too slowly for my liking. This is not a problem with FIFA 2001

The graphics are what you would expect, as they take full advantage of the PS2 engine. Edges are smooth, a lot of attention was paid to detail,

In terms of teams, there are too many to count. You have US teams, international teams, MLS teams. I'm not a big fan, but from all appearances, it looks like most of the major leagues and teams in the world have been accounted for.

With multiplayer, this game can keep people occupied for a long time. Even though it's quite easy to learn the controls, you can constantly find ways to improve on your skills. And if you're like some of my friends, there's a hard check that easily injures players which is a blast.

About the only negatives I have are that the announcers get monotonous after awhile (then again, which video game's don't?), the replays are an annoyance, and if you have a tie after the overtime period, the game is decided by a shoot out.

Otherwise, there isn't much to complain about. If you like sports games, then I highly recommend this game. Given that it seems as if many game manufacturers rushed out PS2 games to beat Christmas delivery dates, FIFA 2001 really shines.