UEFA Euro 2004

You Know the form by now: a new FIFA game every year and a 'special' one every other year for either the World Cup or the European Championships. Naturally, it's the latter that concerns us here, as Europe's finest (and Latvia) gear up for the impending festivities in Portugal. Some epic battles are expected, and pundits are also hoping for a couple of decent football matches. While the TV screens will inevitably be filled with drunken pondlife spitting hate in Hackett, Burberry and Clone Island, UEFA Euro 2004 will eschew the garden furniture and water cannon in favour of the football.

From the same Canadian stable as the absurdly successful FIFA games, a separate 30-strong development team has put Euro 2004 together, presumably leaving the rest of the robots to concentrate on FIFA 2005. To claim that it's a wholly different game would be a lie though, as this is simply FIFA 2004 six months down the line with a Euro flavour.

Foot In Mouth

Clearly aimed at the mass market, EA is happy to admit that it's attempting to ensnare Euro-crazed football fans. In a somewhat Ratner-esque statement, a senior marketing executive openly proclaimed: "I want to be honest with you and say that this game is not going to be a PES-beater - it's not even going to necessarily be a FIFA-beater." As for the good news, it promises to be "the deepest event-product we've ever brought to release", the idea being that once you've seen the match and got the shirt, you buy the game.

To that end. it will replicate the Euro 2004 experience in extreme detail. It's not just about the final stages in Portugal, as the Euro Coach mode will enable you to take charge of any of the 51 nations that took part in the qualifying campaign and steer them towards the promised land. Over a maximum of 29 games, this will cover friendlies, qualifiers and hopefully the finals themselves. During the 18-month campaign, squads can be selected from 40 or so players, although injuries, personal issues and even club versus country rows will impact on their availability.

It's Not In The Game

On the pitch, EA is claiming upwards of ten new context-sensitive skill moves, including nutmegs and Ron Atkinson's perennial favourite, the lollipop. Throw in fake shots, diving headers, bicycle kicks, chip shots and a new crossing model, and you could be forgiven for thinking that it sounds like a more arcadey experience. However, our extensive playtest of the alpha code proved otherwise, and it seemed to be little more than a slightly slicker version of the previous FIFA.

Of course, Euro 2004 will also have an online mode, as with previous FIFA titles, featuring various multiplayer options for you to thrash. Hopefully, the slew of new game modes will ensure Euro 2004 is worth checking out - and while there's no doubting the authenticity of the game, we can only hope the boys get it right on the pitch come this summer.