It seemed like a good thing to do back when we were twelve. Not old enough to appreciate women, just grown out of our curfews, except for Jimmy, he's still got to be in by seven even today. Videogames weren't that popular back in those hazy days either. So we infiltrated school grounds like a bunch of secret operatives, one of us would bring the drinks, somebody else would bring the ball and the rest of us would just bring ourselves - it was time for streetlamp football on a summer's evening, sun setting, dark crawling in, a perfect ambience, a perfect time to break into a sweat, a perfect time for some competition. I'd always get suckered into the nets for some reason, but the rest of the guys insisted that I was best in that position. Football was best like this, a good, tense game in a small space; it was a little more up close and personal than your traditional football.

FIFA Street attempted to recreate that ambience and, to some extent, succeeded. It was a new and exciting approach to the genre and as more people played it and started to enjoy it, the more people wanted it. In the nick of time though, just at the time when most people caught drift of the first one, comes FIFA Street 2, which ends up just being just more of the same.

There are a few modes on offer in FIFA Street 2, there are the modes where you simply jump right in and, thanks to minimal load times, it's possible to get into a game pretty much straight away. Then there are the modes that see you create a character, or a team, and get that creation well known, king of the streets some might say. Anybody who has played any of the NBA Street games will know exactly what I'm getting at - anybody who doesn't know what I'm getting at, well the principle is simple. You are at the bottom, here, and you have to get to the top, there. Comprehend?

Gameplay wise, when you're in the midst of football battle, four aside, one man in goal and three on the pitch - well, it seems almost too akin to the original. Having read Mark Hayhurst's review of FIFA Street, I have yet to spot a difference. Rather than reiterate what he has said though, I'll attempt to put into my own words how I found the gameplay.

It's different to your average football, that's for sure. Using one analogue stick to control your footballer and the other one to do tricks with (you can do little circular motions, clever flicks and whatnot) the overall outcome feels fairly good. Using the main buttons to pass and aid thumbstick tricks, the game is pretty fast paced and you'll get a good adrenaline rush from time to time with what's on offer. Scoring is relatively easy, as you just have to get past the small number of men and then run around with your man, looking at the crosshair-type-dot on the opposing net, which moves as you move, to help you aim - just wait for the right moment, bide your time - not too much time though, as the other players are closing in on you and are attempting to steal the ball, as rules don't matter on the street. Top right corner, shoot - score - goal - yes!

There's a good one for you. Rules don't matter. Not a truer word spoken - if you are sick of that ref receiving his pleasure from blowing his whistle, FIFA Street 2 sacks the ref and just puts your own discretion in charge. There are some things wrong with the whole trick-trick shoot and score gameplay though. Experts will get bored easily and novices will get irritated easily. The lack of instructions makes it difficult for new players to pick up and play, but if you get the hang of it all, you'll predict the AI and just thrash your opponent down to the ground. For some reason, FIFA Street 2 just isn't as addictive or as rewarding as NBA Street - which sounds like a silly theory, considering it's by the same guys, but it's true. For a man who can't abide basketball, for a man who normally likes regular football, you'd think FIFA Street would take my preference any day. Wrong. NBA Street just has that special something; pulling off tricks looks visually pleasing and throwing the ball into the basket just feels a hell of a lot more rewarding than kicking it past some dumbass goalie like I used to be when I played for real, six years ago. Things like gamebreakers keep the gameplay fresh for a little while longer; earn enough points by scoring with tricks and you'll eventually earn a Gamebreaker, which, when executed, gives you a guaranteed and elaborate score. Whoa!

Graphically the game is a mixed bag of goodie goodness and horrid horribleness. The good lies in the interface and layout of the entire game, which feels urban and down to earth. The little pitches, be they in London, Brazil, or wherever else, all look streetified (coined a new word) - you can even make your own pitches, well, you can customise all the colours and stuff, plus you can place the net in different locations! Anyway, all the graphics are looking quite swell, the close-ups, even though you can't really tell if it's Beckham or Rooney, still have great bouncy-anticipation animations that are spot on. The bad, while there isn't much, does really interfere with the gameplay. The frame rate suffers quite a lot when you're pulling off tricks and passing the ball - it's not intentional slowdown either, and the intentional slow-motion effects are pretty amazing, but a frame rate lag does somewhat throw a damp blanket on the gameplay.

The sound department is where this game shines. Hell, it's where most EA games shine. Clearly a lot of effort has been put into the DJ voiceovers and the urban sounding licensed music picked especially for EA Trax. You can make your own play list out of the available music too. The in-game sound effects are just as good; street noise, cheering spectators, player to player banter, just what you'd expect in an up-close and personal confined game of football.

Although I cannot see much of a reason to go from the first FIFA Street to the second, those who have just learnt what FIFA Street is, and want a taste, should probably just jump in at the second, and I'm sure major niggles from the first have been ironed out here. It's not a bad game, but casual gamers, and possibly hardcore-traditional-football fans, may get bored of pulling tricks rather than pulling skilled corners back on the real pitch. The cards are on the table and the choice is yours!

Reviewed by Dexter Pearson for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).