World Cup 98
World Cup 98 is a Nintendo 64 sports game released in 1998 developed by Electronic Arts. It centers on sport controls, shifts between attack and defense, and score or tournament goals, with controls, information, and pacing arranged around the analog stick, directional pad, A/B buttons, C buttons, and Z trigger.
- AI score · out of 10
- 7.3 / 10
About this game
World Cup 98 is a Nintendo 64 sports game centered on sport controls, shifts between attack and defense, and score or tournament goals. Matches, challenges, and tournament goals give sessions clear boundaries, with progress divided into stages, tasks, matches, or growth milestones that make its immediate goals understandable. Its value depends on whether these rules continue to create judgment and room for mastery rather than on length, sales, or series recognition. Short campaigns are judged by repeat-challenge value, while longer ones are judged by variety, pacing, and recovery after failure. Players, venues, motion recognition, and score feedback establish the match atmosphere, while 3D scenes, fog, textures, and cartridge audio need to preserve target readability within limited memory and television output. The genre-specific limitation is that opponent ai, control precision, motion recognition, and period-specific rosters can affect consistency. Platform conditions also include camera control, stick precision, Controller Pak saves, Rumble Pak support, Expansion Pak requirements, and four-player setup can affect original-hardware use. This description covers only this platform release and does not import features from other editions.
Collected in series
FIFA is EA SPORTS’ football series built around passing moves, defensive decisions and the excitement of scoring. Across its history, careers, Ultimate Team and women’s football broadened the experience beyond individual matches.
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Nintendo 64
AI review
AI reviews are subjective assessments, not player ratings. See each review for its evidence and limitations.Published date:
An atmospheric World Cup game strongest in repeated matches with friends.
World Cup 98 makes its tournament theme visible through licensed teams, uniforms, French stadiums and broadcast-style cameras. Tactical calls and skill moves give attacks more structure, though players still react a little slowly and receiving a pass can unexpectedly send the ball forward. Learning to anticipate those behaviours helps the matches come together. The World Cup and unlockable classic encounters offer focused goals, with friendlies, penalties and training supporting further sessions with friends. Solo progression has fewer reasons to continue once those goals are exhausted. Commentary, celebrations and weather create a convincing match-day setting, interrupted by blocky close-ups and inconsistent crowd reactions. Flexible match lengths, speeds and rules, plus two saved tournaments, are welcome; the menus take some acclimatisation. Its strongest audience is a group enjoying national-team competition.
Strengths
- Tactical options and licensed World Cup presentation enrich matches.
- Flexible rules and multiplayer suit sessions of different lengths.
Weaknesses
- Response and receiving friction accompany limited solo goals and inconsistent close-ups or crowd sound.
Who it is for: Players who enjoy national-team tournaments and repeat matches with friends.
Play notes: This concerns EA's original N64 World Cup 98, not FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 or Konami's contemporary soccer game.
View scoring basis
| Dimension | Review state | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension Focused tournament modes work well socially, but solo progression offers limited fresh goals after unlocking the classics. | Reviewed | 6.8 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Tactical calls and skill moves support engaging matches, though residual response lag demands anticipation. | Reviewed | 7.6 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Licensed teams and broadcast design create convincing tournament atmosphere, although blocky close-ups and abrupt crowd sound weaken continuity. | Reviewed | 7.5 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Extensive options and tournament saves add flexibility, while confusing menus and awkward receiving behaviour create friction. | Reviewed | 6.8 / 10 | Not provided |
Review sources
Not provided
Core information
- Developer
- Electronic Arts
- Publisher
- Electronic Arts
- Release date
- 1998
- Platforms
- Nintendo 64
- Content kind
- Game
- Release state
- Released
- Region
- Worldwide
- Official website
- Not provided
- Offline minimum players
- Not provided
- Offline maximum players
- Not provided
- Online minimum players
- Not provided
- Online maximum players
- Not provided
- Categories
- Sports · Primary genre
- Tags
- Pick-up and PlaySports-based PlayReplayableFast-pacedMain Story Under 10 HoursShort SessionsLow Entry BarrierPlayer versus PlayerSolo-friendly3D Graphics
- Supported game languages
- Not provided
- Requires base game
- Not provided
- Standalone
- Not provided
- Age ratings
- Not provided
- Play modes
- Single playerMultiplayer
- Perspectives
- Side view
Release editions
- Nintendo 64Worldwide1998
Game gallery
Sources
Not provided