And they're even all different! A couple of months back we had the excellent Ultimate Soccer, a 3D into-the-screen scroller, and this month we get the top-down Sensible Soccer and this, which uses an isometric perspective which, and correct me if I'm wrong, hasn't ever been used on any kind of arcade, console or computer football game before. Mega Drive-owning footy fans must be incredibly confused. What's to be done?

The first thing to point out is that if you're stupidly rich (or even richly stupid), it really is worth owning all three of these titles. Sure, they're all football games, but each one has a completely unique feel and way of playing, to the extent that it hardly feels like the same game at all. But let's face it, most of you aren't. Most of you are going to have enough trouble gathering together the cash for one of them, so which should you go for? The merits and demerits of the other two are well covered in their own reviews, so before we attempt any kind of judgement, let's see what EA's effort has to offer.

First, the graphics. Great, aren't they? This really does look like watching football on the TV, and the animation and attention to detail is simply stunning. The crowd seem to move as individuals, and the players actually seem to act like real footballers, right down to writhing around on the ground in agony after a tackle, then getting up and running off as soon as the ref shows the offender the yellow card. You can call up an action replay at any time and fast-forward, rewind, pause or single-frame it, focussing either on the action generally or any single player of your choice, which is a big improvement on Sensible's rather cursory effort.

The players have half-a-dozen different ways of celebrating a goal, and a more hyperactive repertoire of moves generally than Gordon Strachan after 16 cans of Coke and half a packet of Pro-Plus. The only let-down is that they're still prone to that old problem of ice-skating - sometimes their legs do enough work to carry them 50 yards, but they only actually travel 10, or vive versa. The collision detection's less than perfect too in terms of connection between ball and feet, but it's something you only really notice if you're looking for it.

The sound is brilliant too, although oddly it seems to work better the smaller your TV's speakers are. (The Mega Drive isn't particularly good at white noise, and the crowd can sound like a badly-tuned crackly radio on a bigger telly). There's a constant rumble of sound, occasionally broken by cheers, boos, or some totally excellent singing. (Which EA claim, dubiously, is tied in to the country you're actually playing in.) Even the kicking effects are a whole lot more convincing than you get in most footy sims.

In both these areas, FIFA International Soccer outperforms both Ultimate and Sensible by a mile, but where it comes (slightly) unstuck, certainly in comparison to the latter of those two, is in the gameplay department. While it's context- sensitive moves and instinctive control, EA's game is a joy to play, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't have either the free flow or strategic depth of Sensible Soccer. Try to play a smooth passing game here and you'll come unstuck pretty quickly - the best way to play is to continually punt the ball around in vague general directions and react to what happens when it gets there.

Still, in two-player mode it's at least the equal of Sensible, simply because it's such a glorious spectacle. (There's no getting away from the fact that if you're going to spend a lot of time playing on your own, Sensible is the better game.) And if you've got a gang of mates round for a tournament, you'll have almost as good a time while you're sitting on the sidelines watching as when you're playing the game yourself. (And while we're on the subject of tournaments, FIFA International Soccer doesn't have nearly such a comprehensive set-up menu as Sensible's game, and is limited to international teams rather than having international, club and custom ones, but it's got everything you're ever likely to reasonably need, so that's okay).

We're nearing the end of the review now, and it seems like I've spent a lot of time pointing out niggly flaws in this game. That's because that's my job, but what I really want to tell you is to ignore them all - as long as you've got a friend, this is an utterly wonderful gaming experience. I haven't even begun to touch on all of the great things that are tucked away in here, but you'll discover them all for yourself when you buy it, which I strongly recommend that you go out and do as soon as possible.

93 PERCENT