<s>
FIFA	B-Application
97	I-Application
(	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
FIFA	B-Application
Soccer	I-Application
97	I-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
football	O
simulation	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
EA	O
Canada	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
PC	O
on	O
24	O
June	O
1996	O
and	O
versions	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
SNES	B-Application
,	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive	I-Operating_System
and	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
followed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FIFA	B-Application
97	I-Application
is	O
the	O
fourth	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
FIFA	O
series	O
and	O
the	O
second	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
Virtual	O
Stadium	O
engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
engine	O
,	O
FIFA	B-Application
97	I-Application
features	O
polygonal	O
players	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
the	O
2D	O
sprites	O
used	O
in	O
FIFA	O
Soccer	O
'	O
96	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
engine	O
however	O
received	O
complaints	O
for	O
being	O
sluggish	O
in	O
the	O
PC	O
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
versions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multiplayer	O
games	O
are	O
also	O
possible	O
with	O
up	O
to	O
20-players	O
via	O
LAN	B-General_Concept
and	O
8-players	O
using	O
a	O
modem	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
trailer	O
's	O
tagline	O
was	O
"	O
FIFA	B-Application
97	I-Application
,	O
it	O
will	O
blow	O
you	O
away.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
FIFA	B-Application
97s	I-Application
computer	O
version	O
received	O
a	O
"	O
Gold	O
"	O
sales	O
award	O
from	O
the	O
Verband	O
der	O
Unterhaltungssoftware	O
Deutschland	O
(	O
VUD	O
)	O
,	O
indicating	O
sales	O
of	O
at	O
least	O
100,000	O
units	O
across	O
Germany	O
,	O
Austria	O
and	O
Switzerland	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
received	O
a	O
wide	O
range	O
of	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
reviewer	O
for	O
Next	O
Generation	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
insisted	O
that	O
"	O
The	O
simple	O
,	O
sad	O
fact	O
is	O
FIFA	B-Application
'	I-Application
97	I-Application
is	O
the	O
most	O
disappointing	O
EA	O
Sports	O
game	O
in	O
years.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
acknowledged	O
that	O
the	O
visuals	O
are	O
good	O
and	O
the	O
features	O
are	O
comprehensive	O
,	O
but	O
found	O
the	O
slow	O
pace	O
,	O
frame	O
rate	O
,	O
control	O
,	O
and	O
unrealistic	O
ball	O
physics	O
make	O
FIFA	B-Application
'	I-Application
97	I-Application
a	O
poor	O
offering	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
Play	O
magazine	O
in	O
Issue	O
15	O
and	O
Official	O
UK	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Magazine	O
in	O
Issue	O
15	O
rated	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
similarly	O
with	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
70%	O
and	O
7/10	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviews	O
for	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
port	O
were	O
more	O
uniformly	O
middling	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
often	O
compared	O
it	O
unfavorably	O
to	O
Sega	B-Application
Worldwide	I-Application
Soccer	I-Application
97	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamePro	O
also	O
noted	O
that	O
the	O
graphics	O
and	O
audio	O
are	O
inferior	O
to	O
those	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Saturn	B-Device
Power	O
mentioned	O
numerous	O
aggravations	O
with	O
the	O
controls	O
and	O
configurations	O
,	O
and	O
summarized	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
Almost	O
perversely	O
entertaining	O
for	O
a	O
game	O
as	O
flawed	O
as	O
it	O
is.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
Magazines	O
Rich	O
Leadbetter	O
found	O
the	O
AI	O
too	O
heavily	O
flawed	O
to	O
provide	O
an	O
accurate	O
simulation	O
of	O
soccer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
Price	O
,	O
he	O
deemed	O
the	O
game	O
enjoyable	O
despite	O
its	O
flaws	O
,	O
but	O
concluded	O
Sega	B-Application
Worldwide	I-Application
Soccer	I-Application
'	I-Application
97	I-Application
to	O
be	O
indisputably	O
a	O
wiser	O
purchase	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Genesis	O
and	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
versions	O
were	O
reviewed	O
in	O
GamePro	O
by	O
two	O
different	O
critics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamePro	O
also	O
ran	O
a	O
brief	O
review	O
of	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
version	O
,	O
praising	O
it	O
for	O
managing	O
easy-to-follow	O
graphics	O
despite	O
the	O
small	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
