<s>
World	B-Application
Cup	I-Application
98	I-Application
is	O
the	O
first	O
official	O
FIFA	O
World	O
Cup	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
EA	O
Sports	O
after	O
obtaining	O
the	O
rights	O
from	O
FIFA	O
in	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
the	O
previous	O
World	O
Cup	O
games	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
in	O
2D	O
and	O
showed	O
a	O
bird's-eye	O
view	O
,	O
World	B-Application
Cup	I-Application
98	I-Application
used	O
a	O
3D	O
engine	O
,	O
utilising	O
DirectX	B-Application
for	O
the	O
PC	O
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
engine	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
that	O
of	O
FIFA	B-Application
:	I-Application
Road	I-Application
to	I-Application
World	I-Application
Cup	I-Application
98	I-Application
,	O
though	O
it	O
features	O
some	O
minor	O
gameplay	O
improvements	O
to	O
areas	O
such	O
as	O
in-game	O
strategy	O
changing	O
and	O
player	O
positioning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Application
Cup	I-Application
98	I-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
and	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
favourable	O
reviews	O
on	O
all	O
platforms	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
GameRankings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
said	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
,	O
"	O
Released	O
to	O
coincide	O
with	O
the	O
recent	O
World	O
Cup	O
frenzy	O
,	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
 '	O
World	B-Application
Cup	I-Application
98	I-Application
is	O
technically	O
a	O
winner	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
same	O
console	O
version	O
was	O
ported	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Electronic	B-Application
Arts	I-Application
Victor	I-Application
under	O
the	O
name	O
of	O
on	O
5	O
November	O
1998	O
,	O
Famitsu	O
gave	O
it	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
30	O
out	O
of	O
40	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jeff	O
Lackey	O
of	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Plus	O
gave	O
the	O
PC	O
version	O
all	O
fives	O
stars	O
,	O
saying	O
,	O
"	O
If	O
you	O
do	O
n't	O
have	O
FIFA	O
98	O
,	O
the	O
decision	O
is	O
clear	O
—	O
if	O
you	O
are	O
a	O
soccer	O
fan	O
,	O
or	O
any	O
type	O
of	O
computer	O
sports	O
fan	O
at	O
all	O
,	O
you	O
will	O
love	O
World	B-Application
Cup	I-Application
98	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Warren	O
Christmas	O
of	O
PC	O
Zone	O
gave	O
the	O
same	O
PC	O
version	O
91%	O
,	O
saying	O
,	O
"	O
World	B-Application
Cup	I-Application
98	I-Application
is	O
quite	O
simply	O
the	O
finest	O
football	O
game	O
on	O
the	O
PC	O
;	O
the	O
perfect	O
accompaniment	O
to	O
the	O
tournament	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
RTWC	B-Application
'	I-Application
98	I-Application
owners	O
,	O
it	O
's	O
a	O
purchase	O
for	O
the	O
completist	O
or	O
the	O
extravagant	O
;	O
for	O
the	O
uninitiated	O
few	O
,	O
an	O
opportunity	O
to	O
see	O
a	O
commercially	O
evergreen	O
franchise	O
in	O
rare	O
form.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Cam	O
Shea	O
of	O
Hyper	O
gave	O
the	O
N64	B-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
PC	O
versions	O
each	O
90%	O
,	O
calling	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
a	O
superb	O
game	O
,	O
but	O
think	O
twice	O
if	O
you	O
already	O
own	O
FIFA	O
98.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
James	O
Ashton	O
of	O
N64	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
gave	O
the	O
N64	B-Operating_System
version	O
73%	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
a	O
"	O
highly	O
desirable	O
license	O
,	O
[	O
but	O
a ]	O
flawed	O
game.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
was	O
a	O
bestseller	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Guide'''s	O
July	O
1998	O
issue	O
named	O
World	B-Application
Cup	I-Application
98	I-Application
as	O
the	O
winner	O
of	O
a	O
group	O
test	O
involving	O
other	O
PC	O
football	O
games	O
around	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
ahead	O
of	O
competitors	O
such	O
as	O
Actua	B-Application
Soccer	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
Three	B-Application
Lions	I-Application
and	O
Sensible	B-Application
Soccer	I-Application
'	I-Application
98	I-Application
.	O
</s>
