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Pro Evolution Soccer 2009
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Graphics & Sound:
Of all the team sports games I've reviewed (and there have been plenty), Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 on the Wii is one of the only ones where I got the entire "team" experience. While this doesn't bode well for players who have a hard time keeping track of numerous things at one time, it does a lot for the game.
For a Wii title, Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 looks pretty good. It doesn't match the PS3 or 360 versions, but by now, I think we've moved beyond looking at the system based just on visuals (or, at least I would hope so). While I'll readily admit that I'm not completely familiar with the players featured in the game, they look pretty good despite a few sharp angles. The Wii version includes the option of playing with your Mii, though doing so comes with really creepy results. Rather than using the rounded bodies found in Wii Sports, players look like rounded out versions of players, only with Mii heads. There are a few animation issues, which at times get in the way of the experience; even at its worst, the game is still more than playable. Stadiums look okay, but are plagued with cardboard cutout fans.
Sound is competent. Crowd and other stadium sounds are bright, loud and active while the announcers are merely passable. They're a chatty bunch, but try to be as vague as possible when it comes to calling the action. |
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Gameplay:
As far at the gameplay modes go, Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 is pretty standard. There's the Master League, League and Cup Modes, all of which are as well done as ever. One of the few new additions is UEFA Champions League, Europe's biggest club tournament. This is a pretty big "get" for Konami and the series, and it goes all out with a great TV-style presentation. However, several teams aren't in the game, though this is something Pro Evolution fans have likely come to accept by now. Everything can be edited, including team names and stadiums. There's even an option to import images such as club emblems.
Speaking of editing, the editor is fairly complex and tedious. You can make just about anything you want, including logos, players or entire teams. However, the system could use a lot of sprucing up and will probably result in even hardcore players sticking with the default looks rather than sprucing up their teams.
Four-player, co-op play is available, though with the new control scheme, single-player is slightly more interesting than playing with friends. Online is also available and, for the Wii, pretty impressive. Once online, you can update your team rosters (at least, the rosters for "official" teams) and create friend's lists to keep track of players. |
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Difficulty:
Learning Pro Evolution Soccer 2009's control scheme (described later) is one of the taller hurdles you'll face going into the game. Though they aren't overly complicated, you'll find early on in the game that it's best to not overwhelm yourself trying to learn everything at once. Though it will probably cost you a few matches, the control system requires a lot of play time to really get down. When you do, it's a rewarding experience, though the road is not an easy one. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 requires some retraining in how you look at the playfield. While you need to keep tabs on the guy with the ball, you also need to pay attention to everyone else on the field, a skill that requires a much broader vision than the tunnel view usually employed in other sports games. Getting over the instinct to only focus on the ball is perhaps the biggest barrier to break through, but once you do it's a fun ride.
Player A.I. is one of the key reasons that the control scheme works. Players are still prone to mistakes or baffling on-field moves, but overall, it usually makes the best possible call. The A.I. is always aware of what is happening and can usually pick up on your strategy - which is both good and bad depending on which side of the ball you're currently on. Several difficulty options are available, which require better command of the control scheme the higher you go, but even on the default level, Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 offers a good game. |
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Game Mechanics:
The common trend with Wii games, especially ports, is to take the traditional controller setup and simplify it by adding some sort of motion-based component. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, however, takes a radically different approach and features a slightly more complicated, but ultimately more interesting control scheme. The analog stick on the Nunchuk controls individual player movements while bigger moves, like sprints, are controlled by holding (A) and dragging the Wii-mote across the screen to the desired position. Likewise, you can also use the (A) plus drag combo to control all of your players, even if you aren't controlling them with the Nunchuk. Passing uses a similar mechanic; you can either point at a player you want to pass to or, if you prefer, point to a spot on the field, prompting the nearest player to run to the ball. Once the player with the ball is near a goal, you can either waggle the Wii-mote for a shot or press (B) and gesture towards the goal for a more precise shot.
As previously mentioned, the scheme requires a lot of field awareness, regardless of whether you are on offense or defense. One major advantage to playing offense is that you have direct control over one player. When on defense, you have to instead out-think your opponent's strategy and quickly get players into position using the Wii-mote. Depending on how well you know soccer, this scheme can give you problems. In a sense, it's like watching someone who knows how to play chess play someone who knows how the pieces move and not much else. Randomly throwing players around the field will usually give the other team an open shot at the goal, though every once in a while, you'll get lucky. If any sports game were to teach players about how to play and think like a coach (or captain), this would be it.
In addition to the Wii-mote/ Nunchuk option, Konami also included a "traditional" control option, which allows you to turn the Wii-mote sideways or use the classic controller. Though a welcome option, doing so feels pointless in the long run. The controls are what make Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 a stand-out option for multi-console soccer fans and, in the end, make it worth playing. |
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-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker |
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