Games for Lunch: Pro Evolution Soccer 2009

In a nutshell: Point and shoot
5/14/2009 7:21 PM | 0 Comments | Page 1 of 4

Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Release Date: March 17, 2009
Systems: Wii (reviewed), PS3, Xbox 360, PSP, PC, mobile
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site

0:00 I got a quick, five-minute demo of this game at a New York PR office a few months ago. Seemed harmless enough back then, with controls that mimicked a classic NES game but graphics that looked more like a PS2 release.

0:01 The preview screen features a large arrow bouncing between targets amidst sounds of a soccer ball being kicked. Odd...

0:02 Zoom in from high above to a soccer pitch, which lights up as another huge arrow comes out from the center. Driving rock music plays as we pan across images of Euro teams posing against a starry void. Lots of lens flare and shiny backgrounds. If I knew who these teams/players were, I'm sure I'd be very impressed. Cut to a slow pan across all sorts of team logos, then zoom back out to a ball flying high above the pitch. Someone makes a big, curving corner kick before we cut to the title screen, with two long-haired hippies in soccer uniforms standing back-to-back. Pretty sharp as far as intro videos go.

0:03 I choose my Mii, my nationality and my favorite team. Man, there are a lot of teams to pick from, from national to club teams, even "classic" teams. I can't find Arsenal, the favorite of my former podcast co-host Ralph Cooper, so I end up sticking with the three-star U.S. team out of misplaced patriotism.

0:06 The game asks if it's my first time playing. I lie just a bit and say it is. "Welcome to the Opening Training camp," says a white-haired guy with glasses and a blue windbreaker. He's going to start me on basic controls.

0:08 Interesting ... at the PR demo I remember using the Wii Remote like an NES controller. Here they make me plug in a Nunchuk and use the Wii Remote as a pointer to perform most actions. Point somewhere on the field and tap A to make the player move there, for instance. Or point and hold A for quicker "pull dribbling." It's surprisingly natural, at least in the training. I like the large pointer icon and the bright, clear lines showing the direction of movement -- great interface design.

0:09 The video shows off some dribbling tricks, instructions for which "can be found in the instruction manual." Yeah, like I'm gonna read the manual. Pshaw.

0:12 The pass controls also use the pointer -- click directly on a player to pass to him, or click anywhere on the field to pass ahead of the player. You can even pick a player with the controller and lead him to where the pass will end up. Seems to offer more control freedom than most other soccer games, and seems like it would be hard to replicate with a normal control pad. Advanced passing instructions are available, again, in the manual.

0:14 When I get close to the goal I can do an auto-shot with a swing of the Nunchuk, or I can aim at the back of the goal with the pointer. The latter seems kind of awkward, but it works in the training all right. There are also "chip shots" and "control shots," which are explained in ... you guessed it ... the instruction manual.