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.

0:16 While learning the basics of defense, most of which seems computer-controlled, I realize that I can control my characters with the analog stick as well as the pointer. I didn't even think about it ... it was just a reflex to try moving by tilting the thumbstick. Glad to see it works, too.

0:18 A simple swing of the Nunchuk can clear the ball on defense. The game seems quite forgiving here, taking care of the details while just asking you for the broad strokes. Not that that's a bad thing. Basic training camp is done. There are more training modes, but the game tells me I can jump in and enjoy matches at this point.

0:19 Man, there are a lot of gameplay modes. I jump into the UEFA Champions League, where I'm offered the "traditional" control style I remember from the PR demo. I choose the Nunchuk style, though, since I just went to all the trouble to learn it.

0:21 I go with Manchester United as my team because 1) I've heard of them and 2) they're rated as 5-star, and I think I'll need the help. Game levels range from Beginner, Amateur, Regular, Professional and Top Player. I'll be brave and go with Regular, and see how badly I get beaten in a 10-minute match.

0:22 A "UEFA presents" message flies in the starry sky as we zoom down to a star-shaped stadium. A video montage of players and happy fans plays. An angelic choir sings in the background. The music has been ridiculously epic all the way through so far, actually.

0:24 More angelic wailing as I set my formation by dragging around pixilated digitized headshots of a bunch of players I don't recognize. Reminds me of an early-'90s arcade game or something. I decide to leave them where they are, since I have no clue about soccer positioning strategy.

0:25 The opposition team is named "Sporting." Wait, that's a team name? United wears a big AIG logo across its uniforms. Wow, that's embarrassing these days. The teams walk out side-by-side to huge cheers that drown out the announcers introducing themselves." We start, then, with the Championship League, "the first step on a long and arduous road," says one of the announcers. A quick, close-up pan across the players. The models aren't exactly super-detailed but don't look totally awful either. Like an early PS2 game.

0:28 The ball's gone down the field and back already. On offense I manage to work it past the defense rather deftly, I think, but take an awful shot from afar that goes wide. On defense, they make mincemeat of my setup, getting a wide-open shot on the right side that the goalie thankfully manages to stuff.

0:29 On the corner kick, I shake the Nunchuk to clear the ball, as the tutorial instructed me. Instead, the ball sails over all my players and gets headed into the corner of the net by a wide-open opposition player. I get to relive the pain in an exquisite replay from every conceivable angle. Whee.

0:30 Announcers: "They need to get the next goal to stay in this game." This line must have inspired me, because I make a lovely pass through the center of three defenders to set up a nice centered show. The goalie runs up to stop it, but the ball rebounds right back to the shooter, to my guy, who makes a single dribble and shoots it easily into the open goal. I'm loving the pointer-based passing ... makes it easy to exploit holes like this. I'm ending up using the Nunchuk for movement, though.

0:34 Some nice back-and-forth going on here. I get a few good steals and make a strong shot that leads to a ridiculous diving save. The computer gets its own open shot that goes off the side of the right post. I can't understand a word the announcers are saying, but I love their British accents.

0:35 The game uses a quick TV-style replay to show that I was indeed offside on that last pass. Good presentation, there.

0:38 In the last minutes of the first half, I manage a GREAT centering pass, but hit the B button to do an awful over-the-bar shot. If I had just shaken the Nunchuk, it probably would have gone in. Still getting used to the setup, I guess...

0:39 At the end of the first half. So far, I'm loving everything about it. The interface and controls make it almost effortless to weave passes through the defense. I'm having some problems on defense, but I think it's because I'm too aggressive going after the ball, allowing the handler to just get past me.

0:40 Why I hate soccer: In the first half I had possession twice as much as the opponent, took 50 percent more on target shots, and yet it's still tied at 1-1.

0:42 I'm really impressed with the realistic animation and ball handling on the players. You make a broad command, like pass, and they just kind of perform it in the most accurate way -- with a header or a big sweeping kick or a turn to the side. Each player seems to have a sense of balance and momentum -- they're real ... y'know?

0:44 My defense is just getting walloped here. The opposition is dribbling past my guys like they were standing skill. I'm having trouble getting my team to swarm the ball ... it seems only the closest player is willing to make a play. Come on, guys, SWARM! It worked in my youth league soccer games; it should work here!

0:47 I use the pointer to aim what I think is a perfect shot, but it goes just a little wide. The replay shows my aim was fine, but the ball was a little off from where it was aimed. I guess they built in a little human fallibility there.

0:48 I'm getting better controlling my defense, making them gang up on the ball-carrier when appropriate. A two-on-one situation is much harder to dribble through, it seems.

0:49 My last second shot gets stuffed by the goalie and the match is over ... a tie! The second half was less exciting than the first, but it had its moments. Even when there aren't many scoring opportunities, just working the ball through the defense and planning your next moves as the players move about is engaging.

0:50 The next match against AFC Fiorentina ... let's just jump right in!

0:51 I just noticed the timer is counting up toward 45 minutes at a truly ridiculous speed. I guess that's what happens when you condense a whole half into 10 minutes...

0:53 Quote of the moment: "A good cross might create the first goal! Solid defense in the box." The change in tone from the first sentence (screaming) to the second (resigned boredom) is hilarious.

0:54 My corner kick gets knocked back easily by the defense, but right to the feet of one of my forwards. I take a prayer of a shot that somehow deflects off the feet of two defenders and snakes past a diving goalie. I'll take it!

0:57 One of the opposing players just sprinted up the sideline past all my slow-as-molasses defenders. Just before reaching the end line, he does a huge centering pass. A forward does a diving header that ... totally misses the ball. Man, that was too close.

0:58 The halftime whistle interrupts my reverie. I can't believe I'm actually winning. And it's not because the computer is awful either ... everything's just so natural and easy to play...

Would I play this game for more than an hour? Yes.


Why? Excellent controls, a great interface and realistic player action and animation makes for simple, effortless soccer fun.

This column is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.



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