 Review By: Andrew Joy |
Developer: | Konami |
| Publisher: | Konami | |
| Genre: | Sports | |
| ESRB: | Everyone | |
| # Of Players: | 1-4 (2-8 online) | |
| Online Play: | Yes | |
| Accessories: | Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (online play), Classic Controller, Nunchuk | |
| Buy Now: |   |
For reasons unknown to gods or men, soccer simply never took of in the United States quite like it did...well, everywhere else. In fact, to a foreigner, it is something like walking into the Twilight Zone, or so I've had it described. Mind you, it isn't for lack of trying: we continually participate in some of the biggest international events, there was much press for the success of young Freddie Adu and there was even a fair amount of wheeling and dealing for celebrity athlete David Beckham, but none of it really seemed successful. There are many theories as to why it “failed” (a relative term, of course). Perhaps, between Basketball, Baseball, our own version of Football and other games we've developed or popularized, we wanted to keep a sense of national identity. Maybe, with so many sports all over the world and being such a melting pot, we lacked the capacity to follow so many and some had to go. Or, it could just be that there is something to the criticism of our violent culture – in a sport that penalizes most use of the hands, the chances of a fight breaking out seem almost nonexistent (the occasional headbutt or groin perforating foul notwithstanding). Still, whatever the cause, the excitement remains muted, the coverage limited and eyebrows raised.
As good for the fans as it is for the businesses, video games have almost always been part of a global market. Whereas some other product may try and fail before it ever has a chance of reaching consumers worldwide, video games have the benefit of continent-spanning publishing and distribution networks as well as what amounts to universal platform standards. So, a particular type of game (like soccer) that might have limited appeal in a certain region (like the U.S.) can still see at least a limited release and reach even the few who are interested. And, thus it comes to pass that Pro Evolution Soccer continues to reach our shores year after year...that, or I have seriously misjudged the popularity of the sport. Either way, Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 has now been released for the Nintendo Wii. The second game in the series to appear on the system, there are a number of differences over last year. Among the more noteworthy changes, Konami managed to obtain the rights to the UEFA Championship League for a few more years, and, as far as individual leagues go, both Egypt and Senegal make their return, while Canada makes its debut. Unfortunately, in both cases, their appearances are also marked by the departure of other teams, so it isn't a total win in that sense.
In the past, the Nintendo Wii has been lambasted for the way it has simplified controls. However, more often than not, that is because these simplified controls are often paired with simplified gameplay, a choice that lies wholly with the individual developers, not the the console maker and their product. When it comes to soccer, though, any inherent difficulty is there by the very nature of the sport and therefore very difficult to purge indeed. In Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, just like it is on any other title or console and in real life, the object of the game is to get the ball into your opposition's goal. Of course, that may not be as easy as it sounds, especially considering you have to make it through a gauntlet of ten other players and their goalie, each one of them determined to gain possession and score on you. And, of course, when we're talking about a video game, where you may not be able to see all of the field at once and what you can see is from an entirely different perspective than you would traditionally have. (And this is to say nothing of the fouls a referee might call, which are now almost entirely at random or, at the least, much more unintentional.)
Given all of that, the simplicity of the Wii Remote is actually something a boon to this sort of title, letting you focus on the actual game and not a minefield of buttons. And variety is the name of the game here; Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 offers three different control schemes: Wii Remote, Nunchuk (with Wii Remote, obviously) and Classic Controller. That middle one – the so-called “PlayMaker” style – is how I chose to go, as it offered the most amount of control with this rather nontraditional style. In that, you'll make much use of the IR pointer, moving around an on-screen cursors that changes function depending on the scenario. If you just want to control the ball for example, your merely point where you want to on the screen and press A, and holding it down lets you weave through players (though the fancy footwork is automatic). If you want to kick or pass the ball, you merely point and click B, allowing you to sail the ball down the field with relative ease. Once you get it there, you can swipe with the Nunchuk to take the shot, though it isn't very responsive there's a lot of guesswork. And, if your opponent has the ball, you can hold Z to target them or shake the Nunchuk to try and knock it free (or foul). It can all take a little getting used, but it's hardly as complicated as the dime novel-sized instruction manual full of technical moves.
There's also a fair amount of variety when it comes to the single player. More than just having to pick between a real life opponent or A.I., Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 includes a number of new and returning modes (and a few of them with various settings, too). For newcomers (or, even anyone playing on this console for the first time), Training gives you many of the ins-and-outs that I detailed above, though with a coach to guide you and requirements to meet. Once you master the basics (or before, even), you can enjoy: a simple Match, UEFA Championship, League, Master League, Champions Road and Cup. Likely needing no explanation, Match lets you jump right into the action and play a single match. New to the series, UEFA Championship League lets you pit your club against the European elite. In League, you can select a league and play through an entire season. One of the more in-depth modes, and one that can have far-reaching consequences, Master League tasks you with obtaining, cultivating and hanging onto the top talent both on and off the field. Another highly nuanced mode, Champions Road lets you blaze a path across the world, creating a league and them competing with other across an ever-growing map. And, finally, Cup is a bracket-style, knockout mode that lets you see how far you can go with the team of your choice in their region.
Even with all of that, for many people, the real draw here is going to be the multiplayer and Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 offers you two ways to play: online and off. Through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, your pool of potential challengers is increased dramatically. During my time with the game, there were no connection problems to speak of (apart from the sometimes lengthy waits and occasional data update), which is almost certainly the number one concern when it comes to this sort of thing. If I had to make any comment, though, I would say it is a shame to learn that this game did not support WiiSpeak. While I may not have been able to take advantage of it myself, there are undoubtedly countless other gamers who could and would, were the option available and its absence does give it a sort of handicap compared to the other current generation consoles. And speaking of which, while there are no proper Achievements or Trophies to speak of on the Nintendo Wii, I think the game still has enough variety to make up for any of this versions lost replay value. With a number of teams to beat, leagues to champion, modes to master and a relatively robust (online and off) multiplayer offering to revel in, there is no doubt that Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 will keep you busy for quite some time...or, at least until PES 2010 arrives on one of the other systems this fall.
It's odd to think, in a generation such as this – where online play is not only desired, but practically required (don't be surprised to see Solitaire one day knocked some points, dear readers) – that a game would go the extra step and also offer offline multiplayer, but such is the case here. Yes, for those of you who like your social gaming to actually be a bit more social (or simply fear anonymous treachery), I'm happy to report that Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 offers same console play for up to four players. Unfortunately, it is also my unhappy duty to inform you that it isn't worth spit and, quite frankly, I wholeheartedly recommend you avoid it. It isn't that it is necessarily bad – I mean, it is essentially the same game you'll find anywhere else on the disc – just much more confusing. Whereas one cursor (and all that's associated) was relatively easy to follow on its own, when you join in a competitive or cooperative match, those on-screen cues double, triple and even quadruple in number, becoming a jumbled mess that, right in the thick of it, can be somewhat hard to tell apart even in a simple, two-person game. Sadly, this isn't an easy problem to fix, either...it is a sort of catch-22 (damned if you do, damned if you don't). You see, you either have it like this, or they could have added split screen, in which case an already pulled out screen would get shrunk down and become virtually useless.
If there is one other area where this game has faltered, it would have to be the graphics. Lacking the hardware, Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 isn't as advanced as similar games I've seen on some of the other systems, and at times it really shows. While it can be a fairly laundry list of offenses – with every thing from poorly detailed players to models that clip and slide through one another – it may come as some condolence that they are all minor sorts of quibbles, really only noticed up close and most of the action thankfully takes place from afar. Of course, not everything is truly terrible. For one, I want to give some serious kudos to the replay system, which follows your last play every time you make a goal. In addition to playing through in slow motion, you can take control of it yourself, changing the speed and angle of everything (plus, you can even save your favorites for later). Unfortunately, those replays do have the downside of giving you a good glimpse of the crowds, which, quite frankly, are an affront to any sort of advances we've made since the days of the SNES. On the other hand, in a sort of “face for radio” fashion, what the crowds lack in appearance, they more than make up for in sheer gusto, cheering and chanting in such a way that makes your chest swell. You'll likely also appreciate the commentators, who'll make some true-to-life-sounding (albeit somewhat vague) remarks, even if they can repeat and start to wear thin rather quickly.
Bottom Line:
Unlike, say, first-person shooters, there aren't exactly vast resources to compare soccer games to. No, there are maybe two or three key titles, and then a dozen other short-lived pretenders to the throne that suddenly show up one day and fade back into obscurity just as quickly. However, of the few titles I have had the pleasure of playing, I must say that Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 is right there at the top - number one with a bullet, as they say. On the Nintendo Wii, it may lack the power (and a mode or two) of the other systems, but it more than makes up for such shortcomings thanks to some truly fantastic controls. Mind you, there are other problems that simply can't be excused, namely the complete mess that makes up the offline multiplayer or the truly flabbergasting appearance of the stadium crowds, but if you can look past that there really is a quality product here. Outside of the controls, this game has a ton of replay value - thanks to a number of offline modes and an online multiplayer component that is relatively hassle free (even if it is still lacking in a few respects) – and is sure to tide over fans of the series until the next installment.
| Pros: | Cons: | Final Score: |
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| 7.5 |
Posted: 2009-08-17 17:50:34 PST