‘Nuff Said!

But throw on top of that a 104 inch projection screen to play FIFA 09 on, and add a couple of footballers to play against (including Red Bulls Mac Kandji, Matt Mbuta and Andrew Boyens), and you have a Soccer Nerd’s Video Game Heaven!

Novecento really did this shin dig up – but that might be my bias for amazing Argentine food talking. The outside featured a sidewalk footie display, highlighted by a gorgeous flat screen where passers by could play some FIFA. The 2006 EA FIFA World Champion was on hand to show off his skill to the gathering crowds. I will have more on that later.

The place was also swarming with a bunch of beautiful FIFA 09 girls . . . .

. . . see what I’m saying?

Anyway, the night featured an all night tournament, with the winner taking home a Wii. Of course, I was in, as was my photographer (pictured above with the girlies). Let me say that this FIFA game lays last years product to waste. Here are a few observations:

- You can switch off to a player more accurately than before. If you want to switch to a specific defender, the AI is much more responsive to the logical switch than the 08 product.
- Speed. UEFA Euro 2008 was fast, but almost to a flaw. This game allows for speed on offense AND defense, where recovery of the ball and the subsequent jostling to hold on can work in either positions favor.
- Physicality. Thats what 09 is all about. You can knock people off the ball, box the ball in for protection, back track at a decent speed that does not leave the D immediately exposed. All that good stuff.
- Passing. Wow. You can spring a pass to a computer forward that will independently point out a passing lane. It is up to you to be smart enough to pick up on the gesture (here is one taken of me playing Barcelona on the left)

But enough of that – let’s get back to the party! A long story short, I advanced to the final of this tournament, which was commentated on by the announcer from ESPN Deportes. I picked Argentina (obviously), and my opponent picked England (the crowd favorite) . . . .

When all was said and done . . . I won a Wii. Argentina managed to net 4 goals, on the back of Riquelme who was playing CAM spectacularly, to Englands 1. Who says blogging doesn’t have its advantages?

So, if winning a Wii was not enough, I actually had the opportunity to play the 2006 FIFA World Champ right after the game (pictured to the right)! He came in second in last years 08 tournament as well, just to give you the necessary background. This game was for fun and I thoroughly expected a whooping . . . but when game time came, a miracle happened. I WON.

Sticking with Argentina, the champ decided to counter me with Brazil. But it was all for nothing, as I immediately went up 3 goals in the first half, and closed the half winning 3-1. Thats when he really put his game face on, concentrating on every play. In the end, the game wound up being 4-2 Argentina, with a confounded World Champ slinking away wondering what happened, and with an astounded blogger pondering the same thing.

What a great night.

The game is in stores NOW. Go out and pick this up NOW. You will absolutely not be disappointed.

For the last 6 years or so, only two football games have existed. FIFA and Pro Evo dominate the market like Pepsi and Coke, and despite efforts such as This Is Football (did anyone else play that? ouch…), wikipedia refuses to acknowledge anything else other than Pro Evo or FIFA for any next gen/previous gen console (ignoring EA’s multiple money spin offs – no, I don’t want to pay £40 for a game I’ve already got that only has European International teams in it…)

And every year, October is the month where it happens (incidently, Pro Evo’s release always coincides with my birthday, and a well trained younger sibling knows exactly what to buy me every year). And the first battle field: the demos.

Last year, Konami went forfeit and didn’t even play game on the PS3, an early indication of last year’s horror effort from Seabass and co. This year, both games have demos bright and early and although I’m very keen to point out I already have the full version of FIFA – oh yes – I’ll leave main reviewing duties to Dave.

I’ve read video game reviews for over a decade now and I can’t stand the assumption that a game can be divided up into graphics, gameplay, sound, longetivity etc. With a football game, it’s about so much more than that – is it football? Can I smell the turf when I play the game? When I beat my housemate for the fifth time in a row, exactly how happy does that make me feel?! So I’m going to take a far more liberal approach and just jump straight in.

FIFA’s been making vast improvements over the last two years, and the demo makes a point of showing the full range of options, before restricting us to a 5 minute game. Fair enough. The atmosphere created by the visuals – especially the stunning representation of the stadia – bring me right in, although immediately I realise it’s actually quite difficult to realise which of my players has the ball at any one time. It’s hard to tell even Drogba from Lampard, but then player graphics always get a final tweak before release.

I can’t get enough of the skills in FIFA. The system is incredibly intuitive, and there’s not much as satisfying as shipping the ball out to Joe Cole, and shimmying inside off the left wing before unleashing a shot that’s going to knock a hot dog out of someone’s hands back in row Z. I’ll have to work on the timing then.

As I come to the end of my FIFA playing, I realise that it’s not really representative of my experience of football. I’m from the English terraces through and through, and I’ve spent many a Saturday afternoon on a grass bank watching lower league football. But the players in FIFA seem more interested in rolling about on the floor than anything else, and as soon as there’s a suggestion of contact between two players, the defender wins the ball. Possession changes far too frequently for my liking, shots feel like I’m dispatching a ping pong ball into the stands, and my football playing style is quickly annihalated by FIFA’s AI and my now silly looking decision to admit to a professional level of experience in video games. It’s got a massive amount of promise: I’m just going to take a while to adapt.

Pro Evo is next on my PS3, and it throws me straight into a game. Having just played FIFA I am hugely dissapointed that Konami continue to refuse to acknowledge football players’ abilities to run in more than 8 directions. It’s called an analog stick, and it’s been around for quite some time. Use it Konami! I also quickly realise that I can’t really do any skills other than a flic-flac and a step over. The same ping pong shooting also seems to be there. I haven’t played outfield for quite a while – maybe this is what balls actually do when you take a shot these days!

FIFA’s complete lack of commentary is however surpassed here, and I only hear the same expression 7 or 8 times in my first game. This is something of a record and I may even wait a whole day before turning off Pro Evo’s commentary this year. But where Pro Evo’s demo comes into its own is in attention to detail in the gameplay. Yes, you can still score in all the same ways as you’ve always been able to in the game – but this is exactly what happens in real life! As Rooney and Ronaldo forge a 1-2 which leads to a fantastic Shrek finish, I can’t help but remember the highlights from the weekend when the duo did the exact same thing against Blackburn. This is football as I know it.

So I guess the conclusion so far is I prefer Pro Evo, but I think FIFA may well be the better game. What is clear is that it’s going to be a very close and subjective year, and I’m looking forward to hearing what you guys and girls think of the games so far in the comments.

7 years. 2 consoles. Many failed exams. And 7 versions of Pro Evo… thousands of PES fans around the world, like me, have followed this game over the years, giving it a cult like status among video games. Dave was looking for bloggers to cover wider topics so I volunteered to share my extensive knowledge of Pro Evo, PS3, and any other awful football games I happen to be unwise enough to buy.

Last year Konami disappointed big time with a re-release of PES6 on PS2 and next-gen versions failing dismally to even run without stuttering. This year they’ve come up with the standard promises of better AI, physics and graphics – very standard improvements and nothing out of the ordinary.

Where it gets exciting is the deal Konami has sorted for the Champions League license which spares us of playing as the Merseyside Reds for the next four years. The CL mode also allows gamers to play through a whole season of the competition, and along with the “Become a Legend” mode (cf: UEFA 2008’s “Be a Pro”) it looks like the aged Master League mode is finally dying its overdue death.

The edit mode – which was absolutely inexplicably cut back last year – faces an overhaul with the locker room visible in the background as you place that giant ginger afro on Wes Brown (if you’re anything like me, it’s just irresistable).

The demo’s out this Thursday – a day before the full release of FIFA, so expect plenty more posts from me about both those events towards the end of the week.

Finally, if you’re screenshot hunting, here’s some links:
http://www.videogameszone.de/aid,661677/Bildergalerie/VideogamesZone/PES_2009_-_Ueber_70_Screenshots_des_Become_a_Legend-Modus_aus_Pro_Evo_2009/
http://kotaku.com/5018726/pro-evo-2009-announced

Remember – you too can download a free demo version of FIFA 09! Go to your marketplace and start downloading!

Enjoy y’all!

Wii Players Rejoice.

And when I say platform specific, its PLATFORM SPECIFIC! The PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system, Wii™ home video game system, PC, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and mobile – ALL of them.

And the release will be THIS AUTUMN!

250 enhancements have been made to the core game play, promising the most realistic response from a football game to date.

“We listened to our consumers to make the changes that they wanted,” said David Rutter, Producer of FIFA Soccer 09 on the PLAYSTATION 3 system and Xbox 360. “No other game has over 250 feature changes and additions focused on improving core gameplay. We have an absolutely authentic recreation of the real sport through attention to detail.”

Do I smell a FIFA 09 tournament a brewing?!

Here is a detailed break down from their PR department – take a read for the console that interest you most.

GENERAL

For the first time, go inside the game engine to customize the strategy and positioning of your teammates to decide exactly how your team will play in any situation. With new Custom Team Tactics you have all the tools to become a first-team coach. Adjust and customize tactical settings so CPU players and your team perform just like the real-world team plays and make strategic decisions to exploit your opponent’s weaknesses, all on-the-fly. The popular feature innovation Be A Pro has expanded to a career mode called Be A Pro: Seasons where you can choose or create a professional player and then develop his skills at a single outfield position over four years with the ultimate goal of becoming a national legend. The matchday experience is now true-to-life with a referee and linesmen on the pitch. Plus, crowds, stadium atmosphere and commentary have all been regionalized in exact detail.

On the Wii, enjoy FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play one of two ways—a Wii-specific take on the authentic ‘11 vs. 11’ simulation or over-the-top ‘8 vs. 8’ arcade action within a stylized environment with Mii™ versions of your favorite superstars, like Ronaldinho and Wayne Rooney. Refined motion and point-and-play controls make playing FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play even more intuitive and perfectly balanced for gamers of any ability to enjoy fun, soccer action. Choose to play the style that best suits your skills from advanced controls for experienced players to new EA SPORTS™ All-Play controls that enables novice players to focus on fun using simplified controls with AI assistance.

“You’ve never played soccer like this before,” said Kaz Makita, Producer of FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play. “Our new ‘8 vs. 8’ Footii Match enables you to play an exaggerated style of soccer where the personality of your Mii comes to life. You can play with your Mii characters against or alongside some of the biggest stars in a truly unique soccer experience tailored specifically for the Wii version of FIFA Soccer 09.”

FIFA Soccer 09 on PC now features leading-edge visuals that deliver graphics that exploit the power of hi-spec gaming PCs, as requested by PC gamers. Star players are featured in photorealistic quality with remodeled likenesses for ultra-realistic gameplay. FIFA Soccer 09 on PC also features customizable mouse gameplay controls that deliver deeper, more intuitive command over your squad. Plus, customizable widgets are now integrated into the menu system to connect you to the FIFA community and real-world soccer so you stay connected while playing FIFA Soccer 09.

“We are committed to investing and innovating to create a PC specific experience,” said Producer Paul Hossack. “Gamers want a gameplay experience exclusively for PC and FIFA Soccer 09 on PC delivers this.”

With 500 new animation sequences and all-new collision and shielding systems—representing the biggest innovations to the multiplatform EA SPORTS soccer engine in four years— FIFA Soccer 09 delivers more responsive, intelligent and realistic physical action on the PlayStation 2 system. The new collision detection system with 360 degree coverage enables players to behave according to their physical attributes where player speed, direction and strength determine everything from the severity of the collision to the outcome of possession. Changes to the animation system reward the skillful gamer during one-on-one situations between attackers and defenders. Tuned acceleration attributes enable swifter virtual players to possess quicker first steps and gain advantage in sprints. Plus, four new skill moves—scoop turns, rainbow flicks, heel-to-heel knocks and ball rolls—give you a total of 32 tricks in your arsenal to perform just like Ronaldinho.

FIFA Soccer 09 on the PSP system and Nintendo DS now include the innovative Be A Pro feature, including the unique Be A Pro camera that re-creates the rush and excitement of racing in on goal, designed exclusively for each system.

Of course, I am making this sports related. But to anyone who would like to know – GRAND THEFT AUTO IV is AMAZING. This thing plays like a movie! RUN and get it. I mean it. RUN to the store, BEG the managers, and GET THIS GAME!

Ok. Now onto new sports releases:

RACING:

Mario Kart Wii – Out NOW!
I am hoping to get a review in for this game. Lets face it, everyone growing up loved Mario Cart, and with racings popularity and the name recognition of this particular line, it is sure to be a big hit for Nintendo.

BASEBALL:

Baseball Mogul 2009 – out TODAY
I am not much of a PC gamer, but baseball mogul sounds super cool. “Manage a baseball franchise shrewdly as you strive for league supremacy.” Nice. Make me a footy mogul and i am in!
Backyard Baseball – May 6th
A continuation to the cheeky series taking “little kid” versions of our favorite baseball stars and tossing them in a Sandlot for some fun. Out for PS2.

HEALTH:

Lets Yoga and Lets Pilates for Nintendo DS
Pretty self explanatory. I would love to actually see how these games work.