FIFA Soccer 09 has sold over 1.2 million copies in it’s first week on store shelves in Europe, making it the fastest selling FIFA title yet according to publisher Electronic Arts. And that’s no mean feat, as the highly regarded FIFA Soccer series started WAY back in 1993!
EA Sports President and beloved company figurehead Peter Moore had this to day about the sales breakthrough, “FIFA Soccer 09’s great kick-off is a testament to our loyal fans across Europe who simply can’t wait to get their hands on the game. This is our fastest selling FIFA game of all time and it’s rewarding to see the game so high on the list of must-have titles this holiday.”
The wait for North American fans is nearly upon us, as FIFA Soccer ‘09 is scheduled for release on these shores in four days, on October 14th. So be sure to check it out and see what all the fuss is about. Here’s a trailer for the game.
Konami has announced they’ll release a playable demo of the upcoming PES 2009 (AKA Pro Evolution Soccer 2009) game for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC today. The full game is set for release on October 17th in Europe and on November 12th in America on not just Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, but also Wii, PS2 and PSP.
PES 2009 marks the triumphant return of what is regarded as the most realistic soccer title for any format. Users will be treated to an expansive playable demo of the new title, with the bespoke version offering a full five-minute Exhibition multiplayer match.
Players will be able to select fully licensed Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Barcelona club teams, or the licensed Italian or French national sides. The demo will allow users an early taste of the all-new elements set to further bolster PES 2009’s reputation as the definitive soccer game. All new visuals with completely remodeled players and animations, and new physics routines to ensure the ball behaves more realistically have been included, while the AI of the CPU sides has been enhanced to provide an ever evolving challenge.
The PES 2009 demo will also include promotional videos detailing the new game’s ‘Become a Legend’ and online ‘Legends’ modes, which see the player controlling just one player within a team and attempting to forge a career in soccer. Starting as a promising 17-year-old, players must force their way into the first team and produce a series of blistering performances which will ultimately result to a move to one of Europe’s biggest sides. Or, on the flipside, poor performances can see a player struggling in the lower leagues and eventually being released…
Electronic Arts has released new videos of FIFA 09, after last week releasing a demo for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the soccer game. FIFA 09 delivers an authentic football simulation that enables you to customize the game to suit your style and ability. New animation technology creates more responsive first-time shooting and passing, faster and more controlled dribbling, and improved trapping. New player momentum physics, which exploits the power of these platform engines, delivers realistic player collisions, authentic jostling for the ball, and more variation in tackling.
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.
Play hard against any team, in any weather. Watch the first “Good Game” FIFA 09 trailer.
There’s a marvelous yet tragic observation that can be made when looking through the history of sports-based video games. When the genre was confined to a two dimensional, 8- & 16-bit playing space, sports games were often quite successful among a mass audience. Reason being, the way you played a game, like Nintendo World Cup, had nothing to do with the technicalities of that sport itself but rather an enjoyable meta game surrounding the rules of the sport.
Punch-Out, for example, has been described as Dance Dance Revolution in the guise of a boxing game, based on the grounds that when you play Punch Out you’re not really boxing. What you’re actually doing is shifting in different directions to avoid incoming blows based on a timed pattern of punches set to your opponent. Once you’ve unlocked the pattern of evasion, defeating the fighter is a cinch. Excite Bike did the same, by forcing you to balance the heat of your engine with the slow/fast moving speed of your vehicle. Sensible Soccer on the other hand is more attuned with fast paced free-style soccer than the real sport, relying on reflex over strategic play. These games stood out as some of the most influential and enjoyed games of their time simply because their gameplay avoided conflicting with the often complicated technicalities of the sport.
Nowadays, sport games are engineered to suit fans and amateur players of the respective sport, whom are familiar with teams, players and rules of the game. You often can’t play these games — at least not very well — without prior understanding of the technicalities of the sport. Realism in the means of authenticity to the sports, its players, leagues and brands has overshadowed the premise of approachable interface and what was once accessible gameplay. The market for these games undoubtedly survives and is sufficiently profitable due to the enthusiast that enjoy the sports, but the overwhelming enthusiasm that these games once garnered by all players alike has largely been lost.
System: NES, Game Boy Genre: Sport Released: December 1990 (USA) – later re-released with Super Spike V-Ball and again with Super Mario Bros and Tetris Players: One – Four Player (with Four Score peripheral) Developed by: Technos Japan Corp. Published by: Nintendo Origin: Japan
Nintendo World Cup then stands in as a sporting example of how a great soccer (or football, depending on where you hail from) game can be created by deriving the necessary framework for the game from the sport itself, discarding any unnecessary elements in the process. Basically there is enough ’soccer’ present here to justify the game’s title without too many rules and regulations to spoil the broth.
In this case, you, of course, play soccer but deal breakers such as off-sides and red cards are noticeably absent. As is the size of your team which is cut down to six players (a goalkeeper, two defenders, a midfielder and two forwards, you play the midfielder). To fill in the absence of these rules, developer Technos Japan placed an emphasis on the rough n’ tough Kunio-kun (see: River City Ransom) play style. Meaning long volley kicks that can stretch almost the entire field, super-shots for goals powered by backflips and diving headers, and lastly plenty of rough tackles.
By removing two of soccer’s most persistently annoying rules (off-sides and red cards) as well as shortening the teams to 6 players, there are no unnecessary distractions for the player to worry about, allowing them to concentrate on who has the ball and how to get it off them. Ironically enough, this in itself reinforces two important elements of the sport which is tackling and marking up your opposition.
Since there are no red cards in the game, tackling is done by shoving your opponent to the ground, giving you the opportunity to whisk the ball away from them. Collision detection of tackles are perfectly precise meaning that marking up (staying close to) the opposition is crucial in order to land the tackle and push the ball in a favorable direction. Land enough tackles and your opponent falls unconscious and is out of play, this can happen to your team mates as well, so be cautious.
Nintendo World Cup NES gameplay video.
Unlike most modern soccer games, in Nintendo World Cup your team is no longer controller completely by one player. Instead you play only as the one (midfielder), shouting out directions to your team mates to pass, tackle or shoot when the ball is out of your possession. This sound fundamentally wrong, but it isn’t. Your AI controlled team mates are reasonable players and so long as you utilize them efficiently there are really no problems to speak of. You can also set attributes to define your team AI before the game and at half time.
While the game is not a one man band like most modern soccer games, you will — particularly leading up to the finals -– need to regularly play your team mates instruments for them. This is alloted for with the previously mentioned volley kicks. Each volley floats in the air long enough for you to run down field and ensure that you can take the tackle if your team mates slips up. Volley kicks are in fact the preferred passing method as any passes to off screen players will naturally be volleys. Short passes are used but often sparingly as they don’t keep pace with the game’s speed unless kept in tight proximity.
The game play in its totality command good reflex and smart thinking from the player, much like the sport itself. As you make your way up through the league, micromanagement starts to kick in and you’ll be leaning on this almost entirely during the final matches. Skill is rewarded through back flipping plays and head butts which create super shots with a good probability of landing a goal, sometimes KO’ing the keeper if he obstructs the ball.
Being part of the Kunio-kun series, the game features similarly big headed characters painted with angry frowns, slick hairdos and stumpy legs that the series is famous for. Considering the emphasis on tackling, these sprites match the atmosphere that the game brings with it. Furthermore, the slight changes seen among players from different countries represent some amusing ethnic stereotypes.
Being a soccer game, particularly one where the ball is constantly crossing back and forth between each half of the field, the action frequently gets busy making sprite flashes a regular occurrence. It’s not much of a big deal though and the game handles it pretty well on most accounts.
This game also allows for 2-4 players with more than two requiring the NES four score multiplayer controller tap.
Fun Factor: 9
A faced paced emulation of the sport mixed with the gameplay qualities of the Kunio-kun series. Controls, collision detection and feedback all fit well together creating a tight play experience, which demands increasing effort from the player to master.
Graphics: 9
Crisp colors matched with sharp, punctual character designs add significant punch to the action making characters look enthusiastic about what they’re doing.
Audio: 8
Engaging tunes which intensify the on-field drama, musical presence heightens upon nearing the finals, building greater anticipation within the player. Very appropriately suited to the spirit of the sport. Sound effects bode well into the action.
Ingenuity: 8
Clever inclusions spice up an already solid game, interesting play mechanics.
Replay Value: 8
The World Cup will take an effort to defeat over multiple stretches of play depending on skill. Multiplayer with up to 4 players lengthens the game’s lastability. Overall a very solid length, expect 6-10 hours.
Are you curious to know what’s new in FIFA 09? FIFA 09 of course is the latest installment of the top selling Electronic Arts (Canada) football franchise on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The sports game boasts over 300 improvements from FIFA 08. While the game will be touted on HD consoles, it’ll also appear on PS2, PSP, Wii and DS.
Over two weeks ago the game was shown at the EA Gamers Day, which had lead to new rumors circulating about the game. While unconfirmed, some of these features like more fluid gameplay and more editing options have appeared in gaming magazines too, so it seems reasonably solid for a rumor. Here’s all the new info lined up.
* Improved physics system. FIFA 09 has an improved physics system which affects both players and the football itself allowing for beautiful, powerful and devastating shots and unprecedented levels of realism during a match.
* Improved animation system. The brilliant animation system seen in FIFA 08 is improved upon to include hundreds of new animations for players that further add to the simulation feel of the game.
* New player faces. 3D player modelling is vastly improved and now offers unbelievable similarities to the real life counterparts.
* Increased response times and game speed. Player response times have been increased to increase the flow of the game as in real life, while game speed has been tweaked from FIFA 08.
* Improved graphics, lighting, textures and crowd. Overall graphics have been improved upon once again. Lighting changes in real-time depending on the time of the match. Crowds in the stadium have been redeveloped for the new entry.
* Player height and weight. Player weight and height plays a crucial role in aspects such as aerial challenging and strength on the ground.
* Visible referee, linesman, staff and dugouts. For the first time in the FIFA series referees, linesmen, subs and ground staff are all visible. All have distinct animations such as subs warming up for their arrival.
* Weather options and pitch affects. FIFA 09 now includes weather options such as rain and snow which change conditions during the games progression. In addition the pitch is now affected and becomes more worn during wet matches and slide tackles.
* Increased number of teams and stadiums. As the same during every release FIFA 09 will increase the number of licensed club and international teams as well as their official corresponding stadiums.
* Changes to Be A Pro and Manager Mode. FIFA 09 will bring new changes to Be A Pro and Manager Mode such as camera angles and enhanced options.
* Enhanced online modes. FIFA was the first football game to allow up to 5vs5 online and now this is taken up a gear with full 10vs10 online. Matches now have options for simple 1 player matches, 2vs2, 5vs5 and 10vs10 online games.
* Interactive Celebrations. As seen in UEFA Euro 2008, interactive celebrations will be incorporated into FIFA 09.
* Greatly improved edit mode. Edit mode has now been changed to incorporate a wealth of new options.
FIFA 09 is set to become the ultimate football simulation. New previews will be released along with first screenshots by the end of June 2008.
* Improved Artificial Intelligence system. AI systems have been recoded and act far more realistically. AI now take actions based on the score and change formation as appropriate. Attacking and defensive measures are used as well as risk assessment.
* Advanced tactics editor. Attacking and defensive styles as well as changes to formation can now be changed on the fly. Risks can be chosen as well as new changes to set pieces.
* Less loading. FIFA is now more streamlined and more efficient and as a result there is less pause and play due to the fewer loading screens.
UEFA EURO 2008 is the officially licensed game of the UEFA championship that features realistically modeled players and all official stadiums. The soccer game has you take on the challenge of leading one of over 50 European national teams from qualifications right through to a virtual reproduction of the championship tournament and hopefully the glory that follows.
System: PSP, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Mobile
Genre: Sports
Release dates: April 18th 2008 (EURO), May 19th 2008 (USA) Players: 1-2
Save: 656KB minimum
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: EA Sports
Origin: Canada
UEFA EURO 2008 features the world’s best players and teams and all of the official stadiums that will be part of UEFA EURO 2008. Take on the challenge of leading one of 53 European national teams to glory as UEFA EURO 2008 recreates all of the drama and excitement of the official tournament in Austria and Switzerland. Play as your favorite country from qualification right through to a virtual reproduction of the championship tournament.
Take on the challenge of conquering Europe in the new European Campaign mode. Navigate the interactive map to overcome objectives and challenges to see if you have the skills to dominate Europe. Think you are the best? Now prove it!
From the moment you step on the pitch, UEFA EURO 2008 gives you complete control over all of the action. New manual controls enable you to dictate the play with control over through-passing and crossing. Control the goalkeeper in one-on-one situations to deny the striker yourself. Plus, experience the thrill of the best players elevating their play when the game is on the line with all-new Critical Moment AI.
Intelligently prepare for each specific opponent using new custom formations. Design your own unique strategy to create the perfect formation and tactics. Assign roles and move players to the exact position in relation to teammates to undermine the opposition.
UEFA EURO 2008 captures the look and feel of the journey from qualification to the finals with rain and mud dynamics that impact playing conditions, real-time player ratings that change based on player performance, and a penalty kick mode that re-creates the elation and agony of a penalty shoot-out as if you were on the pitch. Experience the thrill of scoring the goal that sends your country through to the next round and then choose how to celebrate it with all-new interactive user-controlled celebrations. Captain your country, play alongside your heroes, and inspire them to championship glory.
Watch the UEFA Euro 2008 launch trailer.
So what are UEFA Euro 2008’s main features?
* Win UEFA EURO 2008 — Compete as one of 53 teams from qualification right through to a virtual reproduction of UEFA EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland.
* Conquer Europe — Navigate the interactive map to overcome objectives and challenges to see if you have the skills to dominate Europe. Think you are the best? Now you can prove it!
* Critical Moment AI — Experience the thrill of the best players elevating their play with the game on the line with all-new Critical Moment AI.
* Dynamic Rain— Winter weather from across Europe is authentically re-created to simulate real-world playing conditions. Experience driving rain that creates sloppy pitches and dramatically impacts passing and player performance.
* Authentic Stadiums — Compete in all 8 official stadiums of UEFA EURO 2008 with authentic day, dusk and night time lighting conditions.
* Team Managers — Watch reactions from team managers on the sideline as they shout encouragement or become disappointed in your team’s performance.
* Custom Formations — Design your own unique strategy to create the perfect formation and tactics. Set each player’s exact position in the formation, and assign specific attacking and defensive runs.
* Manual Controls — Dictate the play with manual controls for through-passing and crossing. Use the Pass Pulse to covertly call for the ball when playing with friends on the same team. Control the goalkeeper in one-on-one situations to deny the striker yourself. Use the right-stick to quickly switch to the exact player you want to control when defending.
* Dynamic Player Ratings — Real-time player ratings change based on actual player performance, simulating the momentum swings of a real season.
* Sticker Book — Collect your favorite players and unlock new game features in a virtual sticker book by completing objectives and challenges.
* Soccer IQ — Test your soccer knowledge inside Quiz mode featuring thousands of European Football Championship related questions.
Watch UEFA Euro 2008 gameplay footage of Italy VS. Germany.
As a conclusion lets rate UEFA EURO 2008 on its fun-basis.
FUN FACTOR - 8.0
Lots of game modes to play and adjust. A new game mode called Captain Your Country will put you on the pitch, earn the captaincy of a team and truly inspire your country to glory. You’ll also be able to celebrate your success on-field through interactive celebrations that will add to the pageantry and atmosphere of the event. Gameplay is king here, because you have to keep moving, think about your next steps, take ‘em and pass to shoot at the goal like the pro soccer players do. Overall UEFA EURO 2008’s gameplay is slightly improved over FIFA 2008’s. Probably the most fun is that the game is actually out now with all the official teams and stadiums in anticipation of the real-world UEFA EURO 2008 tournament which begins in June in Austria and Switzerland.
Graphics - 8.0
The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game boast superior graphics over the portable PSP version, but this is still one of the best soccer games so far this generation. The next-gen comes from the beautifully detailed in-game look and the realistic true-to-life modeled players that are animated very smoothly. Too bad there’s sometimes a bit of slowdown.
Audio - 8.0
Expect some great play-by-play talk from the commentators. Crowds react very well to what’s going on in the field. Good variety in the soundtrack.
Ingenuity - 8.5
With a heavy focus on realism and attacking play, while making sure the A.I. players put up a hard defense, EA still made themselves a casual soccer game that makes you to think like a real player. A.I. isn’t always perfect though, I’d be nicer if the goalkeeper caught the ball instead of parrying it back to the other team so much. Although the game does make scoring easier than in FIFA 2008, because of the power ground passes giving the game its own style and in general making the ball play feel lighter.
Replay Value - 7.5
With all UEFA EURO 2008 players to choose from it’s a great soccer simulation. The single player tournaments and other modes should last you ages. The 2-player multiplayer mode should add some replay value for the soccer fanatics. This is a great way to tide you over until FIFA 2009 is released later this year.
FIFA Street 3 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 creates a world that merges the game’s biggest stars with environments that pulsate to the music in exotic locales around the world. Featuring over 250 of the world’s best players representing 18 of the top international teams, each player has been rendered into a stylized caricature with heroic qualities. Decked out in authentic training kits, every player boasts their own, distinctive style of play with unique abilities to match. Choose from Tricksters, Enforcers, Playmakers and Finishers to give you different options on the ball and make your mark on the street.
Using the same engine as the NBA Street Homecourt basketball arcade game, combined with the AI from FIFA Soccer 08, FIFA Street 3 delivers animations and ball control that enables you to take complete control of your players with a responsive and intuitive control system that makes it easier than ever to pull off sensational moves. Use the simple button configuration and analog stick to seamlessly combine moves – providing you with hundreds of different ways to show off your street skills. Fill up your all-new Game Breaker to power your ultimate abilities and express yourself like never before. Maneuver your players to leap past defenders, flip off walls, or perform gravity-defying one-timers to score spectacular goals.
Work on your moves, and make sure to score some goals. Watch some fancy footwork in this FIFA Street 3 trailer:
The FIFA Street 3 release date in America is February 18th and in Europe it’s February 22nd, 2008.
A new Wii Fit video has surfaced and it shows more gameplay footage of the upcoming Wii Balance Board-supported fitness casual-game title.
You will get to see footage of the Soccer, Ski, Hula Hoop, and a bit of the Yoga exercise.
The game really looks fun. It may be simple and as casual as you get, but it’s hard to deny that hitting virtual balls with your head and twirling your body/balancing you weight to keep hula hoops spinning definitely looks fun judging by this video. If anything it’ll be a totally unique experience unlike anything we have seen before, just like the first time you played Wii Sports. The Hula Hooping actually looks a bit difficult . . . I wonder how many they toss at you?
Wii Fit has a release date of January 2008 in North America (December 1st in Japan). Click on bottom-right corner arrow to view fullscreen.
FIFA Soccer 09 has sold over 1.2 million copies in it’s first week on store shelves in Europe, making it the fastest selling FIFA title yet according to publisher Electronic Arts. And that’s no mean feat, as the highly regarded FIFA Soccer series started WAY back in 1993!
Being part of the Kunio-kun series, the game features similarly big headed characters painted with angry frowns, slick hairdos and stumpy legs that the series is famous for. Considering the emphasis on tackling, these sprites match the atmosphere that the game brings with it. Furthermore, the slight changes seen among players from different countries represent some amusing ethnic stereotypes.
