Posts tagged Soccer at Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Posts with tag soccer

FIFA 09 screens are goal-eriffic

Posted Jul 2nd 2008 11:45AM by Phil Larsen
Filed under: News, Screens

Remember that whole thing about Mii versions of your favorite soccer stars? Lo and behold, we've come across the first images for FIFA 09, and it's looking pretty fast-kickingly good. Ronaldhino (the guy who clearly uses special effects and isn't really that good) and Wayne Rooney head up the cast of for Footii Match mode.

The graphics look great, to be completely honest. FIFA 09 on the Wii will never be the best-looking version, but it includes the full simulation of regular FIFA gameplay along with the arcade-style modes. Since Wii owners are very accustomed to Mii characters by now, there's every reason to add light-hearted gameplay into the mix. If it's as good as Mario Strikers: Charged, then we're looking at a winner.

Gallery: FIFA 09

FIFA 09 wants to score so badly

Posted Jul 1st 2008 12:30PM by Phil Larsen
Filed under: News

EA knows that ~~football~~ soccer is a somewhat popular sport. Maybe not as popular as curling, but it does its best to fit in. On account of the FIFA series being super popular, EA has revealed just how hard they worked to create each version of FIFA 09. Instead of just a simple Wii port with waggle additions, Andrew Wilson of EA says they "have innovated features, created new modes and designed controls that are tailored to each specific platform."

FIFA 09 is part of the recently revealed All-Play series, used to market EA's line of Wii sports games. It will feature a standard 11 vs. 11 simulation mode (with "refined motion and point-and-play controls"), and the 8 vs. 8 Footii Match mode. Footii Match is an arcade-style mode featuring Mii versions of various soccer stars (like Ariaga, Ariaga 2, Bariaga, Aruglia and Pizzoza) and the gameplay will be fast and furious -- similar to the recent Madden trailers.

The All-Play series has really put the Wii where it needs to be when it comes to sports games. After a little bit more research, we discovered soccer is a little more popular than originally thought (somewhere in the vicinity of Most. Popular. Game. Ever), so EA is on the right track by giving it the specialized attention it needs.

[Via press release]

Konami kicks off Japanese rental program with Pro Evolution Soccer

Posted Jun 21st 2008 2:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: News

Being able to rent games is something that most of us take for granted -- in Japan, it doesn't happen because of publisher blackballing. Konami has decided to give the whole rental thing a try, though, starting with the popular soccer game, Winning Eleven: Play Maker 2008 (aka Pro Evolution Soccer 2008).

Even so, Japanese gamers won't be able to test out the title in full. Instead, trial versions of the Wii game will be offered for free at Tsutaya stores. It's kind of like downloading a demo, only you have to go and pick it up instead.

We're interested to see if this has any impact on Japan's gaming industry, and if Konami will expand their "rental" service in the future.

Gallery: Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

[Via Game|Life]

Big Beach Sports looks more like big bore sports

Posted Jun 20th 2008 9:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: Screens

With all the multi-sport games on the market for the Wii, we haven't really kept tabs on THQ's rendition, Big Beach Sports. Since the software is releasing next week for the budget price of $29.99, though, it's time to give it a closer inspection.

Looking at these new screens, we have to say -- ignoring it seems like the right choice. Perhaps we're being a little harsh, but that's why we're paid the big bucks, after all. We can see that the developers were aiming for "cute," but might have gotten a bit closer to "ew ew ew."

We're not ones to nitpick about graphics if the gameplay is fun, yet performing things like "the bump" with the Wiimote seem too tedious to be a good time. Perhaps the oversaturated mini-sports market has made us too cynical, and hopefully we'll be proven wrong. Yet, for now, we'll file this game under "mehware."

Gallery: Big Beach Sports

[Via press release]

Inazuma Eleven headed to consoles, Wii likely

Posted May 14th 2008 1:15PM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: News, Imports

Level-5 is sinking big money into their DS soccer RPG Inazuma Eleven, seemingly expecting a massive return. The company held a press conference in Tokyo to outline the "Cross-Media Project," which is a somewhat nicer way of describing "milking the new franchise." In addition to the planned manga and anime series, Level-5 president Akihiro Hino revealed an upcoming Inazuma Eleven card game, to be released concurrently with the DS game on August 22.

Along with all this stuff, Level-5 announced a second game, Inazuma Eleven Break, for consoles. No specific console or date was announced, but it's not hard to guess which home console Level-5 would choose for a mass-market children's game. They'd choose the one with a mass market.

Free online PES magazine is a good way to kill some time

Posted Mar 27th 2008 7:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: Fan stuff

Do you eat, sleep, and breathe Pro Evolution Soccer 2008? Well then, not only do you have an amazing digestive system, but also you'd probably be interested to know that Konami wants to further feed your addiction.

Why else would the company team up with GamerZines to make an online magazine completely dedicated to PES Wii? Oh right, promotional reasons. At its core, this mag is just an attempt to hype up people for PES 2008. Even so, if you're a fan of the game or are thinking about buying it, you might find a few interesting things in this free zine.

Aside from pictures of happy people who are supposedly playing the game, the magazine offers gameplay videos, as well as an interview with PES 2008's Wii producer, Akiyoshi "Greyhound" Chosogabe. There's also an entertaining little game-like quiz/competition where you have to identify five soccer players (which this blogger failed at miserably).

All in all, there's not that much to it, but current and potential PES lovers might find reading it to be a nice distraction.

Gallery: Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

[Thanks, Dave]

Metareview: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

Posted Mar 20th 2008 7:00PM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: Metareview

Thanks to its point-and-pass mechanics and Mii integration, the Wii version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 can safely be described as the biggest upheaval of the series in years. But have such sweeping changes to one of the most finely balanced franchises in gaming been for the better? Well, the critics certainly seem to think so ...

Official Nintendo Magazine UK -- 90%: First out of the tunnel with its views is the UK edition of Official Nintendo Magazine, which suggests that persevering with the new Wii controls will pay dividends: "Easily the best football game on a Nintendo system. It takes a while to get used to the new controls but once you get your head round them, they become second nature." [March 2008, p.58 -- excerpt found at Metacritic]

IGN -- 86%: IGN's Matt Bozon argues that the Wii controls play a crucial role in creating the "most strategic" soccer experience ever: "The integration of IR into a sports game has been extremely minimal so far, but is absolutely ideal in this situation, allowing players to not only play the ball specifically, but direct traffic and precisely move every player on the field in tandem, making for the most realistic, strategic, and intuitive soccer experiences we've ever seen."

1UP -- 75%: And it's more of the same from 1UP's Andrew Pfister, who expresses surprise that the Wii version is so superior to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions: "It's always refreshing to see a unique application of the Wii's motion controls, and it's even more encouraging to see a new idea that's not only functional, but something that really can't be done any other way. We're not sure what's going on over at Konami's PES team: on one hand, there seem to be some major issues in regards to PS3/360 development, yet the less-technically apt Wii version ends up being the game to move the franchise forward."

Gallery: Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

Sacre bleu! French soccer team banned from Wii

Posted Mar 10th 2008 8:00PM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: Fan stuff

French national ~~football~~ soccer team coach Raymond Domenech is a strange one. A keen astrologer who shies from picking Scorpios for his squad (apparently, he "doesn't trust them"), Domenech has now banned his players from playing on the Wii. We like to think that Raymond is a regular Wii Fanboy reader, and has read up on previous Wii-related injuries! We're probably being overly hopeful.

Anyway, the French side is due to take part in the European Championships this summer (read: a big deal), so clearly Domenech wants to give his team every possible edge. Rubbish old England failed to qualify, of course, so they're welcome to play all the Wii they want. Silver linings and all that, eh chaps?

[Via Go Nintendo]

Big Beach Sports ... better than little beach sports?

Posted Feb 26th 2008 8:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: News

THQ is going Wii crazy. Not only is the publisher responsible for bringing aliens, bands, deadly creatures, worms, blobs, and more to our Wiis, but now beach sports, too.

If you've ever had the urge to play beach games like bocce or cricket without actually going to the beach, consider yourself lucky. Big Beach Sports will feature those and others, including football, soccer, volleyball, and Frisbee golf. This THQ title will include single-player tournaments for the different sports, and also let you get your multiplayer groove going with up to three more people. Since the press release made no mention of online play, though, we'll have to assume for now that the game won't have any.

Will this summer release be a good beach adaptation of Wii Sports? We can't be sure, although at the very least, Americans might finally be able to find out what the heck is going on in cricket.

[Via press release]

Winning Eleven changes its name

Posted Feb 6th 2008 10:30PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: News

Those of us in the U.S. call Konami's soccer series Winning Eleven rather than Pro Evolution Soccer. Winning Eleven will soon be no more, however, as the title for the new U.S. game will officially be Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, like its European counterpart.

As IGN points out, this is unfortunate timing. Had the newest game kept its Winning Eleven name, it's title would have been Winning Eleven 11. Only Japan will have that glory now.

We at Nintendo Wii Fanboy tend to prefer Winning Eleven to Pro Evolution Soccer, but at the end of the day, what's in a name? At least this change might serve to cut down on some confusion.

Gallery: Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

Winning Eleven's Mii support video turns heads

Posted Feb 4th 2008 7:00PM by Eric Caoili
Filed under: Video

Very big heads, that is. The folks behind the Official Nintendo Magazine posted a video showing off Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008's RTS-esque plays and what the pitch will look like when you replace your team of normal-sized-head players with a squad of Miis, goofy expressions and all. It's worth watching the five-minute clip for both of those details!

The game looks as goofy as NBA Jam's Big Head code, except with soccer! Also, PES 2008 matches will feature full commentary by Jon Champion and Mark Lawrenson, and not some guy yelling out a bunch of foolishness like "Razzle dazzle!" and "Boomshakalaka!" If that sounds like a minus to you, you always have the option of shouting those lines out yourself; that's what we do whenever we're at the dinner table. Kick the read link below for the video.

Gallery: Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

Down on the pitch with the latest Winning Eleven screens

Posted Jan 22nd 2008 3:00PM by Alisha Karabinus
Filed under: Screens

We've been treated to loads of video from the Wii version of Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, but not so much with the screens. As mystifying as this would normally be -- since it's usually the opposite! -- when considering the effort that's been put into building the game for the Wii controls and platform, it actually makes a lot of sense.

Doesn't mean we didn't want to see some screens, though, and now we've got a fresh set, which we've tucked away in a gallery just for you.

Gallery: Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

Fresh Winning Eleven info emerges from the tunnel

Posted Jan 17th 2008 7:00PM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: News

As we have previously discussed, the Wii version of Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 will be a very different game from the version that appeared on other consoles (and we're not just referring to the Wii-specific logo above). Is that a good or bad thing? We'll know soon enough, because Konami has announced that the game will be out in March.

Scouring today's press release, we also learned about a random bunch of other features that are exclusive to the Wii edition. These include the ability to fashion a squad of 16 pre-defined Miis, a "Champions Road" mode that sees you building a team from the opponents you defeat (similar to the "Gacha-get" mode in the DS version), and the way in which sliding tackles can be executed and 'keepers brought out with a shake of the Nunchuk.

Oh, and it will have full online play, but if the online support is anything like other versions of the game, expect it to be absolutely lagtastic.

[Via press release]

New Winning Eleven footage shows off Wii controls

Posted Jan 7th 2008 5:00PM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: Video

To those of us reared on playing Winning Eleven games with d-pads and/or analog sticks, the Wii version of Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 has the potential to be a slightly unsettling experience. As the video above shows, pointing your cursor to pass actually looks very natural and fluid, but we're also hoping this doesn't make Winning Eleven on the Wii too simplistic. The series has long been defined by the subtlety of its gameplay, and while greater immediacy would potentially draw in new fans, learning how to master each new game in the series is one of its biggest attractions.

We're remaining positive though, if only because series creator Shingo "Seabass" Takatsuka has repeatedly demonstrated that he knows more than most people about producing superb soccer games. Here's hoping he nails this one.

Wii Fit gameplay makes us sweat just watching it

Posted Dec 6th 2007 8:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: Video

Josh from WiiFolder.com took the time show us ~~his large HDTV~~ some Wii Fit games in action, and we have to say, the game looks promising.

A few of the games definitely won't help you drop those love handles (at least we don't think so, but since we got A's in gym class so you can pretty much count that as an expert opinion). Nonetheless, they still look fun, and we're glad we won't have to go to the zoo anymore to get our "kicking Panda heads" fix.

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Nintendo Wii Fanboy

FIFA 09 screens are goal-eriffic

FIFA 09 wants to score so badly

Konami kicks off Japanese rental program with Pro Evolution Soccer

Big Beach Sports looks more like big bore sports

Inazuma Eleven headed to consoles, Wii likely

Free online PES magazine is a good way to kill some time

Metareview: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

Sacre bleu! French soccer team banned from Wii

Big Beach Sports ... better than little beach sports?

Winning Eleven changes its name

Winning Eleven's Mii support video turns heads

Down on the pitch with the latest Winning Eleven screens

Fresh Winning Eleven info emerges from the tunnel

New Winning Eleven footage shows off Wii controls

Wii Fit gameplay makes us sweat just watching it

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