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IGN Review of FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play
For Wii, there are a few game types that seem absolutely ideal for IR and motion control. Swinging a bat, racquet, or golf club is an obvious first revelation for players that get their hands on the unique controller, but ironically enough it's the world of soccer that really proves to be a huge selling point on Nintendo's system. FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer are going head to head on a yearly basis (last year launching right on top of each other, while this year has FIFA first out the gate, and Pro Evo waiting until early '09), and both on a mission to trump the other. This, of course, is always a battle across every system, but with Wii being the top selling console out there, and with as much innovation in the world of soccer happening on the system, we expect this rivalry to get stronger as the seasons pass. After putting some serious time into FIFA 09 from EA though, we again have to give top props to its competitor as far as the system's best soccer offering, as FIFA 09 is starting to adopt the pointer control and motion scheme originally set up in last year's Pro Evo soccer, but it leaves something to be desired; the feeling of full-team manipulation.
FIFA 09 for Wii is far from a bad game of soccer, and in fact, it's a relatively strong offering in the whole pedigree of EA Sports titles on Wii. You won't find a huge effort in the vein of Tiger or Madden with FIFA, but the control innovation, general flow of the game, Mii integration, and extra modes make it a solid contender on the system -- one of the better sports games to be sure.
The big change this year was the All-Play brand, which is basically a take on the family mode from last year. Players can use a single controller (the Wii remote) and play a full game of soccer with just the pointer and motion controls, and along with the feel of the game comes a new eight-on-eight mode similar to Madden's five-on-five, the Footii party (including table soccer and juggling/shooting mini-games from last year, along with the added eight-on-eight for 09) and Mii support for in-game and user profile management. If you're looking for more than just a serious take on soccer - one you can share with any age of family or friends - FIFA is a stronger offering than its Pro Evo competitor.
Where it falls a bit short - not just when comparing it to competition on the system, but on our general expectation for EA innovation - is in fact in the control department. Serious time was spent on making All-Play a game that anyone could get into, and on that level, it's a success. When it comes to advanced play though, FIFA isn't as strong as it could be.
Advanced play is -- as we'd expect -- pointer-based, using the Wii's IR for precision passing and player control, should you play with just the Wii-mote. Nunchuk control can be used to move players on offense and defense (the direct control for defenders makes FIFA a more manageable affair than Pro Evo specifically) and in that sense the game is certainly taking strides in the right direction. On offense though, there's something to be desired, as you can use pointer for free-passing, but have no direct control over your team for drag control. This was an innovative move by Konami last year, so when we first heard that FIFA had IR control, we assumed it would take from that design entirely. Unfortunately, it doesn't, so while defense is stronger, you get a better family feel for the game with All Play, and of course you've got all the international licenses that come with EA's game, you don't get the "god hand" feel in the game, which really takes soccer to a whole new level on Wii.
There are some great additions to FIFA though, and the overall offering is still extremely strong. Commentary this year is basically a repeat from last year, with a bit of additional VO added on, but it sounds great. Visually, the game isn't bad -- nothing above what PS2 was doing years ago, but still looking good via 480p and 16:9 on Wii -- and the overall control options are great, minus the lack of ability to control the whole team with IR drag. The main manager mode is pretty in-depth, offering the ability to tweak every facet of your team to balance salary, sponsors, scheduling, and roster (players can be brought up from the minors, and scouting reports/staff email will guide you the whole way). Online makes a return from last year as well, and it works wonderfully, whether you're playing a quick game of one-on-one with a random player or friend, or if you're participating in interactive leagues; yet another area where FIFA is capitalizing on Wii.
©2008-10-30, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
FIFA 09 for Wii is far from a bad game of soccer, and in fact, it's a relatively strong offering in the whole pedigree of EA Sports titles on Wii. You won't find a huge effort in the vein of Tiger or Madden with FIFA, but the control innovation, general flow of the game, Mii integration, and extra modes make it a solid contender on the system -- one of the better sports games to be sure.
The big change this year was the All-Play brand, which is basically a take on the family mode from last year. Players can use a single controller (the Wii remote) and play a full game of soccer with just the pointer and motion controls, and along with the feel of the game comes a new eight-on-eight mode similar to Madden's five-on-five, the Footii party (including table soccer and juggling/shooting mini-games from last year, along with the added eight-on-eight for 09) and Mii support for in-game and user profile management. If you're looking for more than just a serious take on soccer - one you can share with any age of family or friends - FIFA is a stronger offering than its Pro Evo competitor.
Where it falls a bit short - not just when comparing it to competition on the system, but on our general expectation for EA innovation - is in fact in the control department. Serious time was spent on making All-Play a game that anyone could get into, and on that level, it's a success. When it comes to advanced play though, FIFA isn't as strong as it could be.
Advanced play is -- as we'd expect -- pointer-based, using the Wii's IR for precision passing and player control, should you play with just the Wii-mote. Nunchuk control can be used to move players on offense and defense (the direct control for defenders makes FIFA a more manageable affair than Pro Evo specifically) and in that sense the game is certainly taking strides in the right direction. On offense though, there's something to be desired, as you can use pointer for free-passing, but have no direct control over your team for drag control. This was an innovative move by Konami last year, so when we first heard that FIFA had IR control, we assumed it would take from that design entirely. Unfortunately, it doesn't, so while defense is stronger, you get a better family feel for the game with All Play, and of course you've got all the international licenses that come with EA's game, you don't get the "god hand" feel in the game, which really takes soccer to a whole new level on Wii.
There are some great additions to FIFA though, and the overall offering is still extremely strong. Commentary this year is basically a repeat from last year, with a bit of additional VO added on, but it sounds great. Visually, the game isn't bad -- nothing above what PS2 was doing years ago, but still looking good via 480p and 16:9 on Wii -- and the overall control options are great, minus the lack of ability to control the whole team with IR drag. The main manager mode is pretty in-depth, offering the ability to tweak every facet of your team to balance salary, sponsors, scheduling, and roster (players can be brought up from the minors, and scouting reports/staff email will guide you the whole way). Online makes a return from last year as well, and it works wonderfully, whether you're playing a quick game of one-on-one with a random player or friend, or if you're participating in interactive leagues; yet another area where FIFA is capitalizing on Wii.
©2008-10-30, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved