Pro-Evolution Soccer 2010 (Bilingual game-play)

(This review is long-winded, but I guarantee it will serve you.)
Can't decide whether to buy Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 or Fifa 2010 on Wii? Comparing the 2010 PES and Fifa versions for Wii leaves little to argument: if you're looking for an authentic soccer experience, PES is far superior.

Read other Amazon reviews and you readily discern that Fifa has tried something new by opting for a kiddy, arcade feel. It's as if an ignoramus in Nintendo's or EA Sports' boardroom ordered the programmers to alter a tried and true formula. The result? Like altering a long-standing Thanksgiving tradition, EA has, by analogy, brought a tofu "turkey" to dinner, and long time Fifa fans will be drastically disappointed with EA's miserable product (though young gamers may like the simple play).

Aiming to please the casual Wii sports fan, EA revamped Fifa graphics, options, and gameplay--but all for the worse. Some may think the graphics an improvement as character faces are more life-like than ever, but objectively the players look much like an out of proportioned Quasimodo. As regarding the game's options, Fifa fans will be irate that, when playing a season, there is no option to change from 2 minutes halves. Fifa's game play also suffers from such unbearable new "features" as the shooting slow-mo (The game goes into slow-mo nearly every time a shot is made.) and the corner/free-kick green ball. (You might be letting in 3 free kicks per game on the higher levels.). Fifa did significantly correct one astonishing oversight from Fifa 2009: they assigned different buttons for ground and air passes, whereas last year's version only had one button for both passes, leaving the 2009 game unplayable except with the Gamecube controller. (Fifa 2009 with the GameCube controller is a far superior game than the newer version.)

How does PES compare? My ideal Wii football game is one that takes advantage of the Wii's point to the screen abilities, allows you to play accurate/realistic passes, challenges you with life-like computer AI, and allows you to develop a team/players over a season. PES 2010 on Wii excels in all these areas, and once you read the below tips to correct some of the ostensible errors, the true fan of the beautiful game will be loving PES 2010.

As with Fifa 2010, PES 2010 allows you to point to the screen to make a pass to any specific location. While both games still need to improve the accuracy of through balls and balls over the top (In both games you will occasionally find yourself passing to the feet/chest of a teammates instead of in front of the teammate.), it is much easier to intentionally play a pass in front of the receptor in PES than in Fifa. (If you cannot figure out how to make a long, air pass in PES 2010, know the instructions in the booklet are wrong: to play a long, air pass, double tap B in rapid succession.) The brilliantly refined invention in PES 2010 is the point and drag a teammate option which allows you to make off-the-balls runs in any direction. In other words, with the control stick you can run the ball handler in one direction, while pointing and dragging a teammate to make a run in completely the opposite direction. As a result, I can finally make "el Chino" David Silva cut outside with the ball and play the perfect through pass to inside cutting "el Guage" Villa who is perfectly on-side.) At first the controls, dribbling and zone marking on defense, will seem overly complicated--and perhaps not suitable to the casual gamer or gamers under age 10--but be patient, play a season, and the wonderful instructional videos will have you executing the inspired moves within a week. (For instance, for eternity, football games have only allowed you to play give-and-go passes where the "goer" runs straight down the field. Utilizing the Wii's capacities, PES 2010 allows give-and-go passes in any direction.) As for the AI, PES 2010 is really the first football game I have ever played where the computer, on the advanced settings, does not try to dribble down the center of the field, but rather plays the ball around the field: tic-y, tac-y. Regarding options, though PES lacks the licenses on some Premiership teams and does not carry second division teams in any of the European leagues, you can play a full season with Champions League, compete in just the Champions League, dispute a country cup with any major European/South American club or national team, or create your own team--even with Mii characters. PES also features a menu in multiple-languages, as well as commentary in multiple-languages: English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese. (Me gusta más el comentario en español que en inglés, con la excepción de que los comentaristas confuden los nombres de algunos jugadores. A Silva le llaman Xabi Alonso.)

The comparison is easy. Once you master PES's complex controls (Don't forget that an air-pass is double B on manual control settings. Also, if you find your players asininely standing still and waiting for the ball to come to them, press C, the cancel button to make receiving players run to the ball.), you will use the Wii's point and play capabilities to make more authentic runs and passes than with any other football game on any other system. PES' only drawback is a significant one: using the Wii controller and Nunchuck, you cannot play on the same team as a friend. Nevertheless, PES far outshines the pitiful Fifa 2010, and this written by someone who has purchased 7 Fifa games on different systems in his many years. Unless you are the parent of a young child looking for an easily playable game, don't waste your money on Fifa 2010 when such a better option as PES 2010 exists.

I just got this game a few days ago and already love it. There are a tons of different teams from several different soccer leagues that you can choose to play as. Teams from different countries can be played as as well(My favorite team to play as is Sweden). This game is exciting to play, especially for the Wii, because you can point to exactly where you want the pass to be made. The controls are fairly simple, without being too simple. Another great feature of this game is that using nintendo wi fi you can compete against people from around the world (very similar to Xbox Live, except for the Wii it is free). The graphics are surprisingly good for a game on the wii console. Unlike some other sports titles for the Wii, it can be a challenge even for hardcore gamers. I would recommend this game to anyone, especially a soccer fan. This is by far the best soccer game out for any console.

I actually bought this game for my fiancée's brother as a Christmas present and ended up playing it more than he did over our vacation... The controls are so cool, and playing helped me learn the rules of soccer and I started watching real soccer matches on TV now. When I got back from vacation, I ordered another one for myself!

Still trying to figure out if there's anyway to play 2 player co-op mode, but even if there isn't, it doesn't change my rating.

Great game :)

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