PES 2009 for Wii out today (3/17)

[zzyzx]

Konami's follow-up to the unique and surprisingly good PES 2008 for Wii hits stores today. Is anyone else picking this one up? I'd be curious to see impressions. I'll post my own - maybe even a full-blown review - once I've had a chance to spend some time with it.

For those not in the know . . . as a rule, the Wii is not a great platform for sports games.
[/understatement]
But every good rule has an exception or two, and PES is one of them (along with Power Pros and, possibly, the new Tiger and Grand Slam from EA).

[EZ Snappin]

I have it on order - got the shipping notice this morning, should have it tomorrow.

PES 2008 for Wii was my favorite game of last year, and I must have put hundreds of hours into it. If the previews are true, with the defensive changes and co-op multiplayer, I expect I'll put in even more this time 'round.

[zzyzx]

Wow. I thought the box was heavy. 96 page manual included.

Granted, it's 3 languages, but still...

15 pages for controls. [Takes breath] Okay, that's because there are 3 setups. Wiimote/Nunchuck, wiimote only, and the dual analog classic controller. Whew. That's better. My memory isn't what it used to be.

Game Modes:
UEFA Champions League
Match (quick game)
Wifi (online multiplayer, up to 2 consoles / 8 players per match)
Champions Road
Master League
League
Cup
Training

I'm guessing if there's a knock on this one it won't be lack of replay value or that it's "dumbed down."

Could be a while before I have a coherent opinion of this.

[roxnsox]

Sizzlesticks?

I'm interested to hear what you think. I have last years version and liked it, but really missed the Master League.

[zzyzx]

Gamesradar (US) 9/10

Short version: Much like last year, but with a few very welcome additions.

[EZ Snappin]

Downloaded new rosters before I started (all the transfers are done!), changed the generic team names, and jumped in.

Now I've put a few hours in with it, and there are some fairly obvious improvements. First, the controls are a better tuned version of last years; finer dribbling control with the stick and better indicators and AI on defense. Secondly, and the biggest thing for me, is on defense; marked men don't lose their markers until you've reestablished control, so no frantic clicking on clearances that aren't possessed or throw-ins etc. The AI was cheap with that last year. Thirdly, the whole game plays faster, both in game speed and in less control lag. I went back and forth between the two versions, and it is noticeable. I think they slowed done last years because they hadn't gotten the control parameters set correctly. It feels better.

Most annoying carryover - no new commentary. Yes, that's my biggest complaint so far. There has been some graphic facelifts to menus, but the guts are the same, the options are all the same, etc. Haven't tried Master League (looks to have all the features of the other current versions) but did start the Wii only Champions Road. Same basic premise, but more options for fine tuning your side. Menu changes make some previously hard to access functions easier to find, and overall feels like an improvement.

Not an online gamer except in co-op games, so can't help with questions about that side of things.

[CarryTheWeight]

I was thinking about getting PES2009 for Wii after hearing a lot of the positive stuff about PES2008...I haven't bought a PES game since Winning Eleven 9 on the original Xbox (which I still play from time to time). I was fortunate enough to rent PES2008 on 360 and was pretty disappointed in it, though, particularly because the Edit Mode was so bare-bones and the gameplay was much more looser than I remembered it on WE9.

So, I'm wondering if PES2009 is worth the 39.99. Is it simply a port of WE9 or is it a much different experience (other than the obvious control changes)? I don't have a lot of faith in sports on the Wii console and was burned when NHL 2K9 came out, so I'm pretty much looking for second opinions before putting the money down.

[zzyzx]

Quote: Originally Posted by CarryTheWeight

I was thinking about getting PES2009 for Wii after hearing a lot of the positive stuff about PES2008...I haven't bought a PES game since Winning Eleven 9 on the original Xbox (which I still play from time to time). I was fortunate enough to rent PES2008 on 360 and was pretty disappointed in it, though, particularly because the Edit Mode was so bare-bones and the gameplay was much more looser than I remembered it on WE9. So, I'm wondering if PES2009 is worth the 39.99. Is it simply a port of WE9 or is it a much different experience (other than the obvious control changes)? I don't have a lot of faith in sports on the Wii console and was burned when NHL 2K9 came out, so I'm pretty much looking for second opinions before putting the money down.

I still haven't had the chance to collect my thoughts for a review, but I can answer your question. Yes.

PES 2009 for Wii and NHL 2k9 for Wii do not belong in the same sentence, paragraph, or discussion. I'd say that PES plays like a $49.99 release. NHL 2k9, which was $49.99 at release, can't even dream of justifying PES's lower price tag. I'd rate it as a $20 title, at best.

If you want presentation and graphics, I'd rent the game first to see if you can live with it. If you're after gameplay, then it's safe to recommend the purchase. I played the PC demo of PES 2009 on a fairly high-spec system, and I didn't enjoy gameplay nearly as much. It looked a bit nicer, but I still wouldn't describe PES on PC as visually stunning. In the end, for me, it's about whether or not the gameplay is good. And PES 2009 Wii is good where it counts.

IGN Review (8.5 Editor's Choice)