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[Tenbatsu]

Konami has been showing off the brand new version of Pro Evolution Soccer Wii 2009 at its European Championship event in Rome and we've got new screens and impressions from the first hands-on with the latest code.

The second version of the classic footy title to make it onto Wii, PES 2009 is set to launch in spring next year and like its PS3 and 360 counterparts will feature the newly acquired Champions League license, featuring all the teams and stars from the world's biggest club tournament.

However it's in the area of game control that some intriguing new options are most readily apparent. The Wii controller proved to be an excellent new way of playing football on a console earlier this year, but Konami has added support for the Classic Controller across the board as well as allowing you to tilt the Wii mote sideways to play in this new version.

It works extremely well on initial plays, allowing long-standing PES stalwarts to play alongside Wii players for the very first time and results in some really good quality co-operative gameplay.

Elsewhere there's new defence options controlled via the Nunchuck, improved player AI and an enhanced shooting system which seems more intuitive and a lot of fun, allowing you to bag a whole hat-full of goals.

Our initial impressions of the Wii version are very promising indeed: combining a big name license with a raft of inclusive new control options seems a very smart move indeed and PES 2009 looks like its set to hit the back of the net, when it straps on its boots and makes it debut early next year. - John Houlihan

The graphics had improved and it seems that you can control where to shoot now!

 

[rollingstart]

08 version is great, but I am not really up on going yearly with sports game.

 

[CTLance]

I loathe sports games, but this looks/sounds kinda nice. Pointer&Waggle for newgen gamers, CC for the old farts, and graphics seem to be quite nice too.
...
Waaaaaaitasec. No jaggies? 1,024 x 576 pixels? Photoshop CS2 Windows? I think I can see what happened here.

 

[The Hermit]

:O

No way that´s Wii graphics!
BTW, Improved control + ability to play using the classic control will make this everything that I was hoping for the new PES!

Go Konami!

will feature the newly acquired Champions League license, featuring all the teams and stars from the world's biggest club tournament.

Fuck Yeah!

 

[Olaeh]

I had to go back and look at the thread title. Wii game!? Looks very nice, but they've gotta be bullshorts.

 

[ciccione]

this one could easily become the best soccer game ever on any console. Very impressive graphics!

 

[Meta-Knight]

I rented the 08 version with no expectations (I'm not that much of a soccer fan) and was pleasantly surprised. The game is easy to pick up and play, and yet has a lot of depth. The Wii pointer controls work perfectly for a soccer game. 09 version looks good, I'll probably buy it this year.

 

[Olaeh]

09 version looks good, I'll probably buy it this year.

Same here. I missed the last one but it looked fun from the vids I saw. This is the first time I've really been somewhat hyped for a sports game.

 

[Cataferal]

Now if only the Wii could output 1024x576, with room to spare for AA. Those screens look gorgoeus...

 

[Regulus Tera]

I had to go back and look at the thread title. Wii game!? Looks very nice, but they've gotta be bullshorts.

People are very quick to forget what last gen could do. The Wii, being last gen 2.0, could obviously achieve these kind of graphics.

 

[Struct09]

James Franco?

 

[CTLance]

People are very quick to forget what last gen could do. The Wii, being last gen 2.0, could obviously achieve these kind of graphics.

I think you're being a tad too optimistic here. Those are obviously bullshots. If they aren't (they look antialiased even blown up to 1024x576 pixel!) I'll need to take a sledgehammer to all the Wii devs so far, since they obviously fucked up majorly. Yes, even the Mario Galaxy guys.

 

[supermackem]

They got the main utd stand wrong there, the first tier is way bigger than that.

 

[abstract alien]

Im all over this...love the control scheme to death

 

[bdouble]

Yeah well even if they are bull shots I'm glad I waited for this second version of the game.

 

[TheMissingLink]

Bullshots, definitely.

I enjoyed 08 but am probably going to skip 09 in favor of a proper football game.

 

[marc^o^]

It looks a lot like a definitive version to me!

 

[ElFly]

Eh, I loved the first game, but I am still playing it. No need to double dip yet. The addition of classic controller support does nothing at all for me.

 

[ksamedi]

This version blows away every other version. I was considering buying the PS3 version for multiplayer with friends because some of them had no patience to adapt to the Wii controls but now that they included classic controls there is no need for that anymore.

On a side note,
Classic controls VS Wii controls, who has the advantage?

 

[Neo C.]

On a side note,
Classic controls VS Wii controls, who has the advantage?

if you can control your shot with the Wii controls like in this picture, then I don't believe classic controls has the chance against Wii controls:

 

[antispin]

Are all versions releasing simultaneously this time?

 

[Yazan]

No, PES Wii will come out in February/March next year. The other versions will come out in October (Europe) and November (NA).

 

[Nuclear Muffin]

This version blows away every other version. I was considering buying the PS3 version for multiplayer with friends because some of them had no patience to adapt to the Wii controls but now that they included classic controls there is no need for that anymore.

On a side note,
Classic controls VS Wii controls, who has the advantage?

The classic controls don't stand a chance. Maybe that's why they're including them this time around, so that old CC users get completely pounded, which encourages them to switch to the Wiimote/Nunchuck setup!

Of course the biggest thing Konami need to do is get the Wii versions out at the same time as the other ones, that's the biggest thing that's holding PES Wii back, nobody wants to buy a (by the uninformed gamer's recogning) 5 month old PES!

 

[jts]

The release date for this is effin ridiculous... close to the end of the season? Really? They want us to buy a game in yearly basis with the premise of keeping updated with the teams for like one month only? Fuck that!

 

[spwolf]

The release date for this is effin ridiculous... close to the end of the season? Really? They want us to buy a game in yearly basis with the premise of keeping updated with the teams for like one month only? Fuck that!

yeah, they should have skipped the innovative gameplay and just copied PS2 version...

 

[Always-honest]

probably the best version.

 

[Xzbeat]

yeah, they should have skipped the innovative gameplay and just copied PS2 version...

What does this have to do with what he was saying?

 

[brain_stew]

probably the best version.

No probably about it, its the only real "next gen" sports game out there.

Whilst those are most definitely bullshots, take away the AA and higher resolution and you've still got a very good looking Wii game. There's no doubt at all that the Wii version is getting the most focused development time.

 

[abstract alien]

No probably about it, its the only real "next gen" sports game out there.

So true

 

[kinggroin]

I loved 08, so this is a no brainer as far as trade-in-to-buy.


*looks at screens



Wish the wii could output @ HD resolutions

 

[legend166]

I'd like to see a Classic Controller against Wii pointer game. CC would get slaughtered.

PES 08 Wii is perhaps the best sports game I've ever played. Can't wait for 09.

 

[Gamecocks625]

Looks like Pro Evo's new home is on the Wii. PES kicks so much butt on that console. If I still had my Wii, 09 would be at the top of my wishlist. It looks great!

 

[jts]

yeah, they should have skipped the innovative gameplay and just copied PS2 version...

wat

 

[spwolf]

What does this have to do with what he was saying?

um, it is completly different version of PES, hence they cant just copy gameplay from other versions, it is product of its own and first release was in March 2008...

You want them to make another game shipping 6 months later? wtf?

If they just copied PS2 version into Wii, you would get it in October... would you want that? I dont think so... so stop complaining.

 

[jts]

um, it is completly different version of PES, hence they cant just copy gameplay from other versions, it is product of its own and first release was in March 2008...

You want them to make another game shipping 6 months later? wtf?

If they just copied PS2 version into Wii, you would get it in October... would you want that? I dont think so... so stop complaining.

They already had the gameplay for the 2008 version. And why couldn't they be working on the 2009 version at the same time the other console versions were being developed is beyond me.

 

[TunaLover]

Guys you clearly haven't played PES Wii 08 in progresive scan mode. 09 doesn't look like a great improvement graphic wise.

 

[Gagaman]

My dad bought PES2008 for his Wii recently for £15 and has been playing the guts out of it. I played a bit of it and really enjoyed it too, the controls are fantastic. I doubt we'd be updating any time soon, but this looks promising with the new updates. the graphics definitely needed a bit of a kick up the arse.

 

[Tenbatsu]

I am really interested in the "Mii Training", I think you can train your Miis and use them in your starting lineup!

 

[DoubleTap]

I'm very interested to find out if there is a proper Master League in the Wii version. If not, then it's no sale because I'm already buying the HD version for traditional controls and I'm pretty happy with 08.

 

[ElFly]

I am really interested in the "Mii Training", I think you can train your Miis and use them in your starting lineup!

Ugh, when the Miis play the game becomes unplayable. The gigantic heads often block the shirts, making it hard to tell who is playing in which team.

 

[kobashi100]

I'm very interested to find out if there is a proper Master League in the Wii version. If not, then it's no sale because I'm already buying the HD version for traditional controls and I'm pretty happy with 08.

Master League is in 2009 version.

 

[DoubleTap]

Master League is in 2009 version.

Really? Time to trade in 08 then. Thanks!

 

[Tenbatsu]

Ugh, when the Miis play the game becomes unplayable. The gigantic heads often block the shirts, making it hard to tell who is playing in which team.

I think theres a way to implement normal size Mii's head in game. But the players will look funny if the Miis are those wacky ones.

 

[jibblypop]

This sounds VERY good! They seem to be addressing my main 2 problems with it. I thought the defense controls could be tightened up and it sounds like they are addressing that. The addition of classic controller options is very important to me as well since a lot of my friends simply refuse to learn new control options for games unless they absolutely have to (they refused to even use analog stick when the n64 came out until it became the standard on Playstation as well) so now it will be easier to get them to play against me.

 

[jman2050]

They already had the gameplay for the 2008 version. And why couldn't they be working on the 2009 version at the same time the other console versions were being developed is beyond me.

You really want what would basically amount to a 6-month development cycle for this game?

I'm sure Konami would love to get this version out along with the others, but the yearly development cycle is tough enough as-is. Trying to enforce a deadline so close would be suicidal.

 

[Vard]

I'm still playing PES 2008. I'm tempted to get both the Wii and PS3 versions this year...

 

[Anony]

there's an approx 5 month time gap between releases
seriously setting up for bad sales

 

[Always-honest]

No probably about it

oh, sorry i brought it up................

 

[Kobayashi]

This looks awesome. I'm definitly picking up the Wii version.

 

[Dermotbubz]

Bring on the option file, then the game will be truely complete!