- Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Wii)
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Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 
Developer(s) Konami Publisher(s) Konami Designer(s) Akiyoshi 'Greyhound' Chosokabe Series Pro Evolution Soccer / Winning Eleven series Platform(s) Wii Release date(s) Genre(s) Sports game Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer, online multiplayer Rating(s) Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, known as Winning Eleven Play Maker 2008 in Japan, is the first Wii entry of the association football video game series Pro Evolution Soccer by Konami. It is also the first game in the series to be released on a Nintendo home console outside of Japan.
Contents
Gameplay
This version of PES 2008 differs radically from the other versions, and it was made by a different team in Konami to fully concentrate on taking advantage of the unique features of the Wii Remote, so it plays as an hybrid of traditional soccer games, with an additional real-time strategy element.
The basic gameplay is centered around pointing the Wii Remote at the screen and directing players by dragging them with the on-screen cursor, and passing is done by simply pointing to the desired space or player and pressing a button. This allows for a more tactical approach to the game, as there is almost complete freedom in moving any player on the screen anywhere, and many more tactics and maneuvers can be used in than ever before.
Players defend by pointing the cursor at the ball holder to chase him, and they may tackle or slide tackle in an attempt to win the ball. It is possible to instruct defenders to mark opposing players, intercept passes and drag defenders into space.
Modes
Match
In this mode, friendly matches can be played with up to 2 players against each other. More than 30 stadiums are available for selection in the game, making the Wii version the version with the most stadiums in the series.
Champions Road
The Wii version of PES 2008 omits the Master League mode for the Champions Road, which lets the player tour different leagues around Europe, and when a game is won, it is possible to acquire players from the defeated team. Players can gain experience in the Champions Road by playing matches. In the Champions Road, it is possible to select what abilities the players acquire when they gain enough experience to level-up.
Mii Support
Players can play as their the Miis in friendly matches. When Mii matches are played, all players will have comically large heads, including the non-Mii players. Only the referee and the linesmen appear normal. This feature has to be unlocked.
Online Functionality
The game features a 1 vs 1 online mode via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection that Konami called "the best online experience" when compared to the other versions,[1] where players can either play against random opponents or online friends. It is also possible to send the current Champions Road team to friends via WiiConnect24 to play 'invitational matches'.
Reception
Reception Aggregate scores Aggregator Score GameRankings 85.0%[2] Metacritic 86[3] Review scores Publication Score 1UP.com B[4] Eurogamer 8 of 10[5] GamesMaster 90% IGN 8.6 of 10[6] (UK: 8.9[7]) Official Nintendo Magazine 90% Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 sold approximately 104,654 copies since its debut in Japan.[8] It debuted at #5 in the UK game charts before moving to #3 in the second week after a 34% increase in sales.[9]
The game received generally much more positive reviews than the other versions.[10][11] 1UP said "The less-technically apt Wii version ends up being the game to move the franchise forward". Many reviewers praised the innovation in the game, with Eurogamer calling it "the most innovative football title we've come across in many years", and praised the online mode saying that they "had probably the most lag-free matches we've ever encountered on any football game".
References
- ^ "Next Gen: Pro Evolution Soccer’s Back In Business". http://www.next-gen.biz/news/pro-evolution-socceratildecentacirc.
- ^ Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 Reviews
- ^ Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (wii: 2008): Reviews
- ^ Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 Wii Review Index, Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 Reviews
- ^ Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 Review // Wii /// Eurogamer
- ^ IGN: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 Review
- ^ IGN: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 Review
- ^ Nintendo Wii Japanese Ranking
- ^ "TOP 40 ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE - INDIVIDUAL FORMATS (UNITS), WEEK ENDING 5 April 2008". http://www.charttrack.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p/software/uk/latest/index_test.jsp&ct=110032.
- ^ "Game Rankings Search Results for 'Pro Evolution Soccer 2008'". http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/itemsearch.asp?itemname=pro+evolution+soccer+2008.
- ^ "Metacritic.com Search Results for 'Pro Evolution Soccer 2008'". http://www.metacritic.com/search/process?sort=relevance&termType=all&ts=pro+evolution+soccer+2008&ty=3&x=0&y=0.
External links
International Superstar Soccer/Pro Evolution Soccer series Original series ISS Pro series International Superstar Soccer Pro • ISS Pro 98 • ISS Pro Evolution • ISS Pro Evolution 2PES series J-League Winning Eleven series J-League Jikkyō Winning Eleven 97 • J-League Winning Eleven 2001 • 2007 Club Championship • 2008 Club Championship • 2009 Club Championship • 2010 Club ChampionshipManagement games Developers Narrators Jon KabiraCategory Categories:- 2008 video games
- Wii-only games
- Konami games
- Electronic sports games
- Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection games
- Pro Evolution Soccer (series)
- Wii games
- Association football video games
- Video games set in Argentina
- Video games set in Chile
- Video games set in France
- Video games set in Germany
- Video games set in Japan
- Video games set in The Netherlands
- Video games set in Portugal
- Video games set in South Africa
- Video games set in South Korea
- Video games set in Spain
- Video games set in Sweden
- Video games set in Thailand
- Video games set in the United Kingdom
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