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24 of 25 found the following review helpful:
Great concept, with a few drawbacksOct 13, 2007
By C. Wright I've been looking forward to this release, since Fifa '06 is the last game I need to whip out my GameCube controllers for.
Pros: 1) Innovative use of Wii gestures. I'm really pleased with the control made possible through gestures. Passing accurately to players across the field, dribbling and tricks are very flexible, much more so than just flicking the C-stick to activate random tricks.
2) AI is great. I like the fact that, rather than just tackling or slide tackling, you can shove players, lunge, etc.
3) With the beginner mode and the Footii games, my wife will actually play this with me (a first).
4) I like the fact that the computer will actually commit fouls, and now will even substitute players.
5) The Soccer Academy is a great idea, really making it possible to gain fluency with the new controls. In general there is much more description of features than in past versions of the game.
Cons:
1) Despite the greater flexibility with Wii gestures, I really wish the Shoot gesture was accompanied by a button. Often times the player doesn't shoot until the 2nd or 3rd swing of the remote, and often that's too late. There are also two types of shots available by swinging the remote up or down, but no matter which direction I swing the remote, all my shots are "finesse shots".
2) No manager mode. Ouch.
3) The goal keepers are absolutely atrocious. If you do actually get the remote to recognize a shot, the goal keeper almost never stops it. The computer goalie has actually thrown the ball to my striker several times. When I control my own goalie, I can't seem to get him to go the direction I want (I'll swing the remote right and he'll go left). Perhaps I just need to practice more.
4) No manager mode. I know.
5) No standard practice mode. I really liked throwing the training jerseys on in scrimmage mode. Especially with the new controls it would be great to have this environment to practice.
All in all, I'm really enjoying the game. I really hope there will be improvements with the next version, such as, I don't know, adding a manager mode? Just a thought...
7 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Best Football Game Ever.Nov 13, 2007
By Luke The biggest complaint about EA's FIFA franchise has been the absymal controls. Well, thanks to the Wii, those days are long over. Tricks and skills involve simple flicks of the controls instead of complicated late 80s Street Fighter type moves, and furthermore, things are no longer based on the perspective of the player in-game. Swinging the remote to the right ALWAYS means right, regardless of player facing or camera angle. Though Wii controls can be intimidating to those of us raised on control pads, everything is intuitive. Plus, FIFA 08 includes a nice tutorial / training feature that explains things so simply and easily that even an Xbox 360 fan could understand.
It is true that FIFA 08 on the Wii does not include a manager mode. The reason is quite simply that this game is meant to be PLAYED. The Wii has established itself as the ultimate party console, and now FIFA 08 is the ultimate footy arcade game. There are a number of highly sophisticated manager sims out there. This game is for those of us who want to dive on to the pitch and hear the roar of the crowd instead of sit in a boardroom and count our pounds or euros.
Structurally and gameplay-wise, this game is as close to perfection as EA Sports has produced for any sport. Since sports video games (on any console) tend to range from reasonable to enraging and seldom fantastic, FIFA 08's stratospheric quality and playability thanks to near perfect Wii controls could possibly make this the greatest sports video game ever. All it takes is a few minutes of immersion (and of course, a rudimentary knowledge of proper football tactics- which, by the way, you can customise!).
So what is missing? Other than manager mode, which is largely a non-factor, FIFA remains heavily Eurocentric. The only full CONMEBOL league is Brazil's Campeonato Série A (along with a handful of Série B clubs and one Série C club), with the much-demanded Argentine 1st division represented only by Boca Juniors and River Plate, with not even a whisper of high profile Copa Libertadores contenders such as Colo Colo of Chile, Millonarios of Colombia, Nacional of Uruguay, and so on.
Furthermore, there is still no J-League, nor are the Russian and Ukrainian leagues, which seems silly since bottom feeding Polish Ekstraklasa, the League of Ireland, and the Czech 1st division ARE included.
FIFA 08 contains a large battery of national sides, including Russia and Ukraine, but bizarrely Japan has been removed entirely, replaced by South Africa and near-dead last FIFA-ranked New Zealand. The only South American sides are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, the only African sides are Cameroon, Nigeria, and the aforementioned South Africa, and absolutely no Central Americans are represented, as the USA and Mexico are the only CONCACAF inclusions.
To conclude, despite the above mentioned head-scratching exclusions, FIFA 08 on the Wii features 621 clubs in 30 leagues. With online squad updates and absolutely sublime controls, this is a game that offers almost unlimited fun. An absolute must for the true football fan!
6 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Lots of fun!Nov 21, 2007
By Sergio Badilla Orozco
"Checho"
I bought this game thinking it will be weird to handle on the Wii. Well I was wrong, this game is really intuitive and lots of fun, one of the closes experiences to the old glorious ISSS of, and that's saying a lot. If you are a futbol (Football, as American Football should be called handball) fan and have a Wii, buy this game.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Good...could be great....maybe next yearNov 18, 2007
By N. Kepner
"arkman"
Pros: Great controls. There's a simple option for the novice player, but endless variability in the advanced mode. A plethora of teams and leagues to play. Online play. I really enjoyed the challenge mode where you can play various scenarios. Unlockable items such as kits, balls, stadiums.
Cons: It would be nice if there was a simple tournament mode, where you could set up 16 teams and play an open round then elimination. I think you can unlock such a feature, but it takes a while. Can't create your own teams or players and pit them against your favorite team. No training mode. There is a tutorial to help you learn the controls, but I would have liked to choose what I practice, like corner kicks and defense. Lacks an overall cohesive goal. Is the main venue online play?, league mode?, tournaments?
5 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Fun game, better than expectedOct 11, 2007
By N. Turner I was waiting on this game and knew that I would get the Wii version since I'm not ready to plunk down the extra change for the Xbox 360. Knew of course that the graphics were not going to match the level of the Xbox 360, but what was produced for the Wii was definitely better than I expected.
The gameplay is what really made this version enjoyable; the easier FamilyPlay mode which only uses the Wii remote is a great way to start before hooking up the nunchuck to play in Advanced mode. FIFA08 makes excellent use of the motion sensing capabilities of the Wii. It may seem trivial, but having to lift both hands overhead and go through the motions for a throw-in was cool. My arm also became a little sore from flicking the remote for way too many sliding tackles which resulted in way too many yellow cards during my first game. (An added bonus was, as a Man Utd supporter, having the console pick Liverpool as my first opponent.)
The extra FootiiParty games with Ronaldinho are a nice side addition. "Serious" gamers may scoff at them, but they look like something fun to play with younger children or other more casual game players.
based on 18 reviews
( 18 customer reviews )
