The U.S. Soccer team’s impressive World Cup Soccer run has given everyone the fever. Hoping to capitalize, the folks at Konami have ported their popular console soccer game Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (PES 2010) to the iPhone/iPod Touch. It’s always amazing how much developers can pack into these ports. The game packs quite a punch with a full list of features including all the professional soccer teams (80 teams) and leagues represented, You can play full seasons complete with stat tracking and set your match length from 3 – 10 minutes. There are 5 different game levels from Amateur to Top Player.
All of these options and depth is great on a console but for mobile, it’s too much and takes a bit of time to actually start a game – it needs to be streamlined or have a quick play option. The menu presentation is really cluttered and there’s no smooth flow to setting things up. The graphics are pretty sharp and rich. The game falls apart a bit with the controls, they are responsive, but a prime example of why console ports don’t work on the iPhone.
You have the choice between two schemes a Virtual Control or Accelerometer based system. The Virtual Control is the easiest, there’s a joystick in the bottom left hand corner and A and B buttons. It works great, but thumbs cover up half the screen making it difficult to see what’s going on. The Accelerometer controls are just an annoying gimmick. There is a training mode, but it doesn’t hold your hand when it comes to teaching you how to play. Soccer fans should love this game and non-fans should probably skip. Price $6.99.