FIFA 10

The Wii is as different from the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 as a football is from a brick. This lack of common ground causes endless problems from developers torn between throwing their title onto the console anyway and accepting that it won’t look great, or redeveloping their game from the ground up to produce a new experience. FIFA 10 seems to have thrown its mark somewhere in the middle ground in an attempt to appeal to avid fans of this football game series, and also the more casual gamer that simply wants a decent arcade experience. Unfortunately in attempting to please everyone, it seems probable that this particularly title will end up pleasing no one.

Anyone that has played FIFA 10 on a rival console will instantly note the different menu options presented to players of the game. The options are essentially limited to the Battle for Glory mode (similar to the Manager mode on other consoles), Tournament and Online play. While each mode plays well and controls by the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, or Classic Controller, function quickly and responsively, you are still likely to notice a lack of depth preventing a deep enjoyment of the game.

The Battle for Glory mode, for example, seems to be a greatly simplified version of that available on other consoles. You’ll still be able to transfer top players to and fro between your team and others, and to check up on their detailed statistics, but the overall feeling that you are the puppet master, the only human being that can possibly take your team from nothing to the top of the league is largely removed. A new addition may remove the sting however; before each contest is played out you will be responsible for selecting a goal to achieve within it. Complete the goal and attribute points will be handed to you, used for the improvement of your squad and to put toward booster cards. Booster cards themselves can be saved up to earn a Super Booster card, or used for the quick improvement of some of the skills of your players, such as speed, health or even accuracy of shots.

Open the Tournament mode of FIFA 10 on the Wii and you’ll get exactly what it says on the tin, an opportunity to partake in a tournament to win one of a selection of different cups. Not much depth exists within this mode; you’ll find yourself simply moving from one game to the next with the only incentive to receive the cup at the end.

The Online mode is also severely lacking in that although it boasts both ranked and unranked matches, these standalone events are pretty much all there is. However the mode itself does function particularly well without much lag. This could be related to the graphical interface of FIFA 10 which is particularly cartoony. The developers made this choice due to the knowledge that graphics on the Wii would never match up to its counterparts from Sony and Microsoft. On the whole the idea works well but it adds to the impression of playing an arcade game, not a serious outing into the world of football.

And therein lies the conclusion. If all you want from your football title on the Wii is a few laughs, some arcade action and some decent online play then FIFA 10 could be just what you are looking for. If, however, you wish to play a more serious title you will need to get yourself another game or even another console, you won’t find it in FIFA 10.