FIFA 10 (Wii) Review

FIFA on Wii has had an interesting development history. The 08 iteration was essentially a GameCube version with motion controls and some new mini games for a bit of fun. In last year’s version, EA took some cues from Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) and added in more gesture-based mechanics. This season, EA have merged the arcade and sim aspects into one game in an attempt to appeal to everyone; however, this has brought mixed results.

The Good
The new player models certainly have a unique feel to them and I, for one, don’t mind the new cartoonish appearance. I’m not really sure why EA felt it necessary to use them, but with all of their other Wii sports games going down this route, it does seem to make a more cohesive branding for the platform. I must also give EA credit for, once again, allowing people to use the Classic Controller for a more classic experience.

The Bad
Unfortunately, the fact that the game plays so much better with the Classic Controller shows just how poor the motion controls in FIFA 10 really are. All-Play is hardly worth it; with everything bar passing and shooting handled for you, the game almost plays itself. When using the advanced pointer controls, the game does not flow as smoothly as PES, and it doesn’t appear that EA have made many differences to the pointer based controls from last season.

The Ugly
It is a shame that this portion of the review is going to be the longest. Whilst the new arcade appearance of the game is something fresh, it quickly gets tiring. The slowdown before most shots gets old very fast, and with no option to turn it off, it becomes highly frustrating.

A lack of options quickly becomes a recurring theme, with some being inexplicably left out. For instance, when viewing a replay, you can change the camera angle to one of the predefined camera angles that have been in FIFA for the past 10 years; however, during general play there is only one camera available. The height and zoom can be adjusted but not the angle and position, which is a confusing omission.

The player HUD has also received a major overhaul with, basically, its removal. You can no longer see the player name you are in control of, except when first taking the ball, or see things like their stamina levels, making what was a previously simple task of managing a player’s stamina quite cumbersome.

Conclusion
It really is hard to see what the future of the FIFA franchise will hold for Wii. From my position, EA don’t really know what to do with it. By combining the arcade and sim modes of the previous two versions, they have ultimately alienated both sets of fans. The game is too sim like to be appealing for casual players, and it is far too arcadish to appeal to those wanting a little bit more.

In terms of arcade games, the previous FIFAs had far better gameplay, and casual players would be better served playing one of those or even Mario Strikers Charged Football. FIFA Street on the GameCube would also suffice. Soccer games simply don’t work as an out-and-out arcade experience if they are 11-on-11. On the flip side, the game is a mess if it is trying to be taken seriously as a sim. Missing options, poor control and an ageing engine mean a far better experience can be found on the PS3 or the Xbox 360 with the amazing FIFA 10, or on Wii with the incredible PES. Having read a few other opinions of FIFA 10 for Wii online, I have been wondering if other reviewers actually got the same game as I did, because what I played was far from what they described.

If I was giving advice to EA, I would tell them to give the FIFA mainstream series on Wii a swift and painless death. The engine is long in the tooth, and when compared to the Xbox 360 and the PS3 versions it is laughable; EA also don’t seem to be interested in going full on with the controls like Konami have with PES on Wii. I believe the future for EA soccer games on Wii should lie with full blown arcade games like Mario Strikers. Bring back FIFA Street and tailor make it for Wii, EA, because the main FIFA series has run its course.

There is literally no reason for anyone to buy this game. Casual soccer fans should check out FIFA Street or Mario Strikers Charged, and those wanting a great sim should look at PES on Wii or FIFA 10 on Xbox 360 or PS3.

Graphics 4.0

The new visual presentation is nice, but horrible graphical fidelity makes this the worst looking FIFA game on a Nintendo console since FIFA 99.

Gameplay 5.0

The game plays best with a Classic Controller, which speaks volumes for EAs Wiimote implementation. Three versions on and they are still no closer to a competent control scheme.

Sound 8.0

Serviceable. FIFA commentary is generally of pretty high quality and this year is of no exception.

Tilt 3.0

Combining the arcade and sim modes is one of the worst decisions ever made. The new mish-mash is too much of a sim for casuals and far too arcadey for those wanting a bit more.

Value 1.0

Easily the worst version of FIFA I have played since FIFA 64. The series, as it stands, needs to be put out of its misery and either rebooted entirely or not bothered with again.