#Real soccer 2009 series
#Real soccer 2009 simulator

Fake shots, spins, one-twos and other pieces of footballing skulduggery all have their own unique (and easy to remember) gesture. The strength of these actions is determined by the length of time you hold the stylus on the screen after completing the gesture.Įven special moves are handled in this fashion. Shooting is handled by tapping the stylus on the screen and lobs are achieved by drawing a curved line. You still move your players around using the D-pad but the functions of the facia buttons are translated into simple stylus-based gestures.įor example, making a pass is a case of drawing a line in the direction of the player you wish to receive the ball. In Real Football 2008 the developer half-heartedly used the lower display of the DS for taking penalties and spot kicks, but this time out it's given a more prominent position.Īt any point during the match you can tap an icon to initiate touch control. Thankfully Gameloft has an stunning ace in the hole: touch control. Again, this isn't a massive change from what has gone before.Īt this point Real Football 2009 starts to feel very familiar indeed, and aside from a slightly spruced up menu interface, you'd be forgiven for assuming you were playing last year's game. Players react swiftly to your commands and the control method is well-realized actions such as pass, shoot, through ball and lob are all designated their own button, with the left and right shoulder triggers activating sprints and special Pele-style flourishes.

Real Football 2009 boasts a thoroughly accomplished graphic engine that zips along smoothly and even features neat effects such as a glossy sheen appearing on each player's kit as they hurtle purposefully around the pitch.Īs was the case with last year's effort, the gameplay is equally robust. While EA has made sure its game looks as polished as possible, developer Gameloft has managed to achieve some degree of parity. Placed side-by-side with EA's all-conquering FIFA 2009 it's actually quite difficult to tell the two games apart.

#Real soccer 2009 series

Tragically, this state of affairs is actually somewhat unmerited because the series is a lot more wily and skilful than you might give it credit for.

#Real soccer 2009 simulator

How does this whimsical analogy connect with a game like Real Football 2009, you ask? Well, in a marketplace packed with high-profile sporting titles, Gameloft's eminently likeable soccer simulator is undoubtedly the bespectacled kid who always gets picked at the end. Schoolyard games of football tell you in no uncertain terms that if you're good, you get picked first and if you're rubbish then you can expect to endure the humiliation of being selected by a begrudging team captain purely because you're the only player left. It's said that some of life's harshest lessons are taught in the playground.