The FIFA games are among the best sport simulation games around, and EA has done a superb job of maintaining this excellence over the years. Each new iteration combines tried-and-true features with new features and improved existing ones. This year, EA decided to release a version for the Wii, along with all the other console versions. The result is less than successful, although the game does have some good qualities. Some games just don’t translate well with the interactive controls of the Wii.

When starting the game, players are presented with several different choices of game modes. There is a tournament mode, a challenge mode, an arcade game section, an online option, and a soccer academy mode included among the many choices. The soccer academy mode is the tutorial, and players will do well to play this mode before attempting the other modes. Here, players will learn basic moves for dribbling, passing, attacking and defending, as well as more advanced trick moves, such as faking. This tutorial mode features around 30 different plays, and is one of the best features of the game. It does an excellent job of teaching the controls.

To play a game of soccer, players can either choose tournament or challenge mode. The tournament mode is your basic tournament mode as in any other sport sim, where players begin a season and play through to the end of the year. The challenge mode is more interesting and is based on real game matches. This mode involves jumping into an existing game and trying to meet the different challenges, such as scoring a goal, or winning by a certain number of goals.

Players can choose to play either of two control/difficulty levels: Family Play or Advanced Controls. The family play option means that the player only has to execute basic moves with the Wii remote using the A and B buttons, and the directional pad. This gameplay option is fairly simple to implement, and is really meant for families to be able to play together across all age ranges, hence the name, “Family.” On the other hand, the Advanced Controls option is quite difficult and presents a steep learning curve. This option uses both the remote and the nunchuk, and utilizes some convoluted button combinations and movements. As most of these moves occur often during play, playing the game quickly degenerates into a button combo memorization exercise, rather than playing a soccer match. Having to remember to swing the nunchuk, which button(s) to use, and whether to single or double-tap these buttons, can be hard at the best of times, and certainly difficult while running down the field with lots of team players to watch and manipulate.

Besides the difficulty of remembering these controls, the controls themselves don’t always work as they should. Many times we were swinging the nunchuk in one direction, only to have our guy move or kick in a different direction. We couldn’t decide if the control design was buggy, or if it was just reacting either too quickly or too slowly to our movements and misinterpreting them as a consequence. Either way, though, the result was very annoying.

Along with the imperfect implementation of controls, the AI of the teams leaves much to be desired. The opposing teams are always in their positions, ready to take on whatever a player can deliver toward them. On the other hand, the player’s team is hardly ever in position, and often will run down the field massed on one side (reminiscent of my daughter’s high school team!), while the opposing team runs blithely down the middle for a perfect goal shot. Because this control system in the Advanced Controls option is so difficult, there is no medium range of difficulty levels. Players can only choose the easy mode, or the really difficult one.

A new feature is the addition of a set of arcade mini-games. A version of foosball with a soccer field as the table is the best of the trio, and is very entertaining. The other two choices are a juggling game where the player kicks the ball straight up from their feet without dropping the ball, and a goal shooting game. These games are cute and fun to play, especially with friends. We got a big kick out of the use of Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho, as my husband’s name is Ronald.

The graphics aren’t anything special, and really don’t compare to other EA Wii offerings such as Madden, Tiger and the NBA. There isn’t much to see while watching the players running down the field during the game, and even the closeup animations aren’t very detailed. The fields are dull, and the crowds even more so.

The main problem with FIFA 08 Soccer for the Wii lies in the control system.  It’s just not a good choice for a port to the Wii with its unique interactive control system. While the mini-games are fun, and the online mode adds to the depth of the game, other features like the instore items and clothing aren’t nearly as fleshed out as in other games. This edition of FIFA is best suited for families with children of different ages, who are looking for a “real” soccer game.

Gameplay: 6.5
The gameplay is the game, and in this edition it just isn’t as much fun as it should be. The controls detract from the game, and can cause vast irritation during the course of a session. While there are worthwhile features such as the mini-games option and the online mode, these by themselves don’t raise this game above average. There isn’t a big management factor, and the store doesn’t offer all that much to improve the teams.

Graphics: 6.0
The graphics are below par.

Sound: 6.5
The music is Ok, and isn’t annoying. More varied tunes would have been nice.

Difficulty: Easy/Hard
The difficulty level is of two extremes: Very easy, or very hard. This is partly due to the control issues mentioned previously. Having limited button control makes for an easy game, and unlimited button control ensures a difficult game.

Concept: 7.0
EA gave it a decent shot, but the actual result is less than satisfactory for the Wii.

Multiplayer: 7.0
The multi-player option is similar to other EA sports games, and offers players the chance to prove their skills against the world. This option is well-implemented and easy to set-up.

Overall: 6.5
This is the first outing for FIFA on the Wii. While an ambitious effort, there are many kinks. The control system is the biggest drawback and may be unfixable, due to the very nature of the nunchuk and the remote. However, families that just want to introduce their kids to the world of simulated football may find much to like, with the easy family play option. A decent sports sim, but one that doesn’t offer much above average in terms of fun for most players.