Last year many soccer enthusiasts were excited to see what concepts EA Sports would roll out for its FIFA soccer title on the Wii. Unfortunately, this enthusiasm turned into disappointment for many people since the game featured a boring control concept and failed to take advantage of the Wii’s gameplay capabilities.

EA is looking to redeem itself with FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play and it already looks like they have come a long way with the latest installment. For one thing, FIFA has made big strides in the gameplay department since the scheme does an effective job of utilizing the Wii remote. Players push A to pass the ball and B to sprint while dribbling; where one chooses to pass or sprint is dependent on where they point on screen with the remote. Those who would prefer to play FIFA the traditional way can simply switch the scheme to Classic Controller in order to make the game more familiar. It is this variety which makes the gameplay here so great.

The graphics are quite good for a Wii game too since they aren’t far off from what you’ll find on PS3 or Xbox 360 and look very realistic. Of course cartoon-style graphics are featured in the 8-on-8 Footii mode for those who would like to take a playful approach to their soccer experience. The sound quality for FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play is pretty typical for a game of this genre. You’ll get the normal game announcers blended in with the sounds of people kicking and passing a soccer ball around.

Getting back to what sets FIFA apart from other Wii games, the mini-games offered are a real bonus to what is already a good game. Table soccer (which some call foosball) has the potential to keep players entertained for hours while some might also enjoy other mini-games like juggling (seeing how long you can bounce the ball in the air without it dropping).

When playing the simulation modes of FIFA, you’ll find that there is the quick play option, league play, and a manager mode. The quick play stuff is pretty self-explanatory since people who just want a quick game go here while the league play allows people to compete in a FIFA season. Manager mode is an interesting concept where you take a team and attempt to train them into a championships contender. In addition to all of these games modes, there’s also an academy where rookies can hone their skills and learn the basics of the game.

And FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play is definitely worth playing since it has improved in every category from last year’s version. If you’re going to get a soccer game for the Wii then this should definitely be the one.

Gameplay: 8.8
The gameplay is not only improved from last year’s FIFA, but there is also variety offered with the Classic Controller scheme.

Graphics: 8.4
The graphics in simulation play definitely do professional soccer justice and the cartoonish graphics in Footii mode create a nice balance.

Sound: 7.5
There’s nothing amazing in the way of sound, however, the announcers in the game are pretty good.

Difficulty: Medium
The control scheme can be a little difficult to get at first, but the academy will show players how to use everything.

Concept: 8.0
Soccer is soccer and FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play is no different. The mini-games definitely add a lot to the overall concept though.

Overall: 8.3
EA has definitely shown improvement in their second soccer effort on the Wii since there’s plenty of variety in the gameplay and game modes. Also, the graphics are about as good as can be for a Wii game.