UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 to offer second chance for PSP-owning fans
Thought it was all over for new football franchises this year? It isn't now
Fans of Arsenal and Celtic may well be cursing their luck this week after exiting Europe's most prestigious club competition (at the hands of PSV and AC Milan respectively) but thanks to EA Sports' upcoming release, they could yet stand on the terraces whilst watching their team lifting the trophy in May.
Indeed, UEFA Champions League 2006-2007, which is due to be released for PSP as well as PC and home consoles on March 23rd, will offer fans of just about every major European side a chance of hoisting the prestigious cup.
Of course, if you wanted to be a stickler for detail you could argue that FIFA 07 already catered for this possibility. EA maintains however that its new title promises far more focus on the UEFA competition, and will cram in a whole host of new features besides.
Alongside the basic UEFA Champions League Tournament option, a historic Ultimate Challenge mode enables you to recreate 42 of the best matches from the history of the Champions League and its predecessor the European Cup, right back to the 1960s when Celtic beat Milan to be the first British team to win the trophy.
Sadly, 'for licensing reasons' these match-ups take place with modern line-ups, which does seem to undermine the concept somewhat, but it's a nice idea nonetheless. As indeed is the special Quiz mode that is exclusive to the PSP version.
UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 is not purely about playing in the Champions League either. The Treble Mode places the trophy as the pinnacle of a three-pronged attack on league and cup glory, whilst the wi-fi options enable you to take on players from around the world in impromptu games.
Subtle improvements are promised on the pitch too, with better graphics (including new lighting effects and snow), a new stadium (the fabled UEFA Champions League Ultimate Arena), a more fluid movement system, and the addition of quick freekicks, corners and throw-ins to make the game flow faster.
Will these features be enough to distract players from their existing FIFA 07 or Pro Evo 6 campaigns? Should you be tempted to stretch your resources on exploring yet another footballing front? Can we expect a special Intertoto Cup game to follow in the summer?
The answers will become clearer after our impending review, which you can look out for by clicking 'Track It!' if you like.
