EA releases PSP and DS FIFA 08 details
Control and realism at the core of new modes
Due this autumn, the latest version of the FIFA franchise promises all sorts of tweaks, with an emphasis on control.
On PSP, new manual controls give you responsibility for through-passes and crosses, as well as the goalkeeper during one-on-one situations against a striker.
You can also design your own personal strategy to create the perfect formation and tactics – you can set each individual player's position on the pitch and assign specific attacking and defensive runs to unlock your opponents.
The Manager Mode has been improved, with new features including pre-season friendlies, training option and dynamic board expectations that alter depending on your performance.
An all-new Quiz mode featuring thousands of footy questions is included (where points earned can be used to buy unlockable content), as is the Interactive Leagues function, whereby those with internet access can play their club against their rivals throughout the season in the FA Premier League, Bundesliga, French Ligue 1 and Mexican 1st Division.
Finally, an increased level of authenticity has been implemented, with 30 official leagues, 30 real stadia and in excess of 12,500 players accurately recreated.
For DS, the level of control is given a more dynamic twist, with use of the stylus made for free kicks (you can run up and strike the ball, curling the shot around the wall and into the goal), penalty kicks (a new Penalty Shoot-Out mode is also included) and saves, as well as defensive duties such as controlling the goalie and commanding the wall.
As on PSP, you get to tweak formations and assign attacking and defensive runs to players, while the enhanced AI promises to ensure members of your squad are not only in the right place at the right time, but also display both individual and team traits.
Via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, you're able to challenge friends to matches and personalised scenarios, whereas gamesharing support means head-to-head wireless play is also possible with someone who doesn't own a copy of the game.
Again, as with PSP FIFA 08, realism remains a crucial component of the DS version, although interestingly 14,000 players (rather than 12,500) are listed on the press release for Nintendo's handheld.
Both versions are expected to appear alongside every other game-playing format known to man in time for the Christmas commercial rush. You can click 'Track It!' to be alerted of any further updates.
