Hands on with Real Soccer 2009 for iPhone

As you'll know if you read our earlier coverage, Gameloft is doing Real Soccer 2009 for iPhone. Not only was it unveiled on-stage at Apple's 'Let's Rock' event tonight - it actually debuted on the App Store too.

EDIT - This morning (10 September), the game's name appears to have changed back to Real Football 2009 on the UK App Store. Thank goodness for that.

Naturally, I've spent the evening getting hands on with the game, not least to find out how you translate a football title to the buttonless iPhone. Happily, it's made the transition seamlessly.

So, you play the game in landscape mode, with a transparent D-pad at the bottom right, and 'A' and 'B' buttons at the bottom right, which are used for most of the actions.

Tapping 'B' passes while 'A' shoots, and you can tap and drag upwards for other actions (long pass / cross for 'B', and lob shot for 'A'). It's all explained in the game's Training mode - watch the video below to see me playing through the basic section of that:

The game itself offers nearly 200 teams, with a FIFPRO licence meaning the player names are real. As you can see, the graphics are top-notch, with 3D visuals and some impressive presentation around them. It's what we've come to expect from the Real Football franchise on mobile.

The controls go beyond tapping the on-screen buttons, too. You can tap and drag on empty areas of the screen to do tricks, including a Zidane-style twirly move.

I'm certainly impressed, having been concerned about how football games would work on the iPhone. What's more, Gameloft is promising a Wi-Fi multiplayer in a forthcoming update of the game.

Watch the video below for a glimpse of my skills (or lack of, at this stage) in the Exhibition Match mode, and stay tuned for a full review. If you want to take the plunge and grab the game, click the 'Buy It' button below.

Update: We've now posted a full review of Real Soccer 2009 on iPhone in our dedicated iPhone reviews section.