Sports games seem destined to fail on a screen of reduced size, especially when the player must keep track of a number of mini-characters all at the same time. In America, the sport of soccer is still fairly unpopular, although its popularity has expanded during recent years. The shift of superstar David Beckham from foreign waters to local fields truly brought national attention to the sport, albeit for less-than-desired reasons. And while true fans would much rather see soccer become popular because of a love for the game, there is nothing wrong with females turning on the tube to watch their heartthrob run around the soccer field.

Lucky for true fans of the soccer, EA Sports understands where we come from. That’s why EA Sports continues to deliver the FIFA series to the PlayStation Portable on a yearly basis. FIFA Soccer 09 is no slouch to the genre either. While similar to last year’s version, there are some notable differences as well. These differences set the game apart from its predecessors and make FIFA Soccer 09 a game worth playing.

Among these fresh additions is a new mode labeled “Be a Pro.” This mode allows the player to progress fluidly through games and gain special attributes as success is claimed against opposing teams. These attributes range from being able to call for the ball, to managing your entire team. Attaining these rewards truly makes you as the player feel successful and ironically, like you are becoming a soccer pro. While you can always play through a career without this added dimension of intensity, the “Be a Pro” mode definitely adds to the overall appeal of FIFA Soccer 09.

Another less noticeable addition to the franchise is a revamped animation system. A number of extra character animations were added to the game, and really provide a much more realistic flow to the players and player interaction. The players on the field also appear to interact much more realistically with each other. As your team progresses toward the opposing goal, you will encounter obvious resistance by the other team. Players will collide with each other, and react accordingly. All of these small animated additions truly blend the graphics and bond the gameplay. 

Unfortunately, ball movement does not seem to function nearly as well as player interaction. The ball animations are far from horrible, but still seem shoddy and disjointed at times. This is only a small complaint though, and could very well not be visible at all to most players. The button layout is similar to the previous year’s installment, although the shot mechanic works much better than simply pressing the designated button.

EA Sports also included a feature called “Soccer I.Q. 2.0”, which is similar to their Madden questionnaire in this year’s football addition. The questionnaire asks a series of initial questions just to get a feel for where the player is in terms of soccer knowledge. As the player progresses, Soccer I.Q. will occasionally ask more questions and gauge the game’s difficulty level by applying these questions.

Graphically, FIFA Soccer 09 is very similar to last year’s installment, with only a few changes and updates. Even the main menu is presented in the same way. This is also far from being a bad thing, as EA Sports always incorporates interesting and eye-catching graphics into their menus. While not much has changed within the actual gameplay from a visual standpoint, FIFA Soccer 09 is still attractive in many ways. The audio samples used for commentary also appear unchanged for the most part, although the ability to add your own audio clips to games functions much easier than last year.

The online modes are simple to use, although finding an opponent might prove to be more difficult than actually beating them. You can form a league with friends, or compete in single exhibition games. It’s just unfortunate that finding an opponent can be so difficult, not because of the game itself, but because nobody seems to play online, ever.

FIFA Soccer 09 is undoubtedly a worthy addition to the EA Sports franchise and will definitely please fans of the game. Hopefully some more casual gamers will decide to pick it up and give it a try as well, because not only does FIFA Soccer 09 deserve it, but so does the sport in general.

Gameplay: 8.0
FIFA Soccer 09 is a blast to play, especially if you’re a fan of the sport. The gameplay mechanics function wonderfully, with very few hiccups throughout any given game.  

Graphics: 8.0
Although the graphics have changed very little since last year, the game is still attractive and very easy on the eyes. Animations are fluid and very natural looking.

Sound: 7.0
While the audio still works great, some fresh commentary would’ve been welcome. The overall sound appeal works fine though, and the fixed customized audio clips are a plus.

Difficulty: Medium
FIFA Soccer 09 is only as difficult as you want it to be. The difficulty setting can be adjusted, and the Soccer I.Q. 2.0 aids in setting a difficulty level that is neither too challenging nor too easy.

Concept: 7.0
The concept of soccer is nothing new, but the included “Be a Pro” mode is definitely intuitive and fresh. This mode adds another dimension to the overall gameplay.

Multiplayer: 6.0
The online modes are typical, but also function perfectly. The ability to create leagues is also a huge plus for soccer fans who like to compete. Unfortunately the game just doesn’t garner too much attention in terms of an online community.   

Overall: 8.0
EA Sports knows what they are doing. They create great sports games on a yearly basis, with just enough differences between years to get fans to buy them. FIFA Soccer 09 follows this method flawlessly, and is truly worth the purchase if you’re a soccer fan.