Developer – SCEE London Studio Publisher – Sony Computer Entertainment Features: 1 Player 1-4 Players Wireless 1-2 Players Online When I first received World Tour Soccer 06 (PSP), my first thought was "great timing". With soccer fans across the world heavily immersed in World Cup fever I thought the release date of this game was perfect. As I was playing for the first time I was able to recognize some of the names and faces of players I had been watching over the past few weeks during all the television coverage of the World Cup. Although it's not a simulation style game like EA's Fifa franchise, World Tour Soccer 06 is an arcadish style soccer game which is truly meant for the PSP and gaming on the run. Overall PSP soccer fans won't be disappointed and I found myself enjoying this portable title even after having recently playing EA's stunning Fifa Word Cup Soccer on the Xbox 360. Graphics In terms of the visuals, World Tour Soccer 06 looks good as it attempts to optimize the power of the PSP. Accepting its limitations, the animations and overall presentation are not disappointing, however you won't run home to tell your mother about the game either. As I played through a few games the following visuals really stood out for me: 1. The detailed players 2. The various soccer venues 3. The menu is sharp looking. In terms of the players, I went in with zero expectations and was quite surprised to see SCEE attempted to create real-to-life players and overall I felt they looked good. For instance, Team Brazil's Ronaldinho's trade mark bad hair (however it's a little shorter in the game) and buck teeth are accurately displayed in the game. There certainly could have been some improvements here though, especially when you compare the game to EA's soccer games, however ultimately you have to take into consideration the limitations of the PSP and realize that Sony hasn't been making soccer games nearly as long as EA. As far as the stadiums are concerned I wasn't disappointed. If anything, I would have liked to see more than eight during the game but for the most part you don't really see much of the stadiums after the intro to the match as all the action is on field. I thought that some overhead stadium views for some of the replays would have been nice too. Something else that also caught my eye was some of the detail with stadiums such as video scoreboards, city buildings in the background, white tents hanging over the crowd in the stands, etc. As I mentioned above, I also enjoyed the in game menus. I felt that the they looked very nice as they are simple, non-complicated and easy to navigate through. The glittery stars which sparkle as you scroll through the menus were sharp as well. Overall, the graphics are decent but I still think that there is still room for improvement. When examining the visuals one can only compare this game to other PSP Soccer tittles from EA and Konami and unfortunately World Tour Soccer 06 is close but not quite as nice graphically when compared to Fifa and Winning Eleven. Sound As far as the sound is concerned, World Tour Soccer 06 is solid. The game's sound is an excellent complement to the game and the following really stood out for me: 1. The Soundtrack has catchy tunes in the menus 2. The commentary was very clear and accurate 3. The crowd was realistic and on part with other soccer titles. In terms of the soundtrack I was very pleased. Most of the games I have been playing lately appear to be riddled with no-name punk rockers and noisy hip hop gangsta wannabe's. The tunes are smooth and put you in a relaxing ‘soccer playing' mood. The commentary is also very crisp with your typical British guy doing the play-by-play. He doesn't go over the top but he does manage to add the gameplay. The crowd also creates the right atmosphere with a nice blend of singing, chanting and cheering. Gameplay World Tour Soccer 06 has over 70 international teams, more than 1,500 real players and 8 international stadiums. The game consists of short points-based game modes which each offer their own challenges. In World Tour mode, you take on the best from each part of the world such as Africa, Asia, North America, South America and Europe. In Medal Mode, points and medals are rewarded for your performance in the various mini games. There are ten modes of play which include the following: • All Rounder, • Classic Challenge, • Challenge Plus, • Time Attack, • Checkpoint, • Dropout, • Outnumbered, • Pass Clock, • In The Zone, and • Shot Clock. The points system is very unique and something I quite enjoyed as it was a nice break from the sim soccer games and I consider this to be what really makes World Tour Soccer 06 arcadish. The points-based system rewards skill such as completing passes, scoring, etc and it penalizes you for missed tackles, passes, etc. Difficult passes, for instance, result in higher points while simple passes result in lesser point totals. Individual games feature a target score which results in a gold medal if achieved, while lower overall scores will result in a silver or bronze medal. All of the above noted modes feature different points scoring systems and un-lockable achievements. World Tour Soccer 06 is overall an enjoyable game which offers a blend of fast paste arcade style soccer gaming with enough content to please the hardcore soccer fan. I enjoyed the World Tour Soccer 06's gameplay. The controls are relatively easy and the gameplay modes are entertaining, diverse and challenging. The gameplay is fast and rewards skill-based play. As with the graphics and sound, I found certain things jumped out at me in the gameplay department and they are the following: 1. Controls are simple 2. The unique points based system 3. The nine different play conditions (i.e. Shot Clock, Time Attack, etc). As far as the controls are concerned, they are quite simple to learn and consistent with other tittles. It took me about a game and half to get the controls down. In fact when compared to EA's game, passing and tackling are much easier in World Tour Soccer 06. The die hard's most likely won't like this but the casual soccer gamer will appreciate the pick up and play feel of 06. As far as the single player game is concerned, World Tour Soccer 06 offers your typical quick-play choices such as ‘play now' and ‘exhibition match' as well as ‘world tour' and ‘medal mode'. Play now will simply choose a random team, a random condition and off you go. Exhibition match allows you to set up game against any other team customizing the difficulty, match length, extra time, penalty kicks, and stadium. The world tour mode consists of soccer matches across six continents. The main goal here is to reach the points target and satisfy the conditions of the match. The medal mode features eight individual matches for each of the different match conditions. These conditions become progressively more difficult with each game. Overall, I enjoyed the gameplay and the challenge of trying to earn a gold metal, gaining a trophy or hitting an achievement. The 33 achievements range from scoring with three different players in one match and score diving with a header. The more achievements you make, the more teams you unlock including all-star teams for each of the continents. The multiplayer is also another great aspect of the game. You can play one-on-one against another opponent or you can play with up to three friends. I didn't spend a lot of time on multiplayer but overall no complaints other than your typical long load times which you traditionally see for sports games with rosters. Conclusion World Tour Soccer 06 was a breath of fresh air and break from some of the sim soccer games out on the market. The graphics are slightly above average, the sound is solid and the single player is engaging, and challenging. If you are a casual soccer gamer and own a PSP this game is for you. However, if you are a hard core soccer fan who seeks out deep career modes, in-depth statistics and simulated world cup tournaments, save your money and maybe rent this one for a week or two.