The more things change, the more they stay the same
Posted by: not-Greg in D1 Cup, PES2009, PES2010, PlayStation3, pes2008, psp, tags: D1 Cup, PES2009, PES2010, PES5, PlayStation3, pspAt the time of writing, hordes of disgruntled PlayStation3 owners will say that one of the main reasons they bought their console was for PES2008. The game turned out to be seriously disappointing—even its relatively few admirers would acknowledge that to some extent. Ever since, PS3-owners have been kicking themselves, and whining to anyone who’ll listen—on the internet, in the supermarket, on street-corners—that they feel swindled.
But the whole scenario has a precedent. It has happened before. It will happen again.
In 2005, one of the main reasons I got a PSP was for PES5. The hotly-anticipated first handheld version of PES was beset by technical problems (ahem) and wasn’t released until late November 2005, as I recall, but I thought I’d snap up one of Sony’s sleek new PSP machines on launch day in late August anyway. (I also picked up a copy of World Tour Soccer with it. Not bad for an hour or two, and the sheer luxury of playing a proper game of football on a handheld console was amazing.)
As it turned out, the first version of PES on the PSP was almost soul-crushingly disappointing. Even the normally-slavish Official Playstation2 Magazine, who at the time gave automatic 10/10 review scores to all things PES (and justifiably so, in my opinion), could only bring themselves to give PES5 on the PSP an 8/10. It lacked almost everything that I loved about the game. Not having a Wide camera was bad enough—but no Master League? That was just ridiculous. I played it for a week or two, off and on, chugging through International Tournaments without enthusiasm, trying and failing to convince myself that I was getting an authentic PES experience.
PES6 on the PSP was a lot better. At least it had a Wide camera. At least it had Master League. But it was still not right. There was no player development in Master League, which rendered the whole experience curiously flat and uninvolving. It got more action from me than its predecessor got, but not much more.
In PES2008 on the PSP, Konami finally got it right. Yes, there’s still some slowdown when the screen gets packed, but it happens rarely enough for it to be forgivable. Master League is there in all of its bigger-console glory. PES2008 is the handheld PES that I was expecting back in 2005. Shame about the three-year wait, but better late than never.
Which brings me to the point I want to make: if the PSP experience is any yardstick, we really could be waiting until at least 2010 for a great PES on the PlayStation3. Fingers crossed that this is not the case, but I think we should be prepared for that to happen. There’s no automatic reason why it must be the case. Indeed I have a strange feeling in my water—a completely irrational feeling, based on nothing concrete—that PES2009 is going to be amazing, or at the very least adequate. That’s all I ask of it, really: that it be adequate.
None of the above chit-chat means I’ve stopped enjoying my Master League career as Coventry City on the PS2/PSP versions of PES2008. The reason why I frequently talk about my hopes for PES2009 and/or pick at the old wound of PES2008 on the PS3 is that I have this great sparkling next-gen console, and here I am playing a PS2 game on it, and I have to wonder just why and how this state of affairs came to be.
This blog is a record of my daily PES experiences. My epic disillusionment with next-gen PES2008 is an integral part of my PES experience this year. I really do think about it almost every day. I may well be deemed clinically insane and/or just plain sad as a result, but it’s true. Hopefully in a year’s time I’ll be waist-deep in PES2009, and I’ll be able to look back and laugh.
I’m still enjoying the PSP/PS2 game as much as ever. At the moment it’s on course to be one of my favourite instalments of PES. I’ll know for sure in a few months’ time, but right now I’ll say it could eclipse even the mighty PES5 (the PS2 version, of course) in my affections.
Week 12. I’ve won all but three of my league games. I drew those other three and remain unbeaten, and top of the league. I haven’t had an unbeaten season since PES4. That’s another thing to aim for this season, as well as the Treble.
I’ve started the Division 1 Cup—and it was very dodgy indeed. Playing against Villarreal at home in the first leg, I only managed a 1-1 draw, which gave them an away goal to play with. Careless.
In the away leg, I had to score, and I did so. I took an early 1-0 lead and that’s how it stayed until the 90th minute, when they got their equaliser. Ho hum. 1-1 in both legs, then, meant extra time unless I could score straight from my kick-off. I played the ball to Dos Santos (who continues to be a sublime left-sided AMF, by the way) and went on a little run, played a one-two, broke through their defence… Could I finish? Yessssss…
There was no time for the CPU to come back. At this stage of the season I’m comfortably top of the league, comfortably top of my European Championships group, and still in the D1 Cup. The Treble is still on.
Entries (RSS)