Lawrence.com

When it comes to choosing between sports sims from developers EA and 989 Studios, gamers more than likely go with the Maddens and the MVPs over the Gamedays and MLBs every time. There are, as we know, exceptions to every rule, and this year 989's World Tour Soccer for the PSP is just such an exception.

The game features a ridiculous amount of teams (well over 200), including all of the current FIFA rosters as well as Classic Clubs and Time Warp teams, and there are eight realistically modeled arenas for the world's sport to take place upon. The game's commentary is minimalistic, usually, but that's welcome considering the announcers in other sports games (Madden, I'm looking in your direction) never seem to shut up.

The game itself runs smoothly, although the players look a little boxy and could benefit from a few more polygons devoted to their character models. Offensive and defensive controls are both easy to pick up and adapt to and all of the moves are easy to initiate. Offensive staples like the Step Over, Shimmy and Spin all are present, as well as the Deliberate Dive, which is exclusive to the World Tour series.

This controversial move allows the player to intentionally dive during a slide tackle from the opposition, making it appear as if they were fouled. Timing is everything with this move -- do it too early or too late and you will receive a yellow card -- but once you get it down you can really exploit the defense, making it almost impossible to successfully slide tackle you. While it can be handy, it also becomes something of a bitch move and unrealistic to soccer.

Another interesting offensive feature I thoroughly enjoyed is the ability to change you team's attack formation anytime during gameplay simply by pressing the select button.

The game is very easy to pick up and play, which is a must for portable gaming, featuring many of the common modes found in soccer sims. Gone is any form of career or management mode in favor of a quick match mode that allows you to instantly jump into a game with random teams and playing field. A tournament mode makes up the primary single player game and allows you to take on the world for any seven cups offered. Many of the unlockable teams and arenas are found in this mode. My favorite thing about this game is that it rewards you for playing good, fundamentally sound soccer. It does this through unlocking special teams based on your accomplishments, like, say, your first hat trick or three consecutive clean sheets. The other way it does this is via challenge mode, the one mode unique to the franchise.

In challenge mode the goal is not to best the opposing team by scoring the most points. Instead, you compete against a preset team on a preset difficulty, and the game awards you points for playing quality soccer. For example: you will receive points for successful passes, tackles, jukes and goals. Likewise you will lose points for interceptions, missed tackles, or when the other team scores. Score enough points and you'll receive a medal (Golds unlock additional playing fields), and then move on to the next challenge. It's a fun and addicting mode that does something most sports sims don't: encourages proper playing over being cheap to score goals. The only disappointment is that the mode only features seven challenges and cannot be played online.

This is a good sports game for the PSP that could have been great had it not been for a myriad of little problems that drag the overall gaming experience down.

World Tour Soccer does a great job of getting right into the gameplay, the only time that this access is disrupted occurs during the lllloooooonnnggg pre-game load times. When you start a match you might want to go make a sandwich or have a crossword ready, because it's going to take awhile. A similar interruption happens during the game when the computer makes a player substitution. The first time this happened I thought my PSP had broken. The game just freezes for anywhere from 30 seconds to well over a minute and then resumes normal play.

The A.I. made me scratch my head at moments, too. During corner kicks to the pitch, no one, neither offense nor defense, moves. Not a single player vies for position or attempts to get open. Also, on several occasions both sides stopped moving during turnovers around the goalkeeper, as if the keeper actually had possession of the ball.

I also got frustrated with my teammates' insistence on coming toward the pass, thereby losing any field advantage they had and completely defeating the purpose of why I passed it to them in the first place.

These problems bring down an otherwise fine playing experience. World Tour Soccer is a fun sports sim that does an excellent job of maintaining a reasonable level of realism while preserving the go-anywhere, pick-up-and-play gameplay that is necessary to portable gaming.

Graphics: B-

Sound: B

First Play: B-

Last Play: C

Gameplay: C

Overall: 76% C