Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 has went down a storm on the consoles, with the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions both helping the game top the charts recently, well now it’s the turn of the PSP version to steal the limelight and if there is one game that can get people to realize what a wonderful little handheld this is then it is Pro Evolution Soccer 2009.

This years version of PES introduces a few changes to help keep people interested, and although there is no Champions League competition like in the games other versions, the PSP version makes up for this by including the Master League, World Tour and Become A Legend modes as well as the wireless multiplayer which allows you to play against others from around the world.

So let’s start with the Master League mode which allows you to select you favorite team and then either fill the shirts with either a bunch of unknowns or start with the original players. The Master League on the PSP version allows you to play through two leagues, starting at the bottom and playing through a few seasons until you eventually end up at the bottom of the league again or go on to become the champions, throughout the Master League you are also able to buy players and tweak tactics just like you can in the main version. Perhaps the only drawback to having the Master League on the PSP version is that if you only use the console for the occasional play then you will take quite a long time to complete the competition.

The World Tour mode is perhaps the most suitable for the PSP, this mode asks you to play and meet the criteria which is set before each game, conditions set during the games can be things like win by two clear goals, avoid the offside trap or win without subs, game don’t always start from the beginning either, meaning that sometimes you will start the match at the beginning of the second half. When you win one section you will then move onto the next, each section is represents by a continent, such as Asia or Oceania.

The biggest edition this year, like the console versions is the Become a Legend mode, here you create a player and then follow him throughout his career during the highs and lows that all players experience at some point. This mode works on the PSP but does have a few issues, the problem is that the main camera during play is much closer to the action in this version than it is in the console versions and therefore is constantly turning in order to keep up with the play due to the smaller screen, not only does this make you feel disorientated, but sometimes it is hard to keep up with the action. The other main problem is that when your player is not playing you are stuck spectating, now this may be ideal for consoles as you can always pop out and get a drink, however who wants to watch a game when you are on the bus? You want to be playing not spectating. Given that this is the first time Become a Legend has appeared on the PSP it is a decent effort, however hopefully next year it will be tweaked a bit more to make it suitable for the system.

Out with the Become a Legend mode, the gameplay this year has seen some great improvements, AI players seems more aware, and the movement in general of all players is so much better, this is particularly noticeable when controlling your own player, turning with the ball seems so slick and passing feels so much more accurate.

Shooting at goal always takes a while to get used to in new versions of PES and this year is no exception, the only players who will have much luck scoring to begin with are the opposition due to your goalkeepers insistence that palming the ball away is better than catching it, yes prepare for a few howlers.

Graphically the game actually looks pretty sweet, during cutscenes the players are fairly realistic and during play the camera seems to keep up with the action well, previous versions have suffered from ghosting due to the speed of the game, however this no longer seems to be much of an issue. The main problem as far as presentation goes is the sound, there is no commentary as such and only when someone scores will a voice pop up to state the obvious, apart from that though you are stuck with the usual poor crowd effects.

When Pro Evolution Soccer first hit the PSP it wasn’t without it’s issues, however this is now a thing of the past and the series has finally found the perfect balance of speed and gameplay to make for what is one of the best football games on the system. Great for anyone looking for a fix of footy on the go.

Overall Rating: 8.7/10