PES 2008 on Wii given March 28 debut

Konami has today announced that PES 2008 for Wii is to be released across Europe on March 28. The game is hitting stores considerably later than other console editions – launched in 2007 – but promises to revolutionise the football video game with an all-new Wii specific control scheme making full use of the Wii Remote and Nunchuck.

For the first time players will not only be controlling the movement of the player in possession of the ball, but also guiding the movements of team mates. The Nunchuck is used to move the current player, while the Wii Remote is used to pick out and send players on runs or receive passes. This is performed using a simple click and drag system which uses on screen arrows to show the path of the player’s run with a press of the ‘B’ button completing the move.

Shooting also benefits from the new control scheme, with a shake of the Nunchuck all that’s needed to send a shot screaming towards goal. Timing is of great importance though, as is the speed of the cross or pass, the agility of the player and the angle of the shot.

Dribbling has also been completely overhauled for Wii, performed by clicking on the player and using an arrow and the ‘A’ button to guide the ball. The speed of the run is altered by extending or reducing the length of the guide arrow, said to offer the ability to perform stunning quick turns and bursts of speed to catch the defence off-guard.

As previously revealed, PES 2008 on Wii also boasts Mii integration, with players able to create a team of up to 16 Mii avatars. These Mii teams can be stored on a Wii Remote and shared with other players. Online features are also included, featuring random and ‘Friend Matches’. Team data can also be shared with friends via WiiConnect24.

We’ll reserve judgement on this all-new Wii version of PES until we’ve had some solid hands-on with the game, but it’s certainly sounding like a must have Wii title. Look out for a full review closer to the game’s March 28 release.