Pro Evolution Soccer
The Pro Evolution soccer series is the flagship game of Konami, the company that created the series in the first place. Pro Evolution Soccer is not only the test run for their new game, but also a showcase for what the company is able to accomplish in terms of game design and simulation. For example, in the PSP version, the pitch is flat, unlike the original PlayStation version which featured an unrealistic grass surface. It's also got a much smaller field, the same width as the one in the PS1 version, and the matches play out on a regular 'vs. computer' basis rather than the'versus' style game play seen in its predecessors. While it doesn't have all the extras present in its predecessors, Pro Evolution Soccer still features a strong storyline, plenty of different playing options and, well, Pro Evolution Soccer.
The story of Pro Evolution Soccer follows the life of a young boy called Keisuke Yamagami who travels to Japan to train with the very successful Futura team. After a brief stint training with the team he now becomes the manager of the team in both the PSP and Windows versions of the game. Along the way he also gets to meet new faces such as Rihoko, a Japanese hip-hop artist who comes from a famous family, Katsuhiro Matsushita (better known as "the creator of the x Pokemon series"), and Takeda Tachino, the well known soccer player who later played for the Japan national team. Pro Evolution Soccer still manages to combine some of my favourite aspects of sports with a bit more of soccer, and that is the main reason I like the game so much - because it has managed to combine two really great elements. The game is incredibly well designed, with excellent graphics and a simple but effective control scheme.
