There has been a war between FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer (Now known as eFootball PES) but there was only ever one winner back in 2007. With war raging between EA and Konami, it really came to a head when Konami nailed the best football game ever to come out on a console. So, what made this game so good?
Football in 2007
Football was producing some of the best players the world has ever seen in 2007. The likes of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kaka were all at the top of their game. Emerging talents such as Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were all coming through performing for both club and country.
It was an exciting time to watch these players and it may sound like an old man’s thing to say but football seemed much better back then. However, that could be nostalgia when you are comparing it with the present.
Pro Evolution Soccer 6
This brings us to the game in question and what made it so great. Again, nostalgia might be a factor but with this being the last game in the series on the Playstation 2, it really pushed the limits that the fantastic console could do!
Konami may be mocked for its graphics compared to FIFA but when they were able to get the licenses for the players in question there was no doubt that they were able to nail the player’s face making you think that graphics could not get any better than this.
With the gameplay so much more fluid than that of FIFA and you were able to dribble with ease past players . Especially if you were Inter Milan with the likes of Adriano, Obafemi Martins and Alvaro Recoba and you had their form/fitness with a upwards red arrow next to their name.
Game modes on Pro Evolution
Pro Evo, as it was rightly called by the fans, had one game mode that put it ahead of the competition and fans still yearn for it. Master League.
The game gave you players that were not real but they felt like family and you played with them first before creating your ultimate team. However, it was always sad letting your current squad of heroes go in order to buy the likes of John Terry, Carlos Tevez,Bastian Schweinsteiger and Raul to actually win any games in Division One.
However, these players were not forgotten as fans of Pro Evo 6 created profiles for each player that would be involved in your starting squad.
You cannot forget the ludicrous yet brilliant modes where you could play dressed as penguins, dinosaurs or ostriches! You can only get the fun madness with online casinos new to the market.
The legacy
Unfortunately, Konami have been unable to replicate the greatness of Pro Evo 6 and FIFA has dominated the market. However, the real football players will not forget the game each time they load up FIFA 23 as they yearn for simpler times and more emphatic gameplay and overhyped commentary.
Long live Pro Evo 6. Truly the greatest.