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WiiU

North America

FIFA 13

by J.P. Corbran - November 20, 2012, 7:12 pm EST
Total comments: 7

9

Does the added GamePad functionality make this soccer game the one to get?

The Wii was not a great console for sports games. While some would argue with that statement, it’s hard to deny that other consoles had a significant lead in quality sports titles, especially when it came to the aspect of simulation.

FIFA 13 is one of several opportunities coming at the Wii U launch to reverse that trend. Sporting a graphical style and feature set more in line with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the series than the Wii’s, the game also brings a series of features that utilize the Wii U’s new controller.

The core of the game is basically a port of last year’s FIFA game on the other consoles, with current rosters. That means it doesn’t include some of the new features from FIFA 13 on the PS3 and 360, such as First Touch Control and, much to my disappointment, the integration of international teams into Career Mode. Most of these features are relatively minor tweaks, but would still be nice to have for parity’s sake.

Where the Wii U version really stands out, however, is in its use of the Wii U GamePad. By default, the GamePad screen shows an aerial view of the whole pitch, allowing you to see where all your players are much more easily than the tiny on-screen radar in other versions of the game. That’s not all, though; the touch screen is useful for quick adjustments to tactics and formations, as well as viewing a gauge of player fatigue and other statistical information. 

Being able to make substitutions and switch up your play style on the fly speeds up the game, preventing you from having to pause the game and search through menus to make changes. The touch screen can also be used to aim your shots; a quick flick of the GamePad brings up an image of the goal on the touch screen, where touching any point fires off a shot in that direction. The advantage this gives is balanced out by the increased time it takes to pull off, so it never feels like too much of an advantage, although it’s very helpful in the right situation.

While the missing features are disappointing, I think the GamePad functionality adds a lot to the game. As someone who has bought many versions of the series over the past few years on multiple platforms, I would argue that this is the best one I’ve played, because the GamePad use adds so much to the formula. I hope this is a sign of things to come, as continuing down this road could take Nintendo’s consoles from the worst place for sports games to the very best.

Summary

Pros
  • Touch screen menus make making adjustments quicker and easier
  • Touch shooting is useful without breaking the game
Cons
  • Missing features from other versions are disappointing

Talkback

FireponcoalNovember 21, 2012

Thanks for the review!  I look foward to playing when I have actual time to myself.  I think the game pad features really look to streamline the coaching aspect of the game.  Not sure about shaking the controller to shoot though.

I know I change tactics and make subs more often than I did in other versions because of how quick and easy it is here. And shake to shoot is entirely optional, you can just shoot with the A button like in other versions of it if you want.

CericNovember 21, 2012

You know what is missing from this Review?  No talking about the Grass which the developer went on record of saying is one of the improved features in this version over the others.

I mean the grass looks nice, but there isn't much more to say. If you go back and read all my reviews for this site you'll see I don't usually spend much time on the graphics, because they're almost never a major factor for me.

CericNovember 21, 2012

Quote from: NWR_insanolord

I mean the grass looks nice, but there isn't much more to say. If you go back and read all my reviews for this site you'll see I don't usually spend much time on the graphics, because they're almost never a major factor for me.

Most don't on this site.  It was more that it was an example of something that the clearly mentioned that the other versions didn't have.

StogiNovember 21, 2012

This review is nice, thank you, but it's missing quite a bit. Are subbing and changing tactics really the only things the Game Pad can do? What about dragging runs? What about allowing someone else to use the Game Pad while you play? Is this type of gameply possible? Also, this isn't the first time Fifa has been online on a Nintendo console, but it's the first time it's been online with Wii U. How does Miiverse integrate, if any? Does EA's Origin have a new set of friends or is there some parity? What about Fifa Pro, where you make a character? Are there any features the Game Pad does to make that experience better?

I'm glad this is your favorite version, but it is not very informative. I'm sorry if I sound like a dick, but I was looking forward to hearing all about this since Fifa is one of my favorite games.

I did play some of the online multiplayer with Racht from the forums, so I should have written about that. It works with your Miiverse friends, I was able to invite him to a game once he was in the game; sadly the invite only works when the other person's already in FIFA.

The GamePad does a few other things I didn't mention; you can pass by tapping on a player on the GamePad, and like you said you can send them on runs. Unlike the shooting, I didn't find much advantage in using those mechanics over the more traditional methods.

I didn't get to try any local multiplayer, which is why I didn't write about the Manager mode, which sounds cool, where one person's on the GamePad making tactical decisions while the other players play the game. You can also play traditional multiplayer locally, and it supports Pro controllers as well as Wii remotes and Classic Controllers.

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WiiU

Game Profile

FIFA 13 Box Art

Genre Sports
Developer Electronic Arts

Worldwide Releases

na: FIFA 13
Release Nov 18, 2012
PublisherElectronic Arts
jpn: FIFA 13
Release Dec 08, 2012
PublisherElectronic Arts
eu: FIFA 13
Release Nov 30, 2012
PublisherElectronic Arts

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