Review: Pro Evolution Soccer 6 (DS)

Pro Evolution Soccer 6 for the Nintendo DS is a lot like its older siblings, only uglier and not as talented. Being the youngest and weakest in the family is never easy. While looking outdated and stripped of gameplay mechanics, it's still a decent sports game, and it plays just like the other versions. When it comes to basic gameplay, it's accessible and uncomplicated to play. The most apparent issue is the artificial intelligence of the players, especially the goalkeepers, who can't be trusted at all. By that, shooting and scoring is exceptionally easy. On lower difficulty settings, some players tend to stand around doing nothing, not reacting when someone dribbles past them. However, there's always wi-fi multiplayer to make up for that inconvenience.

Framerate problems are also an issue, occurring when there are too many players on screen. How many? Seven. Corner kicks and the like are therefore a harsh slowdown affair. Sound is terrible, with irritating, looped crowd noise that sounds like something you find in between radio stations. I don't know much about audio design, but I do know that looped segments of sound should be subtle to make the looping less obvious, which isn't the case here. Even though PES 6 is an audiovisual nightmare at times, it's both engaging and fun to play. Perhaps Sensible Soccer would have been a more fitting title for the DS? Think about it, Konami.
6/10