After two years on PSP, the Winning Eleven/Pro Evolution Soccer franchise returns for another installment. In this case, the third time isn't a total charm, and hardly a huge leap forward for the series. Sure, the core simulation-focused gameplay is intact, and the controls feel just as intuitive to play as they did in the series' 2006 PSP debut. The problem is that fundamentally, save for some wonderful additions to gameplay, it's Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 with Manchester United's scoring machine Cristiano Ronaldo slapped on the case rather than wayward Brazilian striker Adriano.
It's tough to tell if the series peaked with Winning Eleven 9 and we're starting to see the redundancy, or if this is simply a well-meaning misstep. Don't get us wrong; PES 2008 is still a fun handheld experience, and the amount of PS2-compatible data is a vast step forward for the PSP game. It's just that fundamentally, nearly everything that was right and wrong about last year's game is unchanged in PES 2008, from Master Leagues and tight gameplay to ugly visual gaffes and long load times.
Rather than dwell too much on what makes PES 2008 a clone of its predecessor, it's worth looking at the central reason that it's a good update: the drag-and-drop setup. The first portable title allowed owners of both Winning Eleven 9 PS2 and PSP to transfer the tweaked rosters and option files from the PS2 version to the handheld; PES 2007 added the detail-focused Master League, although players couldn't transfer their home league to the PSP. PES 2008 makes huge strides in bridging your gameplay experience between home and the road.
Every mode in the game, from both basic and Master Leagues to cup tournaments and the World Tour challenge mode, can be transferred from the PS2 game for you to continue on the road. Sports games have built up cross-compatibility on handheld over the years with EA at the forefront, but PES 2008 goes above and beyond basic franchise mode. It's a refreshing addition.
As any PES fan can tell you, you'll spend nearly as much time editing kits and squads as playing. The issue of licensing has always been a thorny one for this series. Since 2006's Winning Eleven 9, Konami has been able to nab one or two English clubs for the game, but they vary from year to year. As a result, you'll have to endure the painstaking process of editing each team's name. Of course, you can import PES 2007's option file to save yourself the agony of re-typing many names on the PSP's virtual keyboard; you still can't transfer custom emblems and logos from the PS2 version, though.
Multiplayer is fairly unchanged from years past; it's still ad hoc-only. Given FIFA 08's incorporation of Interactive Leagues into the online game, PES looks rather archaic in this regard. The lack of online multiplayer is a disappointment. Performance-wise, it's just as competent for local wireless as it's been for the past two games.
If you're a die-hard PES fan, the handheld Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 is a great way to extend your PS2 experience beyond the couch. The ability to download existing leagues, cups and tournaments from the console game to the PSP is a fine addition to the core gameplay, which is fundamentally the same as in the last two games. In regard to gameplay and aesthetic advancements, PES 2008 is nearly identical to the previous game, and that's a shame. However, the concept of PS2 connectivity gives the game legs that it previously lacked. If you're only picking up one version of the game this year, make it PES 2008 PS2. If you want to play at home and on the road, though, this handheld installment is worth the investment.