First Touch Soccer Review – Soccer got real in your pocket

Our rating:

By: Exient

Version #: 1.41

Date Released: 2011-11-03

Developer: X2 Games

Price: 4.99

User Rating:

Loading...

Download App

Two years ago I got my first iPod Touch. A neat little device where I could check my email, have some occasional reading and play some games. As a FIFA (first) and Pro Evolution Soccer (later) lover, I kept checking the App Store for some good soccer playing goodness. After a while, X2 Games’ X2 Soccer appeared in the App Store and broke the charts for soccer apps. Later, a newer version with improved leagues and modes (although with the same 3d engine).

A little while passes and Electronic Arts’ FIFA series enters the game. I play it, test it, rip it. It is nowhere close to X2, even coming to the App Store later. Dumb animations and glitches, like the “sliding player glitch”, where your player may attempt to do something and appear to slide over the turf instead of run made it quite bad. Pro Evolution Soccer enters the fray, same results. Animations not up to par, average controls. Nowhere close to the “real deal”. At the same time Gameloft had Real Football… A decent game. Lacking in both animations and control, it at least had the innovation of the “legend mode”. Okay, acceptable.

But after all, it’s already 2012 and X2 games had to upgrade, and did it with a killer game, the best in portable soccer: First Touch Soccer. A new engine paired with a new control system = WIN. The only drawback I’ve found in First Touch Soccer is making skill moves: you can’t really choose  which one you want to do. Pity. But what can you do?

For example, you can play any league, cup or competition. You can unlock classic teams, like Cruyff’s Barcelona or Puskas and Di Stefano’s Real Madrid. You can create your own legend team, by winning tokens and exchanging them for players. You can use any button to do whatever: do you want to make a killer lob to get an awesome goal? No big deal, just use the lob button and aim for the goal. You can also use the pass button to shoot, low and neat shoots that no goalie can get. Or use the shoot button to make strong passes. Or the pass button to slice defenses. Whatever you dream of doing you can, for the first time in your iDevices. And even more, not only it is a universal app (works equally well in an iPhone or an iPad), it also works in oldies like my old iPod Touch 2nd gen. Go get your copy now!