Sports Video Games

Konami's "Winning" soccer series makes its 2012 return to the pitch, with play enhancements that give gamers more direct control of the ball and improvements to the artificial intelligence that controls teammates and opponents. "Off the Ball Control" allows gamers to move a cursor to quickly highlight and select any team player at any time. The game's "Pass Support" is adjustable through five settings, providing computer-assisted passes or allowing complete player control of a kick's direction and velocity.

New interactions and animations and highlight the bumps and jostles as opposing players race down the field, battling for the ball. Teammates anticipate passes, accounting for movement down the field, and referees are designed to be more sensitive to the flow of the game. Following earlier games in the series, Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 includes the teams, tournaments, and athletes of the Union of European Football Associations, and features the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League competitions. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Sony's whimsical Hot Shots series returns to PSP with rackets instead of clubs. Featuring the same childlike characters and customization found in Hot Shots Golf, Hot Shots Tennis includes doubles and singles play on a variety of court surfaces. A career-style progression system will have you roaming around a tennis academy in between matches as you work on perfecting your swing and fulfilling story-oriented objectives. Game sharing support is included for up to four players, and characters can unlock and earn hundreds of clothing and accessory options while competing in tournaments. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

The only licensed game of the UEFA European Soccer Championship, UEFA Euro 2008 follows the 16-team tournament held in Austria and Switzerland throughout the month of June. As in the real-life competition, 16 qualifying teams are equally divided among four groups. New for 2008 is a knockout stage that separates groups A and B from groups C and D until the finals. In the quarterfinals, the winner of each group will compete against the runner-up from the second group. Match winners then advance to the semifinals to determine which two teams vie for the championship.

UEFA Euro 2008 features 53 European national teams, eight authentic stadiums, and a custom team option. In addition to the tournament, notable play modes include "Captain Your Country" and "European Campaign." The former involves trying to lead a country to victory by calling the shots on the pitch, and it supports both solo and wireless play. European Campaign offers a series of challenges presented on a map of Europe. Completing each challenge earns players "growth points" to enhance an individual athlete's attributes. Winning matches against specific countries also awards players with credits, which can be spent on stickers to complete an in-game Sticker Book. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Brunswick Pro Bowling invites gamers to channel their inner bowler and head to the lanes for single- and multiplayer competitions. Entering Career mode, players must work their way from amateur to professional in a season's worth of tournaments located at ten authentic Brunswick bowling centers. Successfully completing each challenge unlocks a variety of content including balls, venues, and apparel. Those looking for an individual game may enter the Quick Play mode and roll through a single frame. By connecting to a wireless network, gamers may compete with friends in competitive play and further customize their characters with extra content available only through the online community. ~ Gracie Leach, All Game Guide

After teeing-off on the original PlayStation and playing two successful rounds on PS2, the Clap Hanz-developed Hot Shots Golf series goes portable for the first time in this PSP game. Sticking with the well-established theme of "Golf for the People," Open Tee features exaggerated characters, useful power-ups, and a slew of unlockables, adding a friendly stroke of wackiness to an otherwise realistically challenging simulation of the sport.

A total of ten customizable golfer characters eventually become available, to be joined by one of five personable caddies on the game's six courses. As in the console versions of the title, shots are taken with three timed button taps, and the contours of the greens are easily read through a dynamic grid display. A practice mode is available, to help players get a feel for the idiosyncrasies of each course and character, and the PSP's "Ad Hoc" peer-to-peer wireless connectivity supports multiplayer golfing for up to eight. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

After teeing-off on the original PlayStation and playing two successful rounds on PS2, the Clap Hanz-developed Hot Shots Golf series goes portable for the first time in this PSP game. Sticking with the well-established theme of "Golf for the People," Open Tee features exaggerated characters, useful power-ups, and a slew of unlockables, adding a friendly stroke of wackiness to an otherwise realistically challenging simulation of the sport.

A total of ten customizable golfer characters eventually become available, to be joined by one of five personable caddies on the game's six courses. As in the console versions of the title, shots are taken with three timed button taps, and the contours of the greens are easily read through a dynamic grid display. A practice mode is available, to help players get a feel for the idiosyncrasies of each course and character, and the PSP's Ad-hoc peer-to-peer wireless connectivity supports multiplayer golfing for up to eight. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide