Parents' Guide to

FIFA Soccer 2009

By Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

A fantastic game of soccer for finicky fans.

Game Nintendo DS , Nintendo Wii , PSP , PlayStation 2 , PlayStation 3 , Xbox 360 2008
FIFA Soccer 2009 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

See all
age 6+

Based on 1 parent review

georges113
georges113 Parent of 10-year-old
September 1, 2009
age 6+

6-7 and up

BEST GAME EVER.... i play it for around 3 4 hours per day... from 3 years ago i have been trying to make my sister learn about it... but she hasn't made it till now... kinda difficult the controls for her she plays practice mode only she's 10 now but some kids aged 6 or 7 can play it... awesome graphics perfect game

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

EA Sports might be the king of sports games but if you scour the review websites you'd notice the FIFA Soccerseries doesn't fare as well, critically speaking, as other interactive soccer games such as Konami's Winning Eleven games. Well, the Vancouver-based developer must have taken this to heart because FIFA SOCCER 2009 packs more than 250 game-play additions and improvements over past games, making it EA Sports' most realistic, responsive, and feature-rich soccer sim to date.

On the surface, this next-generation, high-definition soccer game features improved player physics (including a tweaked collision system) and kick mechanics, complemented by more than 500 new animation sequences. Once you get into the game, however, players will be impressed with the tight control. On the X360 and PS3 versions, that means utilizing the two controller's dual analog sticks for accurate player and ball handling (and buttons to pass or kick). New game modes include a much-improved Be A Pro: Seasons option, which expands on last year's version with the ability to play four full seasons as a single player, while another mode maps team-tactics to the controller's D-pad so you can also play as coach as well as player if you like (and yes, the manager mode remains, too).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (5 ):

Online connectivity plays a more important role in FIFA Soccer 2009 than in previous editions. For one, adding to the game's realism is a new feature (on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC versions) called Adidas Live Season, with player attributes downloaded on a weekly basis to mirror real-life performances (similar to what EA Sports has done with NBA Live 09). What's more, a new online mode called FIFA 09 Clubs (for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) lets gamers compete in a 10 versus 10 team match (yes, on 20 different consoles). In short, "footy" fans won't be disappointed with EA Sports' latest kick at the can.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether sports video games should come out every 12 months. How does a gamer justify the $60 purchase each year when you can simply download team updates over the Internet to earlier versions?

Game Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate