Getting our hands on the mobile version of Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer series has been one of the highlights of the Leipzig Games Convention.
But while we're happy to enthuse about our time with the game and the related chat we had with Konami producer Axel de Roug? (we'll be publishing a full interview soon so click 'Track It!' to get an email alert), it's great to be finally able to share the first screenshots.
For one thing, they clearly show the amount of time and effort the Paris-based development team has taken in giving this 2D Java game the Pro Evo look.
In addition to the well defined players, extra touches include pitch-side detail such as the coaches' area, weather conditions (rain and snow), and extend to the patterns of the way the grass has been cut, of which there are five examples. And when you score a goal, the net will ripple, too.
Despite this level of attention, though, something that's harder to show from these screenshots is the quality of player animations. They're one of the most important technical aspects of the game, as they link deeply into the fluid nature of the controls.
Indeed, so important where they considered that the decision was made to concentrate on animations over and above the game's graphics, with each separate animation consisting of up to nine individual frames.
It's something best shown up in close-up, as these cropped high-resolution screens of various players in motion demonstrate. We especially like the evil sliding tackle from behind and the resulting 'kicked up in the air' look.
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