Sports titles on the Wii have thus far been very hit or miss. For every Wii Sports or Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 there’s a Deca Sports or Rapala’s Fishing Frenzy. While last year’s FIFA on the Wii may not have been as impressive as its next-gen brethren, it was clear that EA had an idea of what they wanted to do with the franchise on Nintendo’s console. After playing through a few matches and speaking with producer Sid Misra, I have high hopes for this FIFA 10 on the Wii. You should too.

First, the most important bit of news: FIFA 10 has been completely redesigned from the ground up for the Wii. Like so many games developed for the Wii, last year’s FIFA shared a bit too much with the PlayStation 2 version, and the game suffered as a result of then trying to implement the motion controls. This year’s version is also ditching the Miis in favor of stylized realism. Players on the field will fall into one of three body types, with major stars being recognizable caricatures. The game will also utilize improved lighting and will feature a dynamic pitch. FIFA 10 comes with the option to set up a “best of” exhibition series right off the bat. It’s not that the turf won’t become worn during regular play, but it’s the most noticeable when playing multiple matches in the same stadium back to back. When playing a match with Sid, there were some nice small visual touches I noticed as well. Particularly hard shots elicited exaggerated motion blur, and during key shots of the match, the game actually slowed to highlight the action. Don’t worry, the slow-mo isn’t a game breaker, it’s actually based on a passive momentum meter on the bottom of the screen that builds or decreases depending on how you’re playing. It’s not something that gets filled by doing tricks or hard tackles, so you don’t have to worry about another player jackassing around trying to fill the meter.

The most welcome changes from last year’s version come in the form of much simpler and intuitive controls. You control your player’s movement with the nunchuk, while passing, shooting, tackling, and tricks are handled by the controller. You pass with either the A or B button depending on whether or not you want to lob the ball. Very simple tricks like sidesteps and heel flips are mapped to the D-pad, and you shoot by flicking your wrist. Since the gameplay has been tweaked tremendously over the last year, you’ll also notice plenty of small details like better trapping, more intelligent goal keepers and defenders, and smarter offensive AI. There’s no senseless waggle, and the limited hand gestures you’ll have to make actually make sense. They’re not overcomplicated, or over-thought, and after playing for five minutes, it’s apparent EA has a better grasp on motion controls than many of their contemporaries.

The most intriguing new gameplay mechanic though has to go to the new Strike It system. While next-gen FIFA 10 has integrated user created set pieces, the Wii version has implemented a new one-on-one mini-game to get both users more involved in free/penalty/corner kicks. On offense, you’ll have a meter on the ground between your player and the ball with three zones. Flicking the remote in time with your player approaching the zone closest to the ball results in a tougher shot for your opponent to defend. As the keeper, you’ll have mere seconds to time your flick with a flash of green on the screen. Flick quick enough, and you’ll make the save. A mistimed flick will result in a goal for the other team. It’s an interesting way to keep both players involved, and helps separate the Wii’s arcade feel from that of the sim feel of the next-gen version. My first instinct when I was told there was going to be a mini-game for free kicks was to shake my head, but after trying it a few times, it really did amplify the one-on-one rivalry. Since I was responsible for trying to keep the ball out of the net instead of a computer controlled keeper, I actually got disappointed in myself when I messed up, and it made me want to try harder for the rest of the game.

I don’t generally look to the Wii for my sports video experience, but after my time with FIFA 10, this may be the first year I buy the same game for more than one console. I didn’t get to try their revamped online gameplay, but Sid Misra related that they wanted to create more of an online community than a bunch of single players that matched up every night. With the ability to play online with two people using the same console, they just might get their wish. I hope that the final game is as fun when playing at length as it was when I got some time with it last week. If it is, EA will have some solid footing to build another strong sports franchise on. I’m eagerly awaiting the game’s release this fall to find out for sure. This is one Wii title I won’t be so quick to dismiss.