As a short-time owner of the DS Lite, I have had a long road to race in order to get caught up with many great games out there. And, trust me, I haven't been able to put it down for very long on any given day, just because it is that addictive. I am not an extremely devoted soccer fan. I couldn't tell you who played for what team in what year, but I will tell you that I am totally pulled into Winning Eleven Pro Evolution Soccer 2007.

The graphics are tight and clean. You can easily make out the foot work on the field as your players race down to get into position on goal. The ball movement is easy to see and the physics are tight, so no floating balls or super kicks.

The sound, though the DS is not an acoustic powerhouse, did not keep my interest. There was no commentating except for a weak "goal" sounder. The crowd noise sounded like static.

There are four types of play in Winning Eleven Pro Evolution Soccer 2007. There is also the handy tutorial for those of us needing to brush up on their futball savvy. Take note, the American guy didn't call it soccer.

The Match is just that, select a computer player to go up against in a full game or in Penalty Kick off. In the World Tour mode, you can create your own team and head out against the world. Network play is where you can go head to head with your friends or innocent bystanders. The Konami Cup is your premier competition where you select a team and ride their wave of success to tournament victory.

The controls are straightforward, streamlined and easy to jump straight into. There are plenty of moves and combos to play with, but the basics work. Kick, pass, score, and win.

In Winning Eleven Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 , someone who has a good understanding of plays, formations, and players can have an easy time of matching up against the many settings of the game's difficulty. Even if all you understand is how to pass the ball back and forth to the open man and then shoot the ball into the giant net at the end, you can still have a challenging and rewarding game experience. You don't have to be Pele in order to enjoy this game, I mean look at me. I will say that you definitely will benefit from having a better than basic understanding of the game in the higher difficulty setting, but what you really have all in all here is a fun game that you can enjoy as a novice or a pro. Well done.

The controls and A.I. anticipation are what have me enthralled with Winning Eleven Pro Evolution Soccer 2007. I have not played a sports game that has felt as intuitive as this one - especially in a handheld. There was never a time I wondered where a ball was going or where a player should be. I lean back again on being a futball idiot. When I made a pass, someone was on the move to that spot. When I was on defense, my guys didn't inexplicably turn away from the guy with the ball as I was chasing him. I understand there is a game out there that has more licensing for teams and names, and I am here to tell you that doesn't make up for good game play.

I always say that I will continue to play a game after reviewing it, and most times I do. This game, however, is actually interfering with me getting other reviews finished. On that note, I leave you with a rock solid futball game that has the competition looking for the slide tackle. This one is a GOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!