Black Bean today announced Ico Soccer for the Nintendo DS, a touch-based soccer experience where you play as the team manager, interacting on team formation, substitution and tactics. Using the Nintendo DS stylus and visual icons representing the different actions of the match, you can move the entire team according to your strategy. With the help of a balance bar, you will always be perfectly aware of the attitude of the team throughout the entire match. The game will be released late June 2009.
Koku Gamer writes: "he first thing to notice about Ico Soccer (other than the fact that it has nothing to do with the beloved PS2 masterpiece) is how much it resonates with the old FIFA game for SNES, or Soccer for the NES. The opening title screen has a very old school feel, and on the DS this makes for a very charming aesthetic. You can tell from the get go that the folks on the Artematica development team put a lot of time into the art style, and the direction they take the game is nostalgic in the best way possible."
I think Gameloft have kind of cornered the market now on the DSi when it comes to soccer. Real Football 09 for 800 points is just too convenient to compete with unless you're a big name company/franchise.