©NCSX▪ Celtic Glasgow midfielder Shunsuke Nakamaura joins Zico (Artur Antunes Coimbra) on the cover of the ninth Winning Eleven release. Shunsuke also enjoys additional face time in the introduction cinema. Ex-professional footballer, Takeshi Kitazawa, serves as the commentator in the game.

Although the Winning Eleven franchise was already at the top of its game, Konami went back to the motion capture studio and snapped new footage of players in action to refine the animation even more. Players rush across the field cheering, chugging along, and jumping in realistic motion. Occasionally, players will even do a little stumble and exhibit human-like tics and other mannerisms to enhance the realism of the action.

Two new positions have been added to the roster in WE9 as follows:

Second Striker - A player who provides scoring opportunities for the main striker and may go wide to avail aerial assists to the striker.

Wingback - Plays on either the left or right wing (side) of the pitch and serves as a defender but also attacks when opportunity arises.

Play occurs in the summer and in winter with snow on the sidelines and the breath of players showing up in the cold air. Gamers may also practice various kicks and relays between players in cooperative plays.

In a bit of national pride, Konami features a "Japan Challenge: Go for 2006!" mode which commands players to get the Japanese team to the World Cup. Online play is built-into the game for internet based tourneys.

View the back cover and screenshots on the main NCSX website.