Sweaty palms? Check.

Grime starting to coat the controls? Check.

Sweat forming on the back and under the arms? Check.

All tell-tale signs of an intense game underway.

Welcome to the world of Winning Eleven, the must-have football simulation for any footie junkie.

Yup, the Winning Eleven franchise has always been the real deal for many soccer fans.

Konami's latest incarnation of its award-winning series, W11 Pro Evolution Soccer 2007, doesn't disappoint.

It bears all the hallmarks which made its earlier versions a joy to play - realism, smooth game play, tight control and top-notch artificial intelligence.

The difference? Everything just got better.

There are now more than 150moves, tricks and techniques that you can use to dazzle your opponent, including the Ronaldinho 'Flip Flap' and Cristiano Ronaldo 'stepover'.

Players can now create space for themselves and make intelligent runs without the ball while defenders are smart enough to back off to prevent players turning them.

Free-kicks can also be taken quickly to keep the counter-attack going. This edition also includes a much-refined shooting system - snap shots are the way to go now, while the volley and half-volley mechanics have been overhauled.

Additional abilities include all-new feints, backwards dribbling and the ability to retain control of the ball when performing a sliding tackle. Cool!

Another major plus point is the updated 'Master League' mode.

Player transfers, acquisitions of players on loan, developing young talent as your current superstars mature in age, you name it, it's all there.

TWEAK DETAILS

Every little detail of your team can be tweaked as you battle your way up from the bottom divisions to claim the title of top dog in the league.

Once you've done that, take your Master team and slug it out online with up to eight people.

There is also an all-new Watch Mode where you can study your opponents' style and strategies as you go for glory.

Unfortunately, the Pro Evolution series (as Konami's stellar soccer franchise is called in Europe) is a major let-down in its licensingrights.

The franchise has always struggled to use not only proper League names, but actual club or player names.

Although much has been improved, the two most glaring omissions are Liverpool and Chelsea. I'm not being picky but a Merseyside Red (Liverpool) v London FC (Chelsea) clash just doesn't sound right.

Another low point is the graphics.

The crowd, the lighting and the player models are decent, but hardly impressive.

The players' faces in cutscenes slightly resemble the real-life counterparts, and everyone has a very stony look about them.

Soundwise, the crowd cheers and chants are present in every stadium, but they all sound the same.

Then again, Winning Eleven has never been about graphics, just good ol' plain intense action.

For a footie fan, it's as good as it gets. Just remember to use a PC gamepad (PS2-style) because mastering the controls using a keyboard can be a nightmare.

I've still got a crick in my hand that I've yet to shake off.

Rating: ****