J-League Winning Eleven 9 Asia Championship: Overview and Help
This PlayStation 2 soccer game from Konami focuses on Japanese and Korean leagues. Here is what it includes and where to find detailed help.
In this article
J-League Winning Eleven 9 Asia Championship is a soccer sim that Konami developed and published, and it came out in Japan in 2005 [1]. If you are new to this game, that gives you the basic picture before you look for help with specific stages.
vglist lists the release date as November 17, 2005 [2]. That date helps when you are comparing copies or checking older listings for this title.
This article gives you an overview of the game and points you to where the detailed help lives. Each section answers one question, so you can jump straight to the part you need, whether that is the leagues included, where to play it, or where to find help with each stage.
Which leagues does the game include?
The game includes the Japanese J League Division 1 and J League Division 2, plus the K-League. [3] That means you can build a squad from Japanese clubs in either division, or mix in Korean teams from the K-League.
Japanese divisions
Division 1 and Division 2 are both playable, so you can start with a top-flight club or pick a smaller side from the second tier. A Division 2 team gives you a different kind of run than a title favorite, because you have to work harder to win with a less famous squad. Try one of each to see which suits your style.
The K-League
The K-League sits alongside the two Japanese divisions, so Korean clubs are part of the same game. Switching between Japanese and Korean teams across different runs is an easy way to try new styles without starting a new save.
Chinese clubs
The Chinese Leagues were removed from the previous edition. [3] If you played an earlier Winning Eleven with Chinese teams, you won't find them here, so plan your favorite picks around the three competitions above.
Taking the leagues one at a time keeps things simple. Pick one competition, learn its teams, and move on to the next when you're ready.
Where can you play it, and is it the same as other editions?
You can find J-League Winning Eleven 9: Asia Championship listed on the PlayStation 2, and it was released in Japan, so expect Japanese menus and text. The game's listing on GameFAQs is for the PlayStation 2 version [4], and the publisher's country of origin is listed as Japan [5].
The release that matters for this title is the Japanese one. Its menus and text may be in Japanese, which is worth knowing before you load the disc [1]. If you only read English, you may need to work out menu options by trial and error or lean on community help.
How it compares to other editions
The sources available to me do not describe other versions, platforms or regional editions of this game, so I can't tell you how it differs from them. The safest way to know what you're getting is to look at the platform and region printed on the disc or in the store listing before you buy.
If you're hunting for a copy, match the PlayStation 2 and the Japanese release to what you want to play. A PS2 disc from Japan will run on a PS2 that is set up for it, but a copy from another region may behave differently. Pick the version that matches your console and language comfort.
Where can you find stage-by-stage help?
Start with GameFAQs. It hosts a FAQs section and a community message board for this game [4], so you can read existing help before you post a question. If a stage is not covered, ask on the board and name the stage and the mode you are stuck in.
When you search the message board, use the stage name or a short description of the problem. That is usually the quickest way to find a thread that matches your situation.
For background on the leagues and teams, the fan wiki covers the leagues and game details [3]. The game includes the Japanese J League Division 1, J League Division 2 and K-League [3], so the wiki helps when a stage features a team you do not recognize. Knowing the team's league before you start can make the match setup easier to follow.
Before you search, check the release listing on vglist. It shows a release date of November 17, 2005 [2], so you can confirm you are looking at the right release before you follow any walkthrough.
What should you do next?
Start with the PS2 release, since that is the version this guide is about. The game is listed on the PlayStation 2 by GameFAQs [4], so the disc you need is the PS2 edition.
For stage-by-stage help, begin with the FAQs section on GameFAQs. GameFAQs hosts a FAQs section and a community message board for this game [4], so you can search there for the stage or match you are stuck on. Read the newest posts first, since they are more likely to match the version you are playing.
For league and team details, use the fan wiki. Its pages cover the leagues and game details [3]. The game includes the Japanese J League Division 1 and Division 2 and the K-League [3], so the wiki is the quickest place to check which teams you can pick and how each league is set up.
Keep the wiki open next to the FAQ while you play. Look up the team in the wiki first, then find the matching stage tips on GameFAQs.