Customer Reviews:
 It's good, but nothing new. December 2, 2008
SI's 4th instalment of Football Manager on the PSP has arrived, and was it worth it?
Well for those you who played Football Manager 08 on PSP will be asking is it an improvement? I would say...not really. Omitting a few `new' features the game is identical.
Except this year we can run 4 countries instead of one, which is fantastic, however it's only top tier, which means, yes you can run four countries, but three of which only the top league. You can't run all the leagues in those three countries,
But you have to remind yourself, this is PSP this is a scaled down version of its PC counterpart, it's not going to be as in depth or detailed.
So what else we do we get this year, new 2d match mode, ok, its ok, it's nothing special really, after four or five games, I just found myself staring at the TV during a match and occasionally glancing to see the score, just like I did with the text mode. With the limitations of the PSP, it's going to get repetitive; your cycle of habit will no doubt emulate that of all the previous management games you have played on the PSP (if any). We also get a choice of changing from a light skin, to a dark skin, great, while not so much as a ground breaking feature, you can now as it says, change skins. That's it, that's all the new additions you get, yes the international management is still there, yes it's multiplayer (adhoc only), yes all the stats for teams and players have been updated, but aside from all that, what we really got, is not anything new, just an extension of the previous game, an expansion pack if you like. However, speed is not an issue here, the loading times are acceptable, with no notable slow downs. The database of players is acceptable, would have been nice if it had been a bit bigger, but again limitations. The general feel of the game is acceptable, yet after your first blitz of the game, its probable life span will be in 10 minute (possibly less) intervals. Is it a good game? Yes, again in 10 minute intervals. But it is generally a nice game, the transfers are realistic enough, the results seem fair, tactics do have say in the outcome, information is pretty spot on for the players, no stadium names are in the game, which is a let down, in-fact the subject of the stadium is missing from this game altogether. Control is pretty easy enough, it's not rocket science. Player retirements in those other countries is a problem, as once they retire, that's it, that club will never generate a new youth player.
Bearing in mind with the limitations of a PSP, it's the best Football Management game on the PSP, nothing does come close, although Championship Manager 2007 PSP is a good (ish) game also. As the developers designed the game, for a on the move gaming experience, in which its small, its light and it will fit into your pocket, and anytime you feel the need to break out a football management game, no fuss, no hassle, no loading slow down times, then bang it's there. And that's what you'll get.
 Still addictive as hell..... November 17, 2008
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
After reading about all the grief with the PC version, it makes a nice change just to drop this in the PSP slot and away you go. Ok, what's changed since 08? Firstly the 2D match engine, to be honest this does seem a bit 'so what'? and could quite easily do without, at times it is very slow, even on 'very fast' speed setting, but once you are into the game you hardly notice this, although frustratingly there isn't an option to switch the match engine off for some strange reason (2010 version perhaps?) and annoyingly whenever you switch to player ratings screen or any other of the options while the 2D match is active the game pauses, a minor annoyance, but surely one that could and should have been ironed out during testing. The new skin is much improved over the previous version (which always looked unfinished to me, pale and washed out blue and white?) and the game feels more 'complete'. This is still purely the best and most addictive game on PSP that you can pick up and play for 10 mins or 10 hours. (Won't get it on PC as I know it will take over my life, wife wouldn't be too keen on that). Highly recommended.
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