Championship Manager: Season 01-02 (PC CD)

• Platform:   Windows 95 / 98
• Media: Video Game

As well as the tightening up of the game engine, which allows the game to run slightly faster, numerous diverting new features have been added. For instance, you can choose not to know lots of information about a player until you've scouted them, you can compare players, the new transfer system has been implemented and heck, you can even issue an ultimatum to the board.

As with most Championship Manager improvements, none of these change the game dramatically, but they do add to the depth and realism that has won the franchise the widespread support it enjoys today. It's still as utterly engrossing as ever, and liable to keep you addicted to your PC for hours at a time. Those who like the football management games devoid of mountains of stats as ever are advised to steer clear.

But for the hundreds of thousands of fans of the series, this is yet another polished, enjoyable new edition of the game, which, after all these years, is still without a quality competitor. Roll on Championship Manager 4. --Simon Brew

Product Description
The last season update for the hugely successful football management sim Championship Manager 3, Championship Manager 01/02 promises to capitalise on the incredibly addictive gameplay that CM fans have come to expect, with a host of new features.

For the detail orientated, the game includes profiles and histories of more than 100,000 players, managers and coaches from 26 leagues, worldwide. CM 01/02 will also feature an improved data editor that will allow users to modify player statistics to keep their team's squads up to date and even add themselves into the their favourite first team.

And if you like the thrill of the chase then statistics of new and unknown players will be "hidden" (to mirror the statistics and data available to real-life managers). Scouting these players will reveal their full statistics. One of the updates that surfaced with the last add-on pack was the added involvement of the press. This version will have more messages from the media and more feedback from the local and national press than ever before.

To help you decide if you really want that centre forward from Real Madrid, in accordance with the new rules to be introduced next season, CM 01/02 will fully implement the new EU-regulated transfer system. All of the competitions, awards and disciplinary rules will also be updated for even more authentic footy management action.

• PC & Video Games > Games > Sports > Football