Brilliant, but if it aint broke, don't fix it. (Championship Manager 97/98 (PC))

Member Name: garethgazz

Product:	Championship Manager 97/98 (PC)
Date:	22/04/02 (653 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Highly addictive... this game stopped my heroin addiction!, It's a massive game, so much to do, Borders the line between fun and realism very nicely

Disadvantages: Transfers could be more in depth, Ditto, player/board relations, An old game

This particular CM game is my favourite because it is just that, a game.

The newer ones have gotten so much more in depth and technical it seemed more of a chore than a game, and when you're Man Utd, fielding your best team, playing some non league team and you lose 2-0 at home... something has to be wrong! And it wasn't with my managing!

Anyway Cm 97/98. Quite simply the most addictive game ever. It has enough detail and diversity to make it seem almost strategical but not so much that it is just plain confusing, long and boring.

To start with you pick your team (depending on your options it can be any European main league side), then you start at the beginning of the 97/98 season. From there you pick your team, the captain, who takes free kicks/corners/penalties. You can arrange your own tactics on the field or pick one of the many already made up for you.

Ok so you've sorted your team out, but there's something missing in midfield, not enough strength there... to the transfer market we go!
You can choose from thousands (literally) of players from all countries and all positions. To help you you can select price barriers, position, age, country, if they are injured, if they are available, on loan, free transfers, whether or not they are out of contract/soon to be out of contract. You can have people recommended by three league scouts and a European and Worldwide scout. You can even set the exact stats you want your player to have, and search for him, if he exists he'll pop up. Or if you know who you want type his name in and there you go.

So you've found the guy you want, next make an approach for him. If the club accept your approach you negotiate a contract. The player states what bonus's/clauses he wants in his contract and you can set the wage per week and until when they are contracted to your club. With any luck you'll see eye to eye and you have your new player.

Bu
t you can't just chuck your veteran midfielder out for this flash Italian geezer, because the players get unhappy for all sorts of reasons. Not being first team, asking price too high, wants to move to a bigger club...

So basically you slog your way through the season this way. Of course during a match you can stop and make alterations to your fielded team; subs and tactics etc, and there are numerous other features to see. Manager info, club records, bank balance (Keep it in the white) the boards happiness with you, competition history etc etc etc etc!

Transfers could be a bit more in depth like in the later versions of the game, as well as player/board relations but that's it. I think all the other stuff they've added is not necessary. The game was very good, it didn't needed changing to such an extent, just updating. As a result of the massive change i stopped buying the game and just play 97/98 and sometimes championship manager 3.

As far as graphics go they're rubbisdh but quite frankly who cares? This game is so good it doesn't need graphics, there's no place for them. There is a wide selection of photographs from matches as the background, covered in the buttons which lead you around the game and that's all you need. The only other bugger about this game is that it doesn't go on forever, it stops at 2025... beleive me i know i've got there!

Basically it's as difficult as you make it. You want to be Man U and batter every team into oblivion? Fine, it's still fun and it's easy.
On the other hand if you like a challenge, like me, and choose Brighton and Hove Albion in division three with sod all money, it's a bit more tricky.

Anyone who likes footy will love this game, but the newer ones, in my opinion, have lost their sense of fun and are stupidly difficult unless your willing to play it in real time.

Summary: