LMA Manager 2006 review

Console management titles have constantly been fighting what’s seen by most as a losing battle. While the heavily text based nature of these style of game works perfectly on a PC monitor, with the delicate mouse control we’re all so use to, flicking through menus using a traditional console joypad feels like a step back into the stone ages.

Sports Interactive, and its Championship Manager/Football Manager series has been the dominating figure in this particular genre for well over a decade now, but previous attempts to bring that addictive gameplay to the console market via a cut down version of the game brought to the Xbox proved to be unsuccessful.

However Codemasters and its LMA Manager series of titles (which first appeared on the PS1) have been attempting to fill this niche market of management loving console gamers. And fill it they have as Codemasters has consistently brought out a stream of enjoyable

Chris Waddle is he going to have a crack?

A new year’s edition of a series such as this brings the usual set of tweaks and additions. Updated stats are a given, though come the close of the next transfer window in the New Year, Xbox LIVE users will have the ability to download updated player and team stats, giving you the chance to play with the up to date squads that your favoured team is in possession of. Another example of Xbox Live bringing things to the console users that PC gamers have been enjoying for years. Updated stats are constantly released for PC management titles, and are much better for it.

The menu based system, where you flick between options with the shoulder triggers and right thumb stick at first can feel a little unwieldy, but become second nature after a short period of play. Everything is set out in the right areas, financial choices all lumped together, and the same with training options, meaning that making the most of all the options available to you becomes simple and easy in double quick time.

Things go into much more depth than the Football Manager games, with the likes of sponsorship deals and ticket prices able to come under your control. If this style of management doesn’t really appeal, you’re able to let the intelligent AI keep things ticking over, and leave you able to concentrate solely about the performances out on the pitch of your chosen team.

The transfer window too has been overhauled, with many more payment options available to you rather than simply offering straight cash in exchange for players. Now you’re able to set out completely structured deals, reliant on performance goals, just like most of today’s real lie deals are structured. Actually finding the right players to fit into your team also requires much more skill this time, with scout reports offering a much wider rage of information that you can make good use of. In fact, sending out a scout on the trail of a hot shot striker, and discovering him not only young, but most importantly, before everyone else proves to be one of the games biggest success stories.

Unfortunately on match days things really begin to crumble. As most prefer the LMA series to the Football Manager titles base their reasons solely on the 3D match engine (despite the consistently poor level of implementation) this year again sees the in game action at best feel remarkably poor.

Oh he does and he’s scored!

Unlike Sports Interactive's top down 2D engine, which displays all the feedback you’d ever require as a manager, as well as giving a proper representation of your tactical choices, Codemasters 3D engine offers very little in both these vital areas. From a purely aesthetic viewpoint, many players look nothing like the real life players they represent, and therefore can’t help but remind you that you're merely playing a game rather than truly living out your management fantasies.

Things out on the pitch don’t really mimic a real life game of football either, with a complete lack of jostling in the box at corners and free kicks proving a real eye sore. Spying your star centre forward and his marker standing side by side, waiting for the ball to come their way instead of utilising their power to make the ball theirs is a downer for any true football fan. Players seem far too similar too in their moves, with little to no differences out on the pitch shown between the likes of Ronaldinho, and Gary Neville.

Regrettably your tactical options too seem amazingly narrow and lack any true feedback on the pitch. Though the tactical sliders at least give the allusion of real tactical depth that can be tapped into, players feel restricted and lacking any ability to strut their stuff.

The ability to set tactical options to various buttons on the pad in order to change tactics swiftly during a match is a welcome feature, especially when your teams become under pressure, a more solid defensive style can work wonders.

Anything Paul Gascoigne can do, Chris Waddle can do.

There’s no doubt that essentially, LMA Manager 2006 is a decent enough management sim. It has the required obscene amounts of depth in almost all areas, and combines that with an easy to learn control method.

However, the simple fact is that no single portion of the general make-up of the title comes close to Sports Interative’s sublime football management titles, and therefore plainly can’t be recommended too readily. LMA Manager 2006 does its best. Just a shame that it’s best basically isn’t good enough.