Football Manager Handheld 2014 (iOS) Review

Who remembers Championship Manager? Well, memories are fading and with very good reason because of Sports Interactive showing that gaming fans are not mindless drones that merely follow the advertising trail. Loyal supporters of the 1990s-early 2000s range of amazing Championship Manager games knew exactly where to go when Eidos and the UK developer parted company leaving the name rights with the publisher - and that was to follow in the footsteps of the talented coders that had such finesse and a knack for creating near enough perfection with each new release. SEGA made such a wise choice in snapping up Sports Interactive and now not only has it got the PC market sewn up with its annual releases, it also ravages the charts with its mobile editions. Step up to the plate, Football Manager Handheld 2014.

Career, Challenge and My Club are the three options that players are faced with upon opening up this little box of tricks. With My Club, Football Manager Handheld 2014 allows for the creation of a personalised team that can then be added into a playable league, which is for those experts that feel they can take on a far tougher objective, starting from scratch. One of the more engaging elements, though - as with last year's iteration - is the Challenge mode where different scenarios are offered up, and the gamer is given the chance to turn things around, survive in the toughest of situations, overcome specific obstacles, and so on. It basically pits those who think they are the best of the best against the some of the most intriguing situations, leaving them to hope they can overcome all odds to succeed. If able to successfully persevere in the face of adversity, upon completion of the main challenge, management can simply continue to see if the pace can be kept up.

However, if wanting to do that, it makes more sense to simply go to start a career in the self-named mode; the main meat of Football Manager Handheld 2014. It may not be as intricately detailed as the PC edition, but for older fans this mobile version is more akin to the classic from days of yore, nice and stripped back to the core goodness. Want to take Manchester United, Liverpool, or...Rotherham to the top of the league? Yes, now it is (within reason, of course) possible! Dependent on how much of an uphill struggle is desired, it is a case of 'choose a team' and then take full control of its day-to-day running, all matches included. Train up promising youngsters to bolster an already formidable team, dip into the transfer market to help battle for more points in the league, drop the deadweight from squads to garner a little excess cash, choose whether or not to be hands-on with the reserves to keep an eye on the whole package, keep track of achievements along the way, and more.

There is plenty to do - especially for those that love analysing player statistics and tinkering with formations and tactics to win matches every time. There is even a whole host of extras to unlock for those that want a little helping hand through the rougher times and simply want a simpler ride. With so much on offer, and the highly addictive nature of trying to win everything still alive and kicking after all these years, even for those that were allured by last year's version, Football Manager Handheld 2014 still deserves attention. Sports Interactive's latest ought to be bought and continues to show that there are indeed certain games that are well suited to the mobile format.