Nintendo Pocket Football Club (Nintendo 3DS) Review

It was almost a given that Nintendo Pocket Football Club was going to be a stripped down version of the likes of Football Manager, offering nowhere near the depth that a true management simulator provides. To expect such intricate details and options of being able to control and organise squads and players, and build a formidable team that starts at the depths of the lower divisions to ultimately become European champions through the know-how and tactical skills developed from constant playing…would not be very wise. Sadly for this little title, the management side of it is pretty deprived.

Instead of actually being able to relay an array of tactics during matches at any given time, commands for altering the style of play can only be done when one of three substitutions is made, leaving the opportunity to change things up very limited. Before each half, the same few options can be applied, too, but it leaves problems once certain match-changing events happen. Red cards, injuries, and, naturally, goals, will warrant changes in game tactics, but if these can only be applied during substitutions, what good is that?

How the team succeeds is really based on increasing player stats through obtaining training cards during games. These random cards will be collected in every match - each one looking to increase certain areas of a player's game, including passing, shooting, heading, stamina, technique and more. Using cards in training will give a little boost, eventually bumping up the grade for the respective skills.

Some degree of tactics can still be employed for matches. Formations are fully adjustable, the starting IX and subs can be picked prior to a game, and transfers can be made to search for players to improve the squad during an open window, but the lack of management means this is less about actually being a manager, and more about grinding to make players better.

Nintendo Pocket Football Club demands each match be watched, which can prove extremely bothersome. Practice games can be skipped, but at the cost of fan backing and training cards - defeating the point of training at all. This method usually ends up in clicking to go ahead with a match, then setting the 3DS to the side to do something else, checking back to make any necessary subs and changes when needed. Matches are entertaining at first, but it soon becomes a chore and a case of rinse and repeat.

Decisions the players make during matches can be baffling, and whilst this could be due to lower stats in certain areas, it doesn't make some choices any less infuriating when observed. Opting to pass out to the wings when through one-on-one or going backwards on a free kick in a promising position, never fail to ignite rage when looking for that all-important goal.

Anyone with a passion for the sport will find themselves getting really into it, at times; whether good or bad decisions are made by the team, outbursts of anger and joy are inevitable, and so it proves that Nintendo Pocket Football Club replicates football well in that regard, but fails to deliver in lasting and interactive appeal as a game.