| ★ AMSTRAD CPC ★ GAMESLIST ★ THE OFFICIAL FA CUP FOOTBALL (c) VIRGIN GAMES/MASTERTRONIC ★ |
| A100% | Amstrad Action |
The end of the league season is fast approaching and cup fever builds in the run up to Wembley. If your team hasn't made it all the way you've got another chance to steer them to success yourself in this strategy game simulating the real thing. Up to eight players can take part and each one controls 10 teams in their battle for glory. You can choose from all 92 league clubs and 32 non-league clubs or even add a team of your own. Once all players have been chosen you can opt to start from the first or third rounds with the draw being made very slowly, presumably to build up the tension for each team. A tactic has to be chosen for each team from a selection of three. These are simply defensive, balanced and attacking options that determine the general performance of the team. For the first three rounds that first decision determines how the team plays for the whole 90 minutes but in later rounds you get to make more changes. You can watch the scores change as the minutes tick away (not real time) or speed through for the final scores. If a tie is drawn a replay takes place with the home and away teams reversed. The only other option is for the away team to have a newsflash that may help or harm the team's morale. Some of these newsflashes are serious, others are downright ridiculous but will make you laugh. Once all the replays are out of the way the draw for the next round is made at the usual snail's pace. In the fourth round there is a break at half time in which you can change the team's playing tactic in the light of the first half score to try to swing the result your way. By the sixth round this is expanded still further for tactic changes in the middle of both halves, the last of which includes the option to bring on a substitute to revive flagging fortunes. Even if your teams get knocked out the game will carry on to the final where a small picture of Wembley appears, accompanied by a rendition of "Land of hope and glory". The match is played with one line reports on significant action until the cup winner is declared. If your favourite team gets knocked out though you can reset the game at any time and go through it all again.
In the later rounds you are also given multiple choice questions to answer to determine your managerial skill. If you get them right (you aren't told if you have) it will slightly improve the team's chance of success. After a few times the same old questions pop up though and you won't be any the wiser as to which is definitely the right answer. Realism is the whole problem with the game - it's too realistic. The big first division clubs always get the furthest with an underdog only very occasionally getting a look in. What everybody really wants is to take a lowly team all the way through playing skill and not be burdened with real life form which spoils all the fun. This isn't possible because there isn't enough for the player to do or control. BW, AA |
|  |
