Sensible World of Soccer '96/'97

The Good
SWOS is pretty much the perfect game - the realism is where you want it (in the player stats), and the gameplay is just pure fun. The controls are as simple as you'd like, with no outrageous button combinations to give secret tricks only a handful a spods know and the management level is exactly as complex as you'd like it to be to remain fun. And the tactics editor works like a dream.

Oh, and for a spot of fun I managed Mnchester Unted, sold all their best players and got them relegated (right down to Division 3) and have since guided the mighty Owls to 4 seasons in a row of unbeaten glory. Now what's not to like about that?

The Bad
Every now and then, the AI will decide it's not going to lose this game, and suddenly your goalie becomes a dope. Oh, and it's impossible for an AI opponent to get injured or even sent off. An additional problem occurs with the player values in management mode - when you sell a player on, his value reverts to whatever his default value is. Other than that...

The Bottom Line
The football game all others should be - pure fun, but with the realism you want. A laugh a minute, with sounds to complement and cute-as-pie graphics. Simply the best game to ever be released. Ever.