A game that's top of the league

OK, so the Premiership may have lost its ability to thrill everyone apart from Arsenal fans, but that's no reason to give up on football.

The beauty of management sims like LMA Manager 2004 is that they let you right all the wrongs by re-writing history. We've all sat and watched our team being given a right good stuffing and thought: "I could do better than this manager." Games like this one ask you to put that assertion to the test.

On the PC, Championship Manager pretty much reigns supreme. The consoles, though, have a different team at the top of the management premier league: LMA Manager.

Codemasters should be congratulated for making this year's version as up-to-date as possible. The company could have pushed this game out in December to cash in on pre-Christmas sales. I can think of at least one other management sim that has taken this route. To do so would have been to short-change football fans and Codemasters isn't a company known for taking short cuts.

So LMA has been delayed and now it's ready, complete with a new look, even more flexible management options, a new Fantasy Team mode, an Expert option and even more leagues, players and stats.

Crucially, though, LMA is the only current management sim on the PS2 or the Xbox to boast the most up-to-date 2003/04 season stats, including all the player movements from the January transfer window. It sounds like nothing, but just imagine the frustration of buying a game like this, unwrapping it and booting up your games machine only to find half the team has moved on.

LMA is also renowned for being somewhat more accessible to casual fans of the game than Champ Manager. Whether you're a football management aficionado or a football gamer keen to move into management, LMA Manager 2004 has everything to make it a nail-biting season.

You have to scout for new talent, train your team, pick the squad, plan your tactics carefully (4-4-2 or 5-3-2? You decide) and come up with a strategy. Long ball? Passing to feet? It's your call. Heck, you can even shout commands from the dugout on match day.

There's plenty to choose from. Would-be Wengers can take the reins of clubs from the English, Scottish, French, German, Italian and Spanish leagues. You can transfer players from the top leagues across Europe and - new for the 2004 edition - Argentina, Brazil and Chile.

And, if you want to create a new team from scratch, the new Fantasy Team mode allows you to choose everything from naming the club to choosing the kit and club badge, deciding the country and division to play in, creating a new stadium and selecting the squad to compete in league and cup competitions.

The new 3D match engine lets you see more clearly than ever how the match is panning out. With enhanced player capabilities, more tactical options and hundreds of new animations, the big match day has never been so realistic or involving. You can even change team or individual players' tactics instantly by shouting from the dugout - literally if you're an Xbox player - as LMA Manager 2004 enables voice control using the Xbox Communicator headset. Codemasters can relax. Even with Championship Manager now available for the Xbox, it's safe to say that LMA remains the 2004 champion (again).

THE CAT IN THE HAT. Publisher: Vivendi Universal. Format: PS2. Price: £29.99. Out: now

IS there an unwritten rule that says every gaming movie tie-in has to be a platformer? Even if there isn't, it seems as though there must be one that says the vast majority of movie tie-ins have to be, well, a bit pants to be honest.

Dreamworks is expecting big things of The Cat In The Hat this year. It's based on the Dr Seuss book of the same name and has a great cast, although the trailer I saw when last at the cinema didn't look too promising.

Reading The Cat In The Hat was a favourite treat when I was a nipper. I never seemed to grow tired of the old story of the wacky cat causing havoc in the American 'burbs; in fact, I used to spend hours just flicking through the book and looking at the terrific illustrations. Given the Cat's pivotal role in my childhood, I was afraid this game would ruin the whole thing for me three-and-a-bit decades later.

No surprises for guessing that it's a platformer aimed at a very young audience (the jewel case says three-year-olds can play and I'd reckon it is probably correct).

The game uses 3D graphics, overlaid on two-dimensional backdrops. This helps improve the graphics but means audiences used to enjoying completely interactive environments will wonder what the heck is going on. Let's remember, though, that Cat is aimed at kids. Younger ones, in particular, will probably find it easier to get to grips with than a full on 3-D romp.

The Cat's crate has been opened and Seussian magic has turned the house inside out. The cat has to restore order before mom gets home. He shoots enemies with bubbles from his umbrella but, as this is strictly for the kids, no one gets hurt - they just find themselves cooped up inside a big bubble. As the Cat you can carry bubbles around, using them to trap other baddies or as a kind of soapy battering ram.

The puzzles are very straightforward (use your umbrella to fly, etc) but the levels look pretty and fans of the book wouldn't feel too short-changed. Sadly, after a couple of levels, more adult gamers (or mum and dad if they have been co-opted to help) will start to notice that each "adventure" is pretty much the same. Only the change of backdrop breaks things up. Jump, float, crash about a bit then head on through to the next level. Seasoned console owners will probably scoff at The Cat In The Hat (I must admit I felt a bit embarrassed playing it) but it does the job for the intended audience.

As a gentle introduction to the delights to be had from video games, I reckon kids could do worse. Adults with nostalgic leanings would be advised to seek out a copy of the original book at the local library instead.

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Published: 19/03/2004