Total Football Management, alternately titled Bundesliga 97, is the German answer to the soccer simulation game known as the Manager. It had a decent European following in its day, but never really hit it big in western cultures, mainly because the Manager filled the spot nicely. It was developed by Kron Simulation Software and was released, obviously, in the late nineties by Software 2000. It was ported to several formats including the Atari and the Amiga. It can be played as a single player game, which is probably the most popular method and what most people think of when they think of a sports management or simulation game, but it can also be played against up to four other human managers.
This is a fully licensed title, like its counterpart, and the user can look forward to seeing many of his favorite European soccer stars, along with their statistics and authentic team kits in this game. This is an updated version, with the original coming out in the very early nineties. All of the games in the Bundesliga series were touted for their statistical accuracy and authentic game play, and this version is no different. It features all the players and clubs from the English league and the user will begin in Division 3 and will have to use his knowledge of the game and business savvy to build a good team that can eventually work its way to the first division and the
DFB-Pokal, the German league cup.
Total Football Management gives the user a lot of tools to work with. As alluded to above, there are a plethora of players from which to select, if you can afford them. You start out with very little cash, and it has to go towards a great many things from player contracts to improving the stadium so that people will want to attend events, even if your team isn’t number one. As the game progresses and your team becomes more successful, more people will come and you can alter ticket prices.
You are also the manager of the actual team, not just the business manager. You will have to negotiate player contracts and sponsorships. You will also be in charge of the basic tactics of the positions, attack, defend and midfield. You can designate players as passers or shooters and make them more or less aggressive to suit your taste or the talent on the team. Bundesliga offers a variety of choices and you are in charge of them all, so have fun with it!
