Premier Manager 3 - Deluxe

About a year later my appetite was to be dangled over the freshwater lake that is Premier Manager 2. Although underneath the same game existed, it featured some superb match sequences and generally it had been polished off graphically. I didn't spend as long on the second version, mainly because I'd seen it all before and it was just too damn hard. I managed to take Halifax Town to Division 2 when I was offered a job at my local side Stockport County and from then on I failed miserably. When Premier Manager 3 came along I knew that if anyone could strike up the perfect game then it had to be Gremlin.

So what exactly is Premier Manager 3 Deluxe? Well, it's a like a luxury version of Premier Manager 3 because it comes with the much fabled Multi Edit System which allows you to alter everything in the game, be it team names, player names, ratings, league structures - the lot. Also, the actual editor has been around for some time but only now have they decided to bundle it in with the full package.

I think a Premier Manager 4 version of the game isn't the answer because surely Gremlin would be pretty hard pushed to find completely new ways of presenting the same football simulation. Consequently, I think the right idea was updating all the information and re-releasing it, so if you haven't already got it you can buy the whole updated game, although if you already have it you could invest in the Multi Edit System and update it yourself - if you have the time.

There are no additions to the actual management side itself - the new 95/96 teams are the only addition. For instance, you will now find Juninho at Middlesbrough, Asprilla at Newcastle, McAteer at Liverpool, and all the updated league structures and rules. On your substitution bench you can have three outfield players and sacrifice the goalkeeper entirely from the team, therefore if your keeper gets injured or has to take an early bath you will have no other choice than to stick an outfield player in goal. Considering how well Steve Nicol did for Sheffield Wednesday and Vinny Jones for Wimbledon, I wouldn't bother.

The Multi Edit System is based along the same lines as the actual game. The icons appear at the foot of the screen and you can cycle forward and backward through the various values by the left and right mouse buttons. In all you can edit the teams, managers, kits, players, ratings, ground capacities, ticket prices, ground name, safety ratings, and league tables, and you can even edit how long you'll be out for a broken arm. You can also edit your start position so you don't have to begin your career in the conference - you can zip straight to the top in the Premier League.

The whole system is really easy, efficient and user friendly because you can swap players. Usually in editors you have to enter all the new data via the keyboard which would take absolutely years, although in PM3 MES two teams appear on screen and you can select with the left mouse button and swap with the right. It's that simple. If you can navigate the actual menus in the game you'll be able to update the information.

Right, I am going to award this game on the merits of the package itself, not as a sequel to the original Premier Manager 3 because it's no different. Do not buy this whatever you do if you already own Premier Manager 3. Otherwise go out and buy one today!