The game begins with little in the way of fanfare - no intro, no animation, no welcome screen, merely a menu setting the tone for the rest of the game. Pure and simple. From here an existing game can be continued or a new game can be created. In the latter case a team to manage is selected from one of several national league associations before easing into the game with some pre-season friendlies. There is a vast array of teams to choose from and as with most of the in-game data SI have really done their homework. The option exists of choosing a team from the lower levels and building them up into a formidable force, rising through the leagues in the process or picking a club from the upper echelons of the leagues - a team with greater resources, better players but then of course tougher opposition and higher expectations. The more mercenary players can also opt to start off at a lower league club and move up the leagues from club to club via the up-and-coming young manager route.

The array of options and stats right from the outset is both impressive and yet potentially bewildering for the FM newcomer. Pouring over player profiles, squad selection, picking formations, player positions, transfers, player contracts, customizing training options, team tactics, player tactics and analysing the opposing team can all leave one feeling overwhelmed. Much has been thought of, so much so in fact that it can perhaps be considered an own goal that no tutorial mode is provided to lead the new player gracefully into the game especially considering the sparsely detailed (and sometimes comically incorrect) manual. For instance, according to these instructions selecting the 'Cross Ball - Yes' option means that 'your player will not attempt many crosses with the ball'. And nowhere does it spell out precisely what abbreviations such as ref, agg and pos mean (reflexes, aggression and positioning) and their effect upon the player. Whilst one can make reasonable and probably valid assumptions as to what they imply (or head to the full player profile where the complete attribute names are spelt out), for a primarily stat-based game where these factors are the core game mechanic a lack of a clear description and their implications is a severe oversight.

The game itself is controlled via a relatively simple menu system. A tree menu on the left provides all the actions for the current screen (as well as a home button to return to the top level) and an action bar at the bottom indicates what the PSP's face buttons will do when an object (i.e. a team or a player) is highlighted. Most screens are displayed in a table-like format and most objects are selectable, meaning that clicking on them will switch to the most appropriate screen for that object. This system sounds fine in principle and is pragmatic but in practice is not without its annoyances. It is generally accepted that games nowadays have some level of to-ing and fro-ing (go to A, get the key, go to B, use the key...) and FM is no exception. Its to-ing and fro-ing though is based on navigating backwards and forwards through screens and menus in order to decide upon things like team selection, formation and other tactics simply because all the information needed is not visible on a single screen. The PSP's shoulder buttons have been utilised to help alleviate this, acting in a similar way as the forward and back buttons in web browsers but this does not address the core of the problem. Whilst it could be argued that this hindrance is due to the limited screen space available, a better, simpler or more customisable interface prevents this part - the meat and bones of the game - from being totally trouble-free.

The actual matches themselves are displayed via dynamic statistic screens. Those hoping for at least a Spectrum-esque level of graphical detail and excitement, with visual representations highlighting the goalmouth action are in for a disappointment. No, instead we have taken a step further back in time to pure text commentary with some bar charts displaying who has superiority in each third of the field. Why no extra graphical detail? Even 2D static images of goalmouth action, red and yellow cards, penalty kicks, stadiums and crowds would be a welcome addition. The situation is similar with regard to the audio. There is only one sound effect in the entire game - a click when navigating around the on-screen menu. Why no crowd cheers and chants? No ref whistles? No theme tune? No background music?

FM's great strength though lies in its extensive amount of stats and its level of detail. Authentic teams, player names and managers all helps with becoming immersed in the game. Knowing that you will be pitting your wits against Alex Ferguson and Manchester United in the FA Cup is much more of an incentive then playing against Jon Smith and his North West Red City team.

What can be said in FM's defense and no doubt what the purists will argue is that FM is a game that sticks to its roots. What it does, it does well but it just doesn't exert itself by trying to attract a new crowd and expanding upon its solid base. As all the top managers know, the best form of defence is offence yet it is in attack where FM lets itself down. To use a well-worn phrase, you will only get out of this title what you put in but it is questionable whether it does enough to encourage all but the most die-hard or long-time FM player to continue. The end of the manual alludes to 'bonus gameplay features that are unlockable based on user achievement' before confidently finishing with the line 'Are you good enough to have discovered them?'. Just like in football though, it's not solely a question of being good enough but also being committed enough.

So, on to the post-game round-up. If you are a regular FM devotee or like football sims and don't want much else from a game, then you can't go wrong with FM Handheld. But for the majority of gamers, this is a title likely to leave them a little cold. There's room here for SI to improve upon and so to next season it is then, when the inevitable sequel will appear with hopefully some new signings to push the brand on from its comfort zone and into the upper reaches of the league.