It’s an unwritten rule that sports games now have to be updated every year, which is obviously to do with publishers being so generous, and nothing at all to do with greed. Well, it was an unwritten rule. It would be safe to assume that Football Manager Handheld 2010, the successor to FMH 2009 and almost definitely the predecessor to FMH 2011, would just be last year’s game with some tinkering behind the scenes and a new lick of paint. The good news is that Sports Interactive’s tinkering and redecorating are enough to make this the best handheld FM yet.

Despite sacrificing some of its complexity to fit on the PSP, FMH 2010 is basically business as usual for a management sim, cramming in most of the key features of the series. Players take charge of running a football team, making decisions on everything from formations and tactics to transfers and training schedules. Instead of adding new features this year, SI have focused on refining the core gameplay. The user interface works intuitively, with the L and R buttons used to go back and forth through pages, the start button to continue and a flick of the analogue to move to the top and the bottom of the menus. With navigating so simple it’s easier to focus on the management itself, which has been subtlety improved rather than overhauled.

Assistant managers, coaches and scouts are now more involved in the game, available to help guide you with their reports. They are a welcome helping hand when looking to improve your squad, make transfer decisions and assess player prospects. The match engine and AI are as impressively authentic as ever. Matches play out believably and players behave and perform realistically on the pitch. There are the usual occasional jarring moments that shatter the illusion, particularly in transfer activity, such as Ibrahimovic declaring he wants to leave Barcelona to go to a ‘big club’.

For all that it manages to fit in, the game is still relatively shallow compared to the PC version, with a much smaller player database. The main areas of management that haven’t made it into the game are team talks and media interaction. While undoubtedly a big part of the job and their inclusion would have made for a more in depth simulation, they are features that haven’t really worked that well in the series and their absence doesn’t take away much from the enjoyment of the game.

Off the pitch, FMH 2010 looks tidier and a little easier on the eye than in previous years thanks to a smarter colour scheme and a simplified layout that suits the PSP’s screen. Disappointingly though, the presentation during matches is one of the games weakest points. We’re still perfectly happy with one less D than the 3D match engine of FM 2010, but it’s not even possible to watch whole matches in the 2D view, only the highlights. The majority of the play is covered by the commentary, which still manages to capture the excitement of a game, but can’t quite make up for the lack of on pitch action.

The match atmosphere also isn’t helped by the lack of sound during games. Though obviously not essential, it’s a shame if these are the corners that need to be cut to get the game on the PSP, as the crowd reactions would really have helped liven up the experience.

At the End of the Day...

It’s FM, it’s good and you can play it at work if you’re sneaky enough. FMH 2010 is out now on PSP.