Continuing their relentless urge to simulate every sporting activity under the
sun in as many different ways as possible, D&H have released Cricket Captain
just in time for the beginning of the new season.
Using a verity of text-based menus and reports Cricket Captain offers all
budding Goochies as comprehensive a list of features as you could wish for - and
if you don't believe me take a gander at the back of the cassette box and check
out the long list printed there.
After choosing one of the recognised cricketing counties you are whisked to a
main menu. Here you can scan you team, seeing for yourself just how bad they are
and what an uphill struggle you've got! The selected team, depicted in white,
are listed above a number of reserve players.
Each player has a variety of individual statistics indicating how good/bad he
is. For example, each player is rated for his batting, fielding and bowling skills,
his favourite bowling style and batting shot plus his batting speed.
In addition to this information you will see who has been selected as a bowler
and wicket keeper. You can change the latter before a match or, if he is a real
stinker, transfer him (you will have to pay tax on the sale, though).
Buying players in no problem, if you have the cash. Just ask your scout to look
at a competing team to see who is available. Cash is the sticking point, however.
Income is available, though, from the match played and from the directors' contributions.
Both the JP and CA leagues and cups can be played. During the actual match there
is no 'graphic game', as listed on the back of the cassette inlay, but an animated
scorecard. Each player who bats increases his score until he is out (LBW, stumped,
etc), then the next player is highlighted.
Elsewhere on the card the bowler and
facing batter are listed for each bowl. Injured players can be viewed, too, with
a gauge to how long they will be out of action.
Cricket Captain is a little frustrating. Yes, this is the best (only?) cricket
management game around but it does have its bad points. The manual is crummy.
It does not explain all of the avenues of the game and leaves some abbreviations
to the imagination of the player, no strategies are discussed and no tutorial is offered.
Worse, the game is lacking in presentation and is very slow. However, cricket
buffs should still check out Cricket Captain because there is a game in there
somewhere.
