New Star Soccer (iOS, Android)
I've written about New Star Soccer several times over the years. It's an engaging and quirky soccer career simulator that has a dedicated following.I'm a member of that dedicated following, because it's my favorite career simulator in a sports game (all right, NHL is above it, but their budget is also 1000X the budget of this game, at least). If you want to be a manager, Football Manager is fantastic, but if you want to be a player, New Star is the franchise to enjoy.
Plus, there's a Grand Theft Auto (without the theft and the killing, obviously) element to New Star that is incredibly appealing. In addition to playing the games, you manage your entire life off the pitch. Which includes buying all kinds of things, going to the casino or racetrack, and managing relationships.
In short: it's a hell of a lot of fun.
So I was quite surprised when grumpy old bastard Dan Clarke let me know that there's now a version out for both iOS and Android, and even cooler, you can try it in an emulator here.
The gameplay is slightly different from the PC version. Instead of playing full games, you're given specific situations where you have a play to make. These moments play out in real time, but once the situation is concluded, the game continues and you're given an in-match summary until the next time you're involved.
It works surprisingly well, and also enables you to move through games more quickly. And the controls translate to the tablet without a hitch. It's quite addictive, so once you start a career, you won't want to stop.
The only feature I miss is horse racing, because you can bet on the horses in the PC game. It's a small price to pay, though, for the convenience of being able to play in the car while I wait for Eli 10.8 to get out of school.
There is no closing summary. Instead, this post drifts suddenly off into the distance.
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