O'Leary Manager 2000
Encyclopedia
O'Leary Manager 2000 is a football
player-manager game released in 2000
for the Game Boy Color
. The player can choose whether they want to focus on the management side of football, play the matches themselves on the game's 2D match engine, or combine the two features for a more in-depth experience. It is endorsed by Irish
football manager David O'Leary
, who was managing Leeds United A.F.C.
at the time of the game's release.
, France
, Italy
, Spain
, Germany
and the Netherlands
to play as or manage.
As with any football management game, the transfer market
can often play a key role in whether the team achieves success. The player's selected team starts with either 10.5m or 5.5m to spend, depending on whether they were in the first or second tier of their country's football hierarchy. The player can also recoup some money by selling players to other teams. This is done by first offering the footballer for sale at a chosen price, from which interested clubs would then place offers that the player could choose to accept or not. Once a price is agreed, the footballer transfers clubs instantly. The values of footballers alternate greatly during the game, with the then Real Betis
striker Denílson
being the most expensive player at the start of the game. An unfortunate bug
in the game allows the player to gain a huge sum of money (around 70m) if the club goes into a certain amount of debt, which pretty much negates the need for financial planning.
The club's board of directors
constantly give assessments as to how they think the club is progressing under your management. This involves a short statement visible at the menu screen. Other features available the menu screen include options to change you team line-up, formation and tactics; all vital when creating a successful team.
Similarly, you can decide what methods of training
your team will undertake for the coming week. You have the option to "do training", which generally increase the statistics of your players (but at the risk of injuring them) or to concentrate on fitness
training (which helps players stay fit and injured players to recover quicker). Alternatively, you may choose to skip training entirely for the week. You also have the option to view various statistics, such as league tables from around the world, top goalscorers and to view the squads of all available teams on the game.
; offering a 2D
, top-down perspective on the match. It has been praised for this style, as it values successful gameplay
more than impressive graphics
.
It is relatively simple to play, with the D-pad
used for moving your selected player, and the "A" and "B" buttons used to shoot and pass respectively. Holding the button down will increase shot power, but will decrease accuracy. You can also apply curl to the ball by pressing left or right on the D-pad after the ball is hit. Pressing the "start" button will allow you to view a short reply of the previous action, which you can toggle between slow motion
and real-time
match speed by pressing the "select" button. Pressing the "select" button in open play will pause the game and display the menu, allowing you to change your tactics (formation, playing style etc.), make substitutions or to exit the match entirely and return to the default menu screen.
Bugs
A known bug with the game was that Walsall would take over every team in the game including the player's own team. All the matches after that would have scores for both teams ranging from 20 to 40 e.g. Walsall 32 - 31 Walsall. They won every competition and were relegated several times. However the game naturally restored itself after affected seasons.
), where around 20-24 teams will compete through the year to gain the highest points total possible; therefore gaining the highest league position. Domestic cup competitions feature heavily as well, with teams from both leagues of your selected country competing in a knock-out competition. If your team achieves a high league position, they will enter European competitions. The top teams will enter the UEFA Champions League
with a select number of teams below them entering the UEFA Cup
.
Although the cup competitions in O'Leary Manager 2000 are not officially licensed (i.e. "Domestic Cup" instead of "FA Cup
and "Euro Cup" instead of "UEFA Champions League"), they follow the same rules and structure of the competitions they represent.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player-manager game released in 2000
2000 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and table-top role-playing games published in 2000. For video and console games, see 2000 in video gaming.-Significant games-related events in 2000:...
for the Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
. The player can choose whether they want to focus on the management side of football, play the matches themselves on the game's 2D match engine, or combine the two features for a more in-depth experience. It is endorsed by Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
football manager David O'Leary
David O'Leary
David Anthony O'Leary is an Irish football manager and former player. His managerial career began at Leeds United and later he managed Aston Villa. He most recently worked as the manager of Al-Ahli Dubai...
, who was managing Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
at the time of the game's release.
Overview
The player can choose from 240 fully licensed teams from the top two leagues in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
to play as or manage.
Management
The management side of O'Leary Manager 2000 is very comprehensive when compared to similar Game Boy Color games, with each team having 16 players in their squad and the option to promote a number of fictional youth team players. However, most of the youth team players are of low ability, so could only realistically be used for back-up when managing a decent quality team.As with any football management game, the transfer market
Transfer market
The Transfer market and Transfer list are common slang terms for the virtual arena in which football players are available for transfer to clubs.- Transfer market :...
can often play a key role in whether the team achieves success. The player's selected team starts with either 10.5m or 5.5m to spend, depending on whether they were in the first or second tier of their country's football hierarchy. The player can also recoup some money by selling players to other teams. This is done by first offering the footballer for sale at a chosen price, from which interested clubs would then place offers that the player could choose to accept or not. Once a price is agreed, the footballer transfers clubs instantly. The values of footballers alternate greatly during the game, with the then Real Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
striker Denílson
Denílson de Oliveira Araújo
Denílson de Oliveira Araújo , commonly known as Denílson, is a Brazilian former footballer, who played mostly as a left winger...
being the most expensive player at the start of the game. An unfortunate bug
Software bug
A software bug is the common term used to describe an error, flaw, mistake, failure, or fault in a computer program or system that produces an incorrect or unexpected result, or causes it to behave in unintended ways. Most bugs arise from mistakes and errors made by people in either a program's...
in the game allows the player to gain a huge sum of money (around 70m) if the club goes into a certain amount of debt, which pretty much negates the need for financial planning.
The club's board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
constantly give assessments as to how they think the club is progressing under your management. This involves a short statement visible at the menu screen. Other features available the menu screen include options to change you team line-up, formation and tactics; all vital when creating a successful team.
Similarly, you can decide what methods of training
Training
The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
your team will undertake for the coming week. You have the option to "do training", which generally increase the statistics of your players (but at the risk of injuring them) or to concentrate on fitness
Physical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
training (which helps players stay fit and injured players to recover quicker). Alternatively, you may choose to skip training entirely for the week. You also have the option to view various statistics, such as league tables from around the world, top goalscorers and to view the squads of all available teams on the game.
Playing
The playing side of the game is similar in style to Sensible Soccer and Kick OffKick Off
The Kick Off franchise is a series of football simulation computer games which was highly popular in the early 1990s. The series is renowned for its fast-paced action and delicate ball control scheme....
; offering a 2D
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
, top-down perspective on the match. It has been praised for this style, as it values successful gameplay
Gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
more than impressive graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
.
It is relatively simple to play, with the D-pad
D-pad
A D-pad is a flat, usually thumb-operated directional control with one button on each point, found on nearly all modern video game console gamepads, game controllers, on the remote control units of some television and DVD players, and smart phones...
used for moving your selected player, and the "A" and "B" buttons used to shoot and pass respectively. Holding the button down will increase shot power, but will decrease accuracy. You can also apply curl to the ball by pressing left or right on the D-pad after the ball is hit. Pressing the "start" button will allow you to view a short reply of the previous action, which you can toggle between slow motion
Slow motion
Slow motion is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger....
and real-time
Real-time (media)
Real time within the media is a method of narratology wherein events are portrayed at the same rate that the audience experiences them. For example, if a movie told in real-time is two hours long, then the plot of that movie covers two hours of fictional time...
match speed by pressing the "select" button. Pressing the "select" button in open play will pause the game and display the menu, allowing you to change your tactics (formation, playing style etc.), make substitutions or to exit the match entirely and return to the default menu screen.
Bugs
A known bug with the game was that Walsall would take over every team in the game including the player's own team. All the matches after that would have scores for both teams ranging from 20 to 40 e.g. Walsall 32 - 31 Walsall. They won every competition and were relegated several times. However the game naturally restored itself after affected seasons.
Competitions
In both player and manager roles, your chosen teams will participate in a number of competitions. This includes your domestic league (e.g. La LigaLa Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
), where around 20-24 teams will compete through the year to gain the highest points total possible; therefore gaining the highest league position. Domestic cup competitions feature heavily as well, with teams from both leagues of your selected country competing in a knock-out competition. If your team achieves a high league position, they will enter European competitions. The top teams will enter the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
with a select number of teams below them entering the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
.
Although the cup competitions in O'Leary Manager 2000 are not officially licensed (i.e. "Domestic Cup" instead of "FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and "Euro Cup" instead of "UEFA Champions League"), they follow the same rules and structure of the competitions they represent.