35. Championship Manager 97/98
I'm expecting some confused Americans with this one, but as I put countless hours into this game when I was younger, it deserves a place in my list. For those confused Americans, this game was about picking a team, and managing them to hopeful success. You didn't play the actual games, you watched it unfold via text commentary. It doesn't sound like much, but it had an addictive effect on me.
This was the game before Championship Manager 3, which I consider to be the start of a decline in the series, a decline that ultimately led me to giving the series up completely. This was the last game before it started to get too in depth. I didn't want to manage reserve teams, or youth squads, or worry about training schedules. I just wanted it simple, pick a team, send them out, and buy/sell players, and that's what this game was all about. With that simple system I was drawn in and could easily spend an entire day playing this. My team of choice was PSV Eindhoven, I won the Dutch league every season, and the Champions League about 12 times.
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