| Editor's note: This is the
first in a series of articles in which PFW associate editor Jeff Agrest will review and/or
comment on football video games. These articles will appear periodically under "A
Closer Look." From the second your NFL GameDay 2000 finishes loading, you're
hooked.
After a brilliant-looking promotional video featuring interviews and candid shots with
NFL players, GameDay 2000 hits home with highlight montage right out of NFL Films.
"Professional football in America is a special game, a unique game," says the
legendary voice of John Facenda, whose poignant descriptions helped make NFL Films'
programs must-see TV for football fans. Facenda continues his sermon, and GameDay's
players sit riveted, not just by Facenda's voice, but by the pictures they're seeing.
If they weren't already pumped to play GameDay, they are now.
989 Studios, a Sony Computer Entertainment Group company, only last month released NFL
GameDay 2000, another in a long line of successful ventures in football video games. With
each new edition, GameDay continues to improve its look, its feel and realism. It's a
wonder the game can do what it can.
Aside from the esthetically pleasing introduction, the game itself has made many
noticeable improvements from last year's version. Right after kickoff, players will notice
that it's not as easy bringing down a ballcarrier as it was before — nor should it
be. GameDay 2000 brings more realism to tackling, with defenders sometimes needing to drag
a player down from behind or actually lift him off the ground. There's gang-tackling,
shoestring tackling and the chance for ballcarriers to break tackles. The enhancement
makes the game much closer to reality.
Players will also notice the use of network television's "1st-and-10" line.
On every play, a bright yellow line runs across the field, indicating where the first-down
marker lies. It's extremely beneficial to an offense to know exactly where it needs to
reach.
As the game goes on, players will notice a more graphically detailed design. Stadiums
practically look as they do on television, and the players themselves even vary in size
and shape. What's more, the camera movement is better, and the instant-replay function is
much easier to use.
Speaking of instant replays, GameDay introduced a unique effect to its 2000 edition.
Color analyst Phil Simms will at times diagram a player's movement with a telestrator,
which only adds to the game's realism.
GameDay also improves its music and sound quality by using actual artists' songs.
"Taking Care of Business," "Shout," and "Mony, Mony" are
just a few of the tunes played during games.
For those impatient players, GameDay also features commands that will quickly return
teams to the huddle. For those with more time, press another button to watch your player
celebrate a big play.
But aside from all the bells and whistles, GameDay 2000 is a football fan's game. The
game includes more than 1,240 new plays, created by NFL players themselves. There's also
an editor function that allows players to create custom offensive and defensive playbooks.
Players can then work on the plays during a team practice session.
GameDay also improved its player personnel department. In addition to creating and
trading players and signing or releasing free agents, the game allows you to conduct a
six-round rookie draft that can include senior players saved to a memory card from NCAA
GameBreaker 2000. As a total draftnik, this is one of my favorite functions. All of the
above falls under the true-to-life general manager mode, which evaluates your personnel
decisions at the end of a season. If you don't fare well, you could be out of a job,
though you may receive a second chance with another team.
One of the most important aspects of a sports video game is its artificial intelligence
(AI). GameDay 2000 increased its artificial intelligence with the additions of "Read
& Attack" AI and "Pre-Snap" AI. Read & Attack allows an offense to
adjust to a blitz by running a screen pass. Pre-Snap allows a defensive line to shift
right or left to put it in the best position to pressure the quarterback.
Of course, the higher the level you play at, the better the AI. But don't be quick to
think that because a defensive coverage didn't work, the AI is poor. For instance, once I
was playing the Titans vs. the Jaguars at the All-Pro level. The right side of my
Tennessee secondary was torched on three straight possessions, with the defender simply
leaving the receiver wide open.
Though the damage was done, I finally smartened up and adjusted. I realized I was
playing my cornerbacks soft, so I switched to a "corner lock" coverage and all
but shut down the Jaguars' passing game. It didn't hurt that I knocked out Mark Brunell
with an ankle injury and faced Jonathan Quinn for most of the fourth quarter. But you get
my point. Becoming familiar with the game's defensive schemes is half the battle; the
other half is gaining game experience.
Is it easy to understand the basics of GameDay 2000? Yes. But there are plenty of
nuances that may take a while to learn — which is exactly why we play these games.
GameDay 2000 is perfect for any football fan, because it can be used simply as a video
game or as a way of life. From this football analyst, it comes highly recommended.
News from the video game industry
Candystand.com, Lifesavers' free Shockwave gaming destination on the World Wide Web,
invites Internet gamers to take the LifeSavers Field Goal Challenge for a chance to win an
interactive home video game prize package containing Madden NFL 2000, NFL GameDay 2000 and
NFL Xtreme 2000 with a Playstation game console. The contest closes Sept. 30.
Players who go to the site act as placekickers. They can split the uprights as many
times as they can, but they should keep an eye on the wind indicator and watch out for
those wicked crosswinds. The top 75 scorers will be entered into a random drawing for the
prize package.
Candystand.com receives more than 100 million hits per month and houses more than 30
interactive Shockwave games. It has won more than 30 awards for Shockwave gaming
excellence. |
