NFL Football, the video game, got its start in the coin operated arcades and was originally created by Konami, Incorporated. This version for the personal computer is a great and faithful adaptation of the original sports game. This version, also released for the Atari, was developed by Aph Technological Consulting and was released for play by Mattel Electronics in the late seventies. It is a fully licensed title and does offer the user some real NFL football teams to deal with. There are a total of thirty teams, which reflects an accurate number according to the game’s release date.
While NFL Football is very fun, it is not a hardcore or serious simulation game. There are plenty of realistic elements that reflect play in the league, but there are also a number of not-so-realistic features that really don’t detract from the play of the game, unless the user is a hardcore and serious simulator. An example would be the fact that there are only five players on the field for each team during any given play. That makes the total number of players on the field less than what should be present to represent just a single team…if the rules were being followed. While this is not realistic, it makes for superior simplicity and ease of play.
The game play itself strikes a nice
balance between player and manager. While the user does have to make all of the play calling and coaching decisions, the game also features a lot of action in a side scrolling screen. The user dictates the action, then participates in it. The game is made up of four quarters, each fifteen minutes in length, just like an actual NFL football game. The user can select from four distinct difficulty levels: high school, college, semi professional, and professional. There are only nine basic offensive plays to call, and some include punting and kicking field goals as well as passing and running. Choosing and executing plays is timed, another realistic reflection of league play. The user is able to simply practice, play a preseason game, work through a regular season, and possibly play in the Super Bowl.
NFL Football is a nice arcade remake. It is not nearly as complex as more modern player/manager games, or even as much as many from its own generation. However, its beauty is in its simplicity and it will provide a lot of fun in a short time, just because it is so easy to learn.
