ESPN NFL Football

Combine hard-hitting football, a first-person perspective, Chris Berman, and a little bling-bling and you get ESPN NFL Football.

ESPN NFL Football comes roaring out of the tunnel and onto the videogame football field with a vengeance. The game-formerly-known-as-NFL-2K has attitude, energy, and more than a few cool new features. Along with big-time infusion of ESPN Sportscenter personality, you get first-person-view gameplay, a jumbo-jet-load of features, a little bling-bling?oh yes, and great football action, too.

Look, Ma, No Hands
Alright, let?s just get this out of the way: ESPN NFL Football?s First Person View Football feature is a knockout! First of all, you have to appreciate the audacity of this design; that ESPN pulls it off is all the more impressive.

You can play an entire season from this perspective, and the in-the-helmet look-and-feel is excellent. On defense as a linebacker, for instance, the ugly gets nasty as you go facemask-to-facemask with blockers who impede your attack on the ballcarrier. On offense, the ball exchange between quarterback and ballcarriers incorporates nicely tuned "bullet-time" animation to enable you to adjust your field perspective. Slick.

The potential replay value for the game is enormous. Of course, until ESPN has had a full season under its belt, the jury?s out as to whether first-person view is major revolution or a nifty diversion?but it?s very cool.

It?s Still about the Football
That being said, the regular "old" football is pro caliber. For both the Xbox and the PS2 versions the graphics are great. ESPN has the best-looking face models, hands down; the guys actually look like the guys! The body models still retain a sort of long-arm, stiff-hands look, but the animation is generally smooth (despite a few robotic moments) and players display nicely detailed post- and pre-play antics that are so lifelike it?s eerie.

The controls get a major facelift with a traditional playcalling screen that features formations with plays in three windows. The system?s simple to master (read "just like Madden"). Armchair coaches will appreciate the ease with which the interface enables you to manage tactical intricacies including the audible setup that assigns multiple audibles based on each formation. On defense, you can preset defensive backs to always double-up on specific "star" wide receivers, among many other moves.

Online gamers get a "cleaner" game of head-to-head football with both the Xbox and PS2. A major effort has gone into eliminating online cheating this season.

Your Just Rewards
ESPN puts on an entertaining show, too, and headlining the festivities is the new Crib feature. This is basically a virtual bachelor?s pad worthy of any jock millionaire. As in real life, you start out with nothing but a hot tub, but as you accomplish such far-ranging activities as winning games, setting on-field records, or even just exploring ESPN football features, your inventory starts to resemble a Sharper Image catalog. For instance, you get autographed jerseys (with signatures by the pro player of your choice), trophies for your trophy case, and even fun stuff like an air hockey table/mini-game. When you get your high-tech entertainment system, Xbox gamers can keep their ripped tunes on it.

You don?t have to crash at your Crib if you?re a football game purist, but you might want to make an occasional visit because you also get cheats, historic players you can add to your current rosters, and special hidden skills.

If nothing else, ESPN NFL Football earns kudos as a masterful effort. It literally redefines itself within the span of one videogame football season and is a worthy preseason Pro Bowl pick. If this game can?t get you excited about pro football, you must be a Cardinals fan.

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