THE HUB

OMG!!!

FEATURED MEMBER

elementxstyle

elementxstyle

GP Design shop.

QUICK POLL

Who had the best E3 press conference?

ASK THE PROS

THE GAMEPROS

FREE NEWSLETTERS

Sign up now to receive weekly or daily updates on your favorite games, stories, and more!



Dreamcast | Sports | NFL 2K1 | Review

There is no Boxart for - NFL 2K1
  • GRAPHICS: 5.0
  • SOUND: 4.5
  • CONTROL: 4.5
  • FUN FACTOR 5.0
  • AVG USER SCORE 5.0
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 5.0
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Review: NFL 2K1

Review by cheatmonkey | 11/24/2000 | 14:47:41 PM PST

Sega's NFL powerhouse returns for a second run at the videogame Superbowl. NFL 2K1 is pumped up and ready for the Dreamcast gridiron.

Sega and Visual Concepts are back in full force this fall with NFL 2K1, the latest football sim to grace the Dreamcast. With last year's NFL 2K, Sega set a new standard for football sims, and while NFL 2K did have some glitches, this year's season starts with a clean slate.

Second And Long
The interface for this year's game is much the same as last year's, so veterans will be familiar with the menu navigation. There are a few returning options as well as a few new ones. First, Sega is offering online play for NFL 2K1 as well as providing downloadable updated rosters. New to this year's version is a full draft, as well as a Franchise mode that lets you take your favorite team (or a fantasy draft team) to the Superbowl. If you want to call the plays but not make them, the solid Coaching Mode lets you stand on the sidelines and relay plays to the quarterback. Of course, half the fun of a football game is getting dirty on the field.

On the field, the gameplay has remained strong. While last year's offensive game was much more pass oriented, the running game has been given a good tweaking with some great juke moves. Your linemen also do a good job of blowing open holes and providing outside run coverage. When you have the ball and you're running downfield, the special moves like stiff arms, spins, and jukes work a bit too well against defenders, but the speed burst seems a bit toned down from last year. When you go to the air, AI receiver coverage is very tight, and defensive backs can close on the receiver once a pass is thrown and smother the ball before it reaches the target. The Maximum Passing option is a good counter to this, allowing you to over- or under-throw the ball to sneak it through coverage.

Play By Playbook
The plays in various teams' playbooks offer a good selection, and you can create your own in the play editor. AI teammates do a good job of covering their play assignments, and they'll even make big plays without you in control. Of course, they're also prone to mess up, but that makes the game more realistic. On kick returns in particular, some teammates would ignore a defender closing in fast and opt to block a less threatening player.

The graphics have been given a medium makeover that adds some nice touches. New player animations round out the game with trips and stumbles and jukes. The field shows wear as the game progresses, people on the sidelines are more defined, and the stadiums look sharper. NFL 2K1 can't be touched as far as graphics are concerned; it's by far the best looking console football game on the planet.

Championship Material
Football fans looking for a realistic videogame should look no further. NFL 2K1 stands helmet and shoulderpads above the rest, which is easy to do since it's the only new Dreamcast football game available. With improvements made over the already incredible NFL 2K, this year's NFL game on the Dreamcast is all a football fan could wish for.