Given the success of NBA Street it was only a matter of time
before EA Sports took the street concept to its ship sport,
football. And even though there really is no such thing as street
football, the concept is a winner. Straight up smash mouth
football with no penalties and no clock--just the ball, the
field, seven vs. seven playing offense and defense, all for the
glory of the game? Boom! Wap!
The game licenses all the NFL teams and some 100 big-league
players. The characters models are exaggerated, so don't expect
likenesses to be exact, but it's fun taking a bunch of current
Packer greats and stuffing the rock down the throats of seven
Rams. Game modes let you choose players from single teams or
create your own pro , and there is a nice assortment of QBs,
RBs, corners, WRs, tight ends, and O and D-linemen. There's a lot
of strategy in picking your team. Sure, running backs and
quarterbacks are givens, but a corner can intercept better than a
wide receiver though he won't catch as well. A big offensive
lineman can be useful, but he doesn't tackle well when forced to
play defense. When playing two-player, you can really stack your
line and shut down the enemy passing or running attack, or go for
a balanced corp.
You can play a ladder or league by creating your own team, which
is annoyingly time consuming. An option to draft your own NFL
stars and go through would be nice, instead you have to pick a
cadre of nobodies and fill out their stats. Pick a name, a logo,
and try to beat the pros with your average Joes. Winning gives
you points and you can upgrade from there. It's a nice option but
only for the hardcore players; casual players are effectively
shut out from continuing play because of it.
EA hired "street" artists to design wonderful load screens, but
this makes the player models look dull by comparison. One wishes
they had used cel shading and that street look to the characters,
but instead we get freakish players that generally look the same.
Uninspired, un-intimidating, and, frankly, boring.
The gameplay works. There's a nice assortment of offensive,
defensive, and trick plays. There are no special teams, no
punting, and extra points are two points for a pass, one for a
run. Mastering the buttons is key because the game rewards style,
impressive plays, and more. Gathering these points opens new
playing fields and, if you like, can be a victory option. The
computer is programmed to catch up when behind, annoyingly so, so
this is more of a blast against a human nent. The fast action
and brutal hits are reminiscent of NFL Blitz (which is a better
game) but EA Big has started something here. Next year this could
be really big. --Andrew S. Bub --this text refers to the
PlayStation2 version of the game
- Show your skills on offense and defense with the big jukes -- -crushing tackles, pitches and a wealth of showboat moves.
- Create a new player or design your whole team -- hundreds of options for clothing, accessories and logos.
- Multiple gameplay modes - Bulldoze through 31 teams while building the ultimate team.
- Go online and play coast-to-coast -- try to rule the streets of America.
- Multiplayer Competition - Cooperative gameplay or head-to-head action with up to four friends.