Product description
-------------------
IT'S GUT CHECK TIME: WILL YOU CRUSH YOUR NFL 2K
NENTS OR BE THEIR TACKLING DUMMY?
FEATURES:
- Over 1,500 motion-captured moves
- Physics-based 3D collisions
- VMU to call your plays and keep your nent guessing
- Amazing player-specific detail
- The most complete voice-over ever in a sports video game
- All 31 stadiums accurately modeled in true 3D
- Detailed stat tracking, player trading, team-specific
playbooks, fantasy draft, play editor and more!
This item is complete and includes game, game case and manual.
There is minimal wear to the labels or manual. Bonus downloadable
content may have already been redeemed. Game carts and disc are
professionally cleaned or resurfaced. This item, while
pre-played, is an excellent addition to your game collection. It
will also be a good playable piece.
.com
----
Armchair quarterbacks and wannabe coaches will love
Sega's NFL 2K, unarguably one of the best-looking sports video
games ever made. Realistic plays are perfectly matched with
equally realistic graphics--a sharp contrast to the hyperactive
arcade qualities of NFL Blitz 2000 (
/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000K1VG/%24%7B0%7D ). Not only are the
players more detailed and lifelike than in any other game we've
played, but their smooth moves and impressive array of animations
make it hard to remember you're actually playing a game and not
watching one on TV. You can even see the breath of each
individual player during cold-weather games.
NFL 2K also features a full-league fantasy draft, a tutorial
mode, extensive game and season statistics, and excellent play
and player creation options. Even its play-by-play and color
commentary surpass other games on the market. All 31 NFL teams
are included as are most of the real players, though each team
does have a few generic guys with names like "Seahawks WR." Not
surprisingly, some offseason transactions are not reflected in
this game--namely, the Barry Sanders situation in Detroit. But
he's in this game, so fire up NFL 2K and see Barry run again.
Better yet, create a custom player designed to fit your style and
sign him to your favorite team's roster.
NFL 2K does not make any special use of the optional Visual
Memory Unit, apart from saving your game and roster data. In
fact, if this game has a flaw, it's that a single saved game
fills up nearly an entire VMU. So if you want to save your game
info in NFL 2K but don't want to save over other saved games, you
will need another VMU.
If you have even a passing interest in football, this is a
must-buy, since it is clearly the new standard by which all
future football--and other sports--video games will be judged.
--Michael Ryan
Pros:
* Outstanding lifelike graphics and player animations
* Excellent play-calling interface
* Easy to learn and play, even for novices
Cons:* Saved games take up too much memory on VMU
P.when('A').execute(function(A) {
A.on('a:expander:toggle_description:toggle:collapse',
function(data) {
window.scroll(0,
data.expander.$expander[0].offsetTop-100);
});
});
Review
------
For anyone who hasn't actually seen the game on a TV
right in front of them, the screens look too good to be true.
In fact, when you see NFL 2K for the first time right in front of
you, they still looks too good to be true. Even when you have the
controller in your hands and you're playing the game, you still
shake your head in disbelief play after play. That's how good NFL
2K looks, plays, and sounds.
The game has the full NFL license, including all teams, players,
and several modes of play: practice, tournament, season, fantasy,
exhibition, and playoffs. There's even a tutorial mode for
beginners that lets you play with help windows that explain the
controls and various things to help you get started. Also
included is the now-standard create-a-player mode. NFL 2K's is
fairly in-depth and lets you change a player's height and weight,
as well as add minor touches like elbow pads and nasal strips.
You can also create your own offensive and defensive plays and
customize your own playbook. You can pick the onscreen, which is
fine when you're playing a one-player game, but the way to go
when you're playing multiplayer is with the VMU play calling. You
can pick the plays by looking at the VMU screen in your
controller, making it impossible for your nent to know what
play you called.
Any die-hard football video-game fan knows that a football game's
graphics, features, and extras only go so far. When it comes down
to it, a game is totally about the control and AI. NFL 2K
delivers both, with precise analog control and an easy, intuitive
button layout. It really lets you play the game of football
instead of worrying about complex controller and button
combinations.
The controls are great. The analog stick lets you move players
where you want, when you want, and at the speed you want. It's so
awesome when you barely press on the stick before a play and see
your linebacker creep up toward the line just a little bit and
then bust into a full sprint as you press the stick all the way
just as the ball is snapped. Aside from the precise movements of
the players, you can also pass the ball precisely where you want
it by using what the game calls Maximum Passing. It's similar to
NFL Gameday's Total Control Passing in that you can throw the
ball out in front, to the left, to the right, and behind your
receiver. This of course lets you throw the ball in the direction
your receiver is most likely to catch it, while at the same time
it keeps the ball away from pesky defenders. You do this by
simply pushing the analog stick in the direction you want the
ball to go (the farther you press, the farther in that direction
the ball will go), and then push the appropriate button for the
receiver you wish to throw to. This Maximum Passing feature isn't
necessary for you to play, but the level of control that it
allows you to have is so great that once you get used to it
you'll realize it's the only way to play.
The computer AI has always been a huge issue for football-game
fanatics; money plays that always work combined with a
one-dimensional computer defense and offense can quickly ruin the
fun you find in every play. NFL 2K has an unbalanced set of teams
that accurately depicts the action in the NFL in that some teams
can pass, run, and defend better than others. Some teams allow
you can air the ball up against them and they won't be able to do
anything, while other teams have great cornerbacks that will
intercept the ball or break up passes nearly every time you go to
the air. The Dallas Cowboys run the ball extremely well, while
the 49ers have a great passing game. Its just like the real NFL
in that you'll have incredibly close games that come down to the
wire, and in other games you'll have boring blowouts. The only
modifier to this is the option the game gives you to choose
between the three difficulty settings, Rookie, Pro, and All-Pro.
Rookie is the default setting, and it's outlined at the start of
the game as a super-easy mode that allows you to get the controls
down. Once you start to manhandle the computer on that setting,
you can bump it up to pro and really start to learn. All-Pro is
hard. Those games will swing one way or the other, but they'll
usually swing in the computer's favor. You really have to know
what plays to call, and when to call them, or the computer will
roll you. In either event, the computer is extremely intelligent
- when the computer is down on points and time is running low, it
spikes the ball to stop the clock when it doesn't have anymore
time-outs, and it plays without huddling. The computer moves its
players away from the ball when the punt is within ten yards of
its own goal, and toward the end of the game it kills the clock
when it's in the lead by taking a knee and letting the play clock
just about reach zero. It's awesome.
Visually, NFL 2K is incredible. This level of visual detail in a
sports game is unprecedented - you can see the players' hands
reach out and grab the ball. Heck, you can see the laces on the
ball and the holes in the jerseys. The players resemble their
real-life counterparts and move realistically, thanks to the more
than 1,500 motion-captured animations with multiple animations
for tackling, catching, and falling. This makes every play and
collision look as it should, instead of just some random
animation. Players put their arms out in front of themselves when
falling, and they react realistically to multiple hits.
Additionally, the collision detection of the players - whether
they are on the ground or battling for control of the ball in
midair - is outstanding. Not only do the players look great, but
sideline spectators and photographers - although composed of only
2D sprites - add a nice effect and mood to the stadium. Each
field is modeled after the real one, and each comes complete with
team specific signs and slogans. For instance, you'll see a sign
hanging that reads Forever Young when playing in San Francisco.
Besides its obvious visual quality, the sound, music, and
commentary really add to the game's incredible presentation. The
announcers, stadium music, crowd, player grunts, and groans sound
equally realistic. Numerous announcers call the play-by-play
action, provide color commentary, and even give reports from the
field about the injured players and coaching strategy. The
quality of the announcers is really quite extraordinary, not only
because of the announcers' super-fast reaction time, but also
because of its diversity and flavor. You hear them banter back
and forth about individual players and their performance.
With NFL 2K's incredible control, you feel as though you're down
on the field with the NFL's finest. It's got graphics that look
great and move flawlessly, and sound that makes you feel as
though you're on the bottom of the pile during the action and
sitting on the couch when watching replays. NFL 2K is a truly
amazing football game that is nearly flawless in every regard. If
you're a football video-game fan, NFL 2K is reason enough to buy
a Dreamcast. --Ryan Mac Donald
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction
in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written
permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot
logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc. -- GameSpot Review
See more ( javascript:void(0) )