Legends Football '98 - PC Review - Gamecenter

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Legends Football '98
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 best

CNET Gamecenter Review
By Hugh Falk
(9/23/1997)

Game at a Glance
Recap: A nostalgic trip that's only kinda hip
Ups: Cool retro-isms, play editor, clean interface
Downs: Biased to Gravis controllers, memory hog, slow and somewhat inaccurate season simulation
Multiplayer: Fair
Single player: Good
Demo: Available
Patch: Available
Taking a hint from car manufacturers, the new and improved crop of 1998 PC football games is hitting the shelves in late 1997. (Better this than the Microsoft model, which has Football '95 slated for late 1999.) Last year I reviewed five football games, and it looks like even more will cross my desk in 1998. While the class of '97 wasn't highly regarded, 1998 promises to rectify that with more native Windows 95 games that take advantage of faster processors and 3D graphics cards.
Champion or Wild Card?
With so many titles due before the holidays, each one needs to differentiate itself from the pack to be successful. Most will try offering better graphics or statistical accuracy. Accolade's Legends Football '98 does well in both categories--but not well enough to stand out. Instead, what sets Legends apart is its ability to play teams and leagues of the past. Other games have included famous teams of old (most notably the Madden series), but Legends goes further and includes the entire leagues from 1932, 1950, 1968, and 1997. Players can mix and match teams from different eras; more importantly, they can actually play whole seasons from the classic eras.
When playing the older teams, the old rules apply. So in 1932, for example, passes must be thrown from five yards behind the line of scrimmage; offensive blockers can't extend their arms; and the ball looks more like a basketball than a modern day football. (These rules would make Brett Favre's efficiency rating plummet like Oiler's season ticket sales.) In this respect, Legends is a jewel for any football historian.
1st and 10
For those with no interest in football history, Legends also serves as a good modern day game. The 1997 league is accurate and up-to-date. Accolade even had the forethought to include Tampa Bay's new pewter uniforms, new logo, and new ability to win--just like the real team. Statistically, Legends is better than most. It tracks about 100 different statistics over the course of a season, and includes a draft feature for continuing multiple seasons.

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Legends Football '98

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