NFL GameDay 99 - PC Review - Gamecenter

Free Email

Search

Chase Platinum Credit Card

CNET: Gamecenter: PC

Reviews

NFL GameDay 99
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 best

CNET Gamecenter Review
By Hugh Falk
(9/24/1998)

Game at a Glance
Recap: Football with good arcade action
Ups: Graphics and gameplay shine
Downs: Can't save a game; timing of commentary is off
Multiplayer: Good
Single player: Good
Demo: N/A
Patch: N/A
There are two things on the NFL GameDay 99 box that I haven't seen before. The first is the "99" in the game's title. Sure, I've reviewed lots of '98s and '97s, but this is my first '99. Even though it's still 1998, I'm psyched about the new season, so tonight I'm gonna review like it's 1999. (Please send complaints to the reviewer formerly known as Hugh Falk.) The second thing I haven't seen on a football game box before is the phrase "3D accelerator required." Actually I saw it once before...in a dream. I'm no Nostradamus, but I hope this is a sign of what's to come.
Graphics are GD99's biggest strength. Those who have played Quarterback Club on the N64 might disagree, but GD99 is a real looker for a PC football game. The PC finally has a true 3D game. Of course, 3D raises the system requirements a notch, but the graphics are scalable so that lower-end PCs (with a 3D card) can still work. For those with a true muscle PC, the players will look better than any previous football game. The multiple camera angles and replay features are standard fare, but they are well done. Unfortunately, the 3D doesn't help other parts of the game. Fans in the stands look as flat as I've come to expect, and the on-field team logos are actually worse than what's found in many other games. Still, you'll spend most of your time looking at the players, and their motion-captured moves are spot on.
Imitation of Life
The sound doesn't imitate life as well as the players do. Dick Enberg and Phil Simms call the play-by-play and make some interesting comments. However, their timing often doesn't match gameplay. For example, they'll say how poorly the offensive line is doing during a drive NFL GameDay 99 that has 50 yards on the ground. The commentary also gets repetitive quickly, so I tended to turn it off. Nevertheless, the sound quality is good, and player names are generally injected into sentences without the usual stutter effect.
Of course, graphics and sound don't make the game. To quote Shakespeare's Hamlet, "The play's the thing." And the thing about GD99 is that it's an arcade game. If you enjoy designing plays (the football kind, that is), creating leagues, making coaching profiles, and tracking multiseason statistics, enjoy these features elsewhere. Although you do have the ability to sign free agents and trade, there are no restrictions (such as a salary cap). I was also disappointed that I couldn't customize my playbook--navigating the hundreds of available plays is time-consuming. GD99 doesn't pretend to cover the strategic areas of football; it's a straightforward action game.

Give me more!

Browse CNET Editors’ Top Picks

Review Leading Edge Notebooks • Top 5 Portable MP3 Players • Phones with Sex Appeal

NFL GameDay 99

Click for printer-friendly format
Email this story to a friend
SPONSORED LINKS
Buffalo Wireless LAN
Price DSL Providers
Shop B&N.com Today!

Comics
CDs
DVDs
Inline
Movies
Skateboards

Search for more products:

mySimon
a CNET Networks Company