In the wake of EA's purchase of the NFL rights, 2K took a bold step in announcing their negotiations with ex-players to create a game that feature recent and old school retired NFL icons. The game has a decent mix of recent retirees, like Jerry Rice, and '80s heroes, like Walter Payton, and pre-ESPN classics, like Dick Butkus. The game splits the ex-NFL players into three categories, gold, silver, and bronze. The separation appears to place Hall Of Fame talents as gold, repeat pro-bowlers as silver, and barely recognizable ex-players as bronze.
Immediately upon starting the game for the first time, gamers must create a team comprised of two gold players, three silver, and six bronze players. One of the many limitations to the game is the strict enforcement of this formula. The game never allows you the chance to exchange one silver and one bronze player for an extra gold; even though you will quickly run into teams in your season that have done just that. The computer takes the remainder of the over 240 real players, after all your selections, and distribute them to the other teams in the 'league'.
Immediately upon selecting players, gamers will notice just how little care and skill went into the graphics and design of the game. The jagged-edged player models, poor player faces (varying from ugly-stick hideous to just plain awful), and blocky on-screen menus are just the start of the game's graphic disappointments. Once in the game, gamers will notice the kind of stadium background that might have looked acceptable on NES, but looks lazy on 360. Flickering blocks of color are the game's weak attempt to show the fans in the distance. The coaches and referees look decent enough, until they attempt to talk. The awkward broken jaw movements of their mouths is only acceptable because the zombie-like stare they give the camera gives you something much more haunting to stare at.
Beyond the strange appearance of the players, coaches, and refs, regardless of the field you play on it appears as though you are playing on cement painted green. Super Tecmo Bowl had more realistic-looking grass nearly twenty-years ago. Indoor dome or outdoor stadium, there is no discernable difference between the bland green sorry excuses for fields.
The game's lone redeeming quality, at least graphically, is its valiant attempt to make players play on the field as you remember them. Payton's heart-stopping stutter-step (called by the developers a 'scissor kick') and Barry Sanders' shuttle-bug running style are both intact. Jerry Rice makes catching a pass look like poetry, with some of the softest hands the game has ever seen. Dick Butkus' maniacal tackle-first-ask-questions-later approach to defense and Mike Singletary's steely-eyed pointing at the offense are in the game captured with perfection. As putrid as the graphics are, the developers deserve a pat on the back for some damn fine animations.
As ugly as the game is, perhaps the most appalling sight gamers will see is when old-school classy players like Walter Payton or Jerry Rice performs an emphatic touchdown celebration. For a game that works so hard to make sure the animations are accurate, it is disappointing not to see that realism carries over to scoring touchdowns. 2K had the opportunity to bring some class, and show the individual personalities of some of the games' most revered talents to gamers perhaps too young to remember them; or what class on a football field looks like.
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