Screens(12)
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When it comes to sports games, the period between mid-July and mid-October is make-or-break
time. Titles appear for college and pro football, hockey, and (usually) pro basketball. For years
pucksters and hoopsters also had the option of playing several pure arcade versions of their
favorite sports on home consoles. Last year that list expanded to include the NFL; as everyone
awaited the appearance of NFL Blitz, NFL Xtreme popped on the scene. Although the game had
its fans, most people saw it as a pale imitation of Blitz, a modified Gameday that sought to cash in
on the unsuspecting. Now 989 Studios has had a year to reflect on that experience and to ponder
what niche would be filled by a revised and updated version of Xtreme . . . and (surprise!) the
result is NFL Xtreme2.
Presentation/Graphics : 84
After the usual FMV introduction featuring hard hits (taking out sideline cameras as well as
opponents), a series of on-screen menus featuring reds, yellows, and golds outlines the numerous
options open to the player. No problem here (although some of the illustrations on the loading
screens suggests that the boys at 989 Studios need to go out once in a while). The players and
playing fields deserve a closer look. As one might expect, the players are a bit over-the-top in
physical stature and development; the uniforms are fine (no names on the jerseys), with thigh pads
and other protective equipment visible underneath (and, in the case of shoulder pads, visible as a
result of a torn jersey). The animations are acceptable (and there are many more post-whistle
activities, as players taunt, flex, pose, or whatever). Press turbo, and the player leaves a streak of
flame in his wake; other button combinations will lead to flips, spins, stiff arms, swim moves,
jumps, and so on. Sometimes players take their helmets off, although the face underneath does
not always resemble the player in question. In short, look for slightly-improved Gameday 99
players who are pumped up to play. User-controlled players are denoted by a series of concentric
circles and an arrow--the result looked a little bit like the Dreamcast icon.
The fields and stadia are less distinguished. All stadia bear no more than a fleeting resemblance to
their real-life counterparts; at least one can tell the difference between artificial turf and grass.
Rain and snow are done well (although fields do not deteriorate); there's a down marker that does
not give way when hit by a player (ouch!). At the end of plays, the field often undulates, as if the
contest is taking place on a waterbed. Odd.
Overall, a marked improvement on its predecessor.
Presentation/Audio : 50
Mediocre. The pasting together of phrases from sound bites to sentences is too clumsy and
halting; the announcer does little to personalize the game or to inject much enthusiasm. The
sound effects are adequate; the in-game and menu music rather bland. In a game that depends so
much on booming noises and music to help create an environment and an experience to fire
players up, these shortcomings are especially serious.
Interface/Options : 80
The pregame menus are easy to understand; so are the in-game options brought up during a
pause. However, something's badly wrong with the playcalling menu. You are allowed to choose
one of six "books"; in each "book" there are six plays. On offense the "books" resemble sets; on
defense . . . who can tell? In any case, players are going to have to invest time in looking through
plays to see what works.
The controllers are rather straightforward. One can do well enough with command of only a few
buttons, and of course some of what's there is for flair more than anything else. Indeed, one can
survive for a while on offense by pressing X to snap the ball, then any of the other right buttons
(triangle, circle, square) to allow the CPU to hit an open receiver . . . or hit X a second time to
bring up the passing icons, then hit the button linked to the receiver of choice. While the former
sounds sooo easy, be aware that the CPU often selects the safety valve, and not much happens.
You can simply hit circle for a "special move" or hit the triggers for stiff arms, turbos, and
breaking tackles.
There are an assortment of in-game cameras: some offer a close-in view, others help quarterbacks
look downfield.
Gameplay : 70
For many players, the big question is whether NFL Xtreme2 provides a viable alternative to NFL
Blitz. The odds are that most people will find that it falls short, lacking the pizazz of Blitz (let
alone Blitz 2). However, the big problem may be that Xtreme2 is not so much Blitz as a
compromise between Blitz and Gameday in its easier versions. For those unfamiliar with the
game, players take control of NFL teams and play 5-on-5, up and down an 80-yard gridiron. One
of the game's quirks is that first downs are scored at 20-yard intervals on the field, so one can
start a series anywhere between first and 1 to first and 20. The game relies on passing; somehow
receivers always wiggle open (unless you level them first). You may make multiple forward
passes, although only one may cross the line of scrimmage. Playing good defense presents a
challenge. NFL Xtreme2 includes options for substitutions and injuries, enriching the mix a bit.
Other game options allow players to vary several aspects of gameplay and keep user and season
records. One can play a simple exhibition game, a season, the playoffs, or a tournament.
Unlike Blitz, NFL Xtreme2 attempts to incorporate several aspects of team management: a player
draft, creating players, signing free agents, trades, and so on. With Blitz, you are stuck with
certain teams' personnel and style of play; I prefer my Giants to feature a wide-open passing
offense, something that requires several visits to the player creation screen. And yet NFL
Xtreme2 could have been a deeper game. Had the playbooks been better organized, for
example, or team-specific (or constructed according to player preferences), players could have
employed contrasting styles; even better would have been a play design editor.
What I appreciate most about the game is the lack of CPU cheating--a characteristic of Blitz as
one progresses through a season or past the rest of the teams. That's a cheap way to maintain
competitive juices.
However, one's enjoyment of the game also depends (at least in one-player mode) on the level of
difficulty chosen. Easy is simply too easy; I rolled through a playoff year with a limited number of
offensive plays (mostly long passes) while letting the CPU manage a man-to-man defense. Even
when my receivers appeared to be covered, they buttonhooked to gobble up bullet passes, leaving
defenders looking at their backs.
For some people it will be the trash talk and other after-the-whistle activity that will attract them
to the title . . . but not for long. Sometimes the taunts are rather ill-timed in the context of game
situations; other times they seem stupid. The repetition will grow old and stale. In short, even
those people who like that sort of thing will not like it here.
Perhaps the best way to look at NFL Xtreme2 is as a variant of arena football--sometimes fun, a
bit like a pickup game, but not to be confused with either the real sport or the insanity that is
Blitz.
Difficulty : 70
Along with three levels of difficulty, the player can make things easier or harder by relying on
one-button CPU-determined passing or calling up the icons; game speed is adjustable, with faster
speeds placing more emphasis on reaction time. It's fair to say that it is a playable game without
becoming too difficult.
Overall : 71
Even on its own merits, NFL Xtreme2 falls short of providing a truly satisfying experience,
despite the team management options. Not that it is a bad game: it's just missing something.
Playing it can be fun but does not leave you with the sort of buzz that a session with Blitz creates.
And this game is doomed to be compared with Blitz--although Blitz would do well to pick up on
some of the features of this game.
