As a hard semester of schoolwork winds down and a diligent college student's mind is so overloaded with tons of information that they will probably never use again once they pass finals, students such as myself across the nation turn their attention to engaging in the most mindless, least constructive activities possible. I myself wanted to celebrate the completion of my last final, and so of course, i fried my brain for 3 straight hours playing NFL 2K1 today.
Me and my roommate have played pretty much every football video game that has become available since 1998. In 3 years of college some of my fondest memories include screaming out expletives as my roommate intercepted me and ran it back for a touch down for the millionth time and listening to John Madden's pointless rambling. NFL 2K1 is one small step step forward for me, and one giant step forward for graphics design.
It's all in the details
This is one of the most realistic games I have ever played. There is more versatility and reality to the players' range of movements than just about any other game I've seen. You can see all kinds of details in the graphics, from the hand gestures of photographers on the side-lines and the cheering of players sitting on the bench, to the shadows and reflections of the sunlight. It's basically the closest of anything I've seen to looking totally real, but I have to wonder, does anyone really need all those minute details to be perfect? Could it be possible that the programmers might miss the forest for all the trees?
Sounds of the NFL... like it or not!
The commentary is also very good, without the obvious repetition and lack of variance in phrasing for the same situations that you see in most games. There is also the occasional corny joke and stupid analogy to make the announcing sound really realistic. "They've just gotta dance with the same girl they brought to the prom and keep going with the running game that brought them this far!" The players also yell all sorts of nice wonderful taunts at eachother, such as "It's MY BALL, gimme back my ball!" And "I'll be bringin' it all day!" Without a doubt, in the graphics design and in the sound, this game is first class.
Should a punt into the in-zone be recoverable for a touch down?
This is just one of the annoying bugs I've found which can occasionally throw my game off. Another time, my roommate's punt somehow made it through the up-rights and became a field goal. Admittedly, these anomalies only occurred once, but obviously they had me running back to my old football handbook wondering, "Is that even possible?" Of course, it isn't.
Other minor annoyances
In general, my biggest bone to pick with this game is that there are just unique characteristics of the programming that sometimes make it difficult for the game to be played realistically. When playing the computer, the level of difficulty goes from rookie, which is ridiculously easy, to pro, where I almost never win without picking horrible teams to play against. Don't even get me started with the all-pro level, where I'm ready to throw in the towel by the second half because I can't get off any runs or passes.
Passes caught anywhere near the back of the in-zone are always ruled out of bounds, regardless of whether they are in or not. Injuries seem to be inflicted more often on the player who makes the tackle than on the player tackled. Injuries that often seem severe enough to be season-enders only keep a player out for one or two plays. It seems as if at certain points the designers got tired of all the variables and took the easy way out. Be careful about pressing buttons after the play is over! I learned the hard way when I let a finger slip that it is possible to make hits after the play and draw penalties. Towards the end of a two player game, the computer gets somewhat charitable towards the loser by increasing the frequency of things like interceptions and fumbles. I say it should be the same throughout the whole game.
Good stuff
When playing the computer, it can do some very realistic things.Toward the end of the game, it begins a hurry-up no huddle offense and resorts to other tactics such as throwing out of bounds to avoid the sack and using time-outs and kneeling to slow down the clock if you are winning. Penalties beyond your control do not seem to be called with particularly irritating frequency.
Verdict
When you turn it on and look at the pretty pictures, this will seem like one of the most realistic games you've ever played. When you actually get into it, you realize that the bugs and design flaws make it hard to play a realistic game of football. Therefore, I cannot recommend it.
No, this isn't just NFL 2K for the Internet this is a whole new ballgame. NFL 2K1 is loaded with new features, and you can up the stakes by playing pr...More at eBay
This item is in Like New condition with all original artwork and materials. This item may never have been used, but does not meet our criteria for Bra...More at Amazon Marketplace
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2010 Shopping.com, Inc.