"The Bud Bowl fit this title more than this game!"

Back in 1982 I can remember reading an Atari brochure boasting that they were going to come out with a new and improved football game with realistic looking players who would jog out on to the field to play a realistic style of football. This game was not it. Though Atari did need a new football game that was better than their original ''moving squares with legs'' version to compete with M Network's new and good-looking (for its day) Super Challenge Football, being released that same year. They couldn't be outdone on their own system by another company could they?

Gameplay 4: Atari finally brought the first computer opponent to a football game for the 2600. That's the good news. The bad news is that both the a. i. opponent and the rest of this game is so lacking.
Let's start with offense, where you can call 6 very similar plays, specifically the passing game. You, for some inexplicable reason, will find it nearly impossible to simply drop back and throw the ball. That's because the quarterback seems to have an extremely short range when throwing from an angle and you will always need the receiver to make a last minute adjustment to catch the ball. However, the pass seems to travel quicker than the time it takes the game to give you control over your receiver. To make matters worse the only player you can throw to is also the only player on the field split wide. This effectively negates any element of surprise and telegraphs to any human opponent what you're attempting in a two player scenario. It won't matter against the computer opponent because it's so stupid you can roll out left or right all day in novice mode and it'll never catch on. As for running, it's fairly easy to fake out the novice computer opponent for 5 yards every time. In expert mode, rolling out to your left will be too easy and you can literally run up the score. Otherwise anything else in that mode will feel like you're running in quicksand.
On defense you can choose between five plays. Just like on offense the differences between them are negligible. Whether in novice mode or expert all you'll ever need to do is simply roll your linebacker to what side the receiver is split because that is always where the computer opponent is going to go no matter what. Human opponents might offer more challenge but both of you will be hampered by the passing problem and the unimaginative plays. If you manage to grab an interception you cannot try to return it for a touchdown. Instead your offense take over.
The kicking game consists of quick kicks that, if you are close enough to the goal line and the kick is long enough, will result in 3 points. If not then wherever the ball lands is where the other team takes possession. There are no kickoffs in this game. Just like all the other football games for this system there are no penalties, fumbles or stepping out of bounds. Games last 15 minutes with the clock stopping after incomplete passes, scores, turnovers and after the offense calls a play.

Graphics 6: Yes, the graphics are definitely better than in the original but that's not saying much. Unlike the first game the perspective of the field is from the side just like M Network's version. That's just it though, this game with its decently drawn but flickering character graphics and drab looking field seems to look like a pale imitation of Super Challenge Football. There aren't even any goal posts despite including field goals in the game. The only nice touch I see here is when the quarterback or receiver seem to throw up their hands and dance in celebration after a touchdown.

Music/Audio 3: You hear a lot of beeps throughout the game especially during plays. There's an extremely annoying jingle when someone completes a pass. The game also sounds off what seems like the hyper drive sound effect from Star Raiders when the game starts and when someone scores.

Replay Value 4: In '82 the only reason to buy this one instead of Super Challenge Football was because it had a computer opponent. Even that wasn't much of a reason. By 1988 Atari brought out Super Football with a much improved a. i. thus eliminating any reason to get this one.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 01/19/02, Updated 05/20/02