NFL Head Coach

"You Make The Call"

Have you ever scratched your head at the decisions Coaches and GMs make concerning your favorite teams?, Yell at the TV much during gameday?, and lastly has your jaw ever hit the floor when your favorite team passes up a premier Quarterback for a 6th Round talent? Well with EA's NFL Head Coach gives you the opportunity to right these wrongs and put together a team your way. Head Coach is packed with hours upon hours of gameplay but it's not a game for everybody.

When you begin your career in NFL Head Coach you're given the option to choose to be an offensive genius or a defensive one. Once that's done you begin creating your coach. There are a lot of options in terms of facial features but when it comes to clothing its sorta limited. After that's done ESPN's Trey Wingo runs a segment on you being the most sought after coach in the NFL. The interview is pretty simple and asks football related questions. Pick the right ones and you could easily start out having great influence on your coaching staff and players.

Don't expect a high end version of Madden in NFL Head Coach. You don't control the players but in a way you do dictate the outcome of the game. Wins and losses are based upon developing strategies with your co-ordinators, creating money plays, and making sure your players get the most ouf of practice before gameday. There is a lot of micro managing in Head Coach but it's cool as hell to see your gameplan played out on the field and giving you a victory.

Rosters aren't updated with the lastest transactions in NFL Head Coach but that's because the game takes place after Superbowl XL. There are roster updates online for "Coach Now" and "Coach Online" but they don't contribute to the bread and butter of the game and that's just fine. It's your opportunity to put the players you want on your team. Things might be a little different in next year's version however(assuming there is one)

Attributes in NFL Head Coach are determined by what System you decided to run and the Coaches you decided to hire. This puts an interesting spin on the draft because now players can actually be busts in your franchise rather than instant stars in Madden. Just because Reggie Bush is there doesn't actually mean he'll be a savior for your franchise.

There's a lot of micro managing in this game but I'm sure the real NFL Coaches have to do way more than this. You can schedule practice sessions, trade players, look for a gem in Free Agency, or you can just take the day off. You aren't forced to do all these things but it's important to keep your players ready or you'll be kissing Lady Luck's ass on Sunday.

In conclusion NFL Head Coach is a solid addition to EA's yearly distribution of sports games. This game caters to the football nut who wants to put his skills and knowledge of the game to the test. NFL Head Coach isn't for those who just wan't to get on the field and lay a hit stick tackle on somebody. Some might say that this is something that should be included in Madden but you have to see for yourself why NFL Head Coach deserves to be it's own game and not an add on.

9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/23/06