NFL Head Coach

"Lead your team to victory...one long, boring day at a time."

Okay, I probably followed the footsteps of most of (if not, all of) the owners of this game when I got this game. Either it was because we got tired of the Madden series, or we wanted to see what the game would be like if we ran the show, called all the shots.

I'll start by saying this: it does an all right job. This game really tries hard to capture the process of becoming the head coach of a NFL team. You start in the offseason, hiring new coaches/coordinators, reaching into the free agency pool, and even drafting rookies for the upcoming season. Then you jump into training camp and the preseason, making sure all your players are at the top of their game. Then...it's go time. The 16-game gauntlet that can either make or break your future as a coach/general manager (you double as both in this game).

When it comes to gameplay/mechanics, NFL Head Coach stays solid through and through; quite a lot of consistency for a sports-themed strategy game. Yeah, that's pretty much what it is, a strategy game. If you expected a Madden-like approach, wow...you came to the wrong place. This is strictly for the brains behind the game, not the skills. How many tackles you can break on Madden has no impact on how you're going to coach your team.

The gameplay does suffer, however; it seems that there is SO much to do during every day of the season. You're not just sitting at your desk waiting for gameday. You're consulting with your coordinators to see who should start the next game, who should be picked up from free agency, etc. Due to the depth of the coaching experience, the game does run extremely long at times. Sometimes you wish you were playing Madden.

Another thing is the interaction between players and the coach during game time. You are free to choose whether to be aggressive (yell, be rude, etc.) or passive (offer encouragement, tips, etc.). Both have an impact on your team, either negative or positive. I just wish there was more you can say to your players. For example, if your QB gets sacked twice and you're now third-and-long, you would only get to choose from two things to say; you either be mean or be supportive. You should have more than that. Or heck, why not allow you to say whatever you want. If you want to swear, then by all means, swear your freakin' head off. It's not vulgarity or disrespect. It's passion. The passion you can only get from being a head coach.

The graphics are decent...you might be disappointed by the graphics of the players, but you have to realize; it's NOT a Madden game. There's less emphasis on the players and more on the behind-the-scenes content, so don't get your hopes up about it having graphics worthy of HD-TV.

Aside from the dreadfully long formalities of being a head coach, the experience of NFL Head Coach itself is pretty cool. I enjoy being the head honcho of pretty much any team you want. As the game even says, "you make the call". But don't expect to be the next Don Shula or George Halas. Nope. That won't be happening anytime soon.

-=Brian=-

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/29/07

Game Release: NFL Head Coach (US, 06/20/06)