NFL Fever 2002

"NFL Fever is like a rookie who has the potential, but is too young to standout amongst the all-stars"

This game has the potential to be a killer sports app. Lets just say though, that now it needs some reworking.

GRAPHICS: 10
The bright spot of Fever. The animation is fluid, albeit limited in quantity. The jerseys are detailed very well, and you can recognize the all-star players by there faces. The stadiums are also a sight to behold. You can tell Soldier Field from Lambo. The only other gripe is the field is a little off color, but that's game informer nitpicking.

AUDIO: 7.5
Good commentary is impossible to come by in sports. NFL Fever doesn't break this streak. The commentary is horrible like Madden, but isn't good by any means. The on field sounds are above average though.

GAMEPLAY: 6
Hello Mr.Offensive Minded, how are you? Fever leans towards offense so much that it's ridiculous. Sub-par receivers can make great catches and break a 20 yard run after. The James Stewart in Fever can run like the Edgerrin James. The number of special moves are plentiful, but they aren't used much since half the time you're 5 yards ahead of the defenders. The defense is practically all cpu. I love to control the RE, but that's perhaps the most boring job n the D, and that's saying A LOT. First off, you come off the line like a 100 year old man and your special moves often end up doing diddle squat. Nothing else is really fun on D either.

MODES: 8
Nothing really standout. Franchise mode redeems this part of the game though. Player progression ratings wise week by week instead of yearly like in most games, and the stat-tracking is pretty impressive. Also the fantasy challenge is a nice diversion. It pits you against uber teams, and sees how well you'll do. Good stuff. Also, the fantasy draft is great and doesn't take loads of time to simulated the end of it [seeing as how the 30-45 picks are boring] (ahem, unlike madden). I must say though, that the rosters were pretty whack. Keyshaun Johnson being a sub-90's player. Come on Microsoft. The company can make groundbreaking software, but can't get accurate sport rosters.

BUY/RENT: Rent
Personally, I enjoyed Fever for what it was: a fast paced offensive minded game that had loads of eye candy. If you come in and don't expect Madden realism, I think you'll have fun. I really see a bright future for this franchise. For most people though, this is a rent.

In the end, I think I'd give Fever a.....

OVERALL: 7

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/17/02, Updated 05/17/02