"Luckily this game hasn’t ended up like Aikman’s career did after 1995"

OPENING STATEMENT
When you get an old console, with some bundled games, you certainly do not expect an old football game to be among the better of them. Granted, the console is the Atari Jaguar, one of the most universally reviled systems, well known for the many poor games that populated it. But still, you do not expect a pigskin title from 1995 to rate among the best. That is how much of a break from tradition that the Jaguar is. Do not let the age fool you. Troy Aikman NFL Football is a game that tried to break the mold in football games, influenced Madden, NFL 2K, and Fever, and would have succeeded a lot more had it been produced for another console.

GAMEPLAY--8
Troy Aikman NFL Football is a very solid football title, gameplay wise. My biggest problem is that it is very pass heavy. Yes, most football games concentrate on the aerial game, but there are very few offensive rushing plays. So, rushing defenses take a back seat, and manning the trenches on defense is rather predictable. Usually changing between one or two plays, like Kamikaze and Deep Zone, should cover you. Still, you always need to be paying attention when on the Warren Sapp side of the ball. If you lapse, the computer will burn you. Stay vigilant and keep watch. Switch defenders often, always to the one closest to the ball. And do not forget to try and intercept the ball, which does require an extra button press. (More on that in the control section.)

GRAPHICS--6
For the time, these graphics are pretty good, far superior to those in John Madden NFL ‘95, which was it’s real competition at the time. The sprites are actually fairly large, which was a pleasant surprise. The bigger characters make determining open players a lot easier, which in turn opens up offenses. My biggest problems with the character models are the rather bland player animations. The movement looks quite jerky and simplistic, something that the rather slow frame rate (thirty frames per second tops) also attributed to.

There are a few other graphical problems as well, almost all of which involve the camera angles. First of all, the camera does not pan out as your receivers progress further down the field, which takes away the advantages in seeing open players if they get cut off the screen. Another camera angle problem is how the angle does not switch on a punt return. Your return man is running towards you rather than away from you - exactly opposite of every other ball handling play in the game, excluding interceptions and fumble returns. The camera angle should switch on those plays as well.

MUSIC--4
SOUND--8
My problem in Troy Aikman NFL Football is not with the music itself. For a football game it is pretty good, and it does not sound very grainy. My problem is with the fact that music only plays for such a small amount of the time, only on one or two menus, and with the occasional peppy song during the game. I really like the inclusion of songs within the game though; It’s a feature I would like to see a lot more of in football games today, especially if they get some licensed songs. As long as they do not include ‘Who Let the Dogs Out?’ we will all be safe.

The sound effects are very good in Troy Aikman NFL Football, and they do a great job adding to the realism of the game. Commentary may not really be featured in a full way, but there are some basic phrases that help fill some of the silence, but you will not be hearing anything that will make you think that Al Michaels was signed to announce the game. This is quite typical of the era, so you really cannot fault Troy Aikman NFL Football for it. The other sound effects, whistles, menu noises, and the like are all done quite well, and they do not suffer from the same graininess that plagues the music and the commentary. The sound is really a mixed bag, but it provides a few things that even games of today to not offer in adequate amounts.

CONTROL--9
Most football games stick with the same basic, serviceable control scheme, and Troy Aikman NFL Football does not alter that formula much at all. Since the Jaguar controller only has three main buttons, the biggest problem with the control is that there can only be three receivers available to catch the ball at one time, which is a horrible detriment in long yardage situations. ‘B’ hikes the ball, and all three major buttons throw to receivers. ‘Option’ fulfills the main role in pausing the game, allowing you to easily call time outs and other similar functions. The problem that I have with the controls is having to press a button to try and intercept the ball. Why would you ever have to do that! They should just try to catch it instead of only tipping the ball!

FUN--7
Maybe it is because I played Troy Aikman NFL Football after crap like Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure, but I found this old football title to be quite entertaining. I like the wide variety of weather conditions, many of which (muddy field) are not found in games like Madden in this age. The playbook is also far deeper than I expected, and it helps at least provide some variety within the passing game, even if rushing seems to be useless. Still, I found playing through a season of Troy Aikman NFL Football to be quite worthwhile.

CHALLENGE--MEDIUM TO HIGH
The difficulty levels are a bit too lenient with their definitions. The ‘Rookie’ in Troy Aikman NFL Football would be a ‘Medium’ somewhere else. But this helps make each game a war, and if you play on the ‘Veteran’ difficulty level, then you will truly be in for a fight. Computer players tend to force more fumbles and intercept the ball more often, so you need to be careful with possession - turnovers rarely will go your way. If you stick with a balanced, pass-heavy attack, you will be fine.

REPLAY VALUE--MEDIUM TO HIGH
Troy Aikman NFL Football is not exactly burdened with excessive competition on the Jaguar, so it is really your best bet for a pigskin game on the console. If you can find it for a decent price, which you should easily manage, this will be one of your best multiplayer bets on your Jaguar, and it is easily worth a purchase.

PROS
*Was the first football game to execute many features that we take for granted now.
*Decent graphics and sound effects.
*A plethora of options for your game, especially considering it’s age.

CONS
*While commentary was hardly standard at the time, only basic phrases are included.
*The rushing game could have been expanded upon.
*No NFLPA license.

CLOSING STATEMENT
If you can look past the fact that Troy Aikman NFL Football is a seven year old football game, you will find one of the hidden gems of the Jaguar’s lineup. Troy may be a concussion-riddled, washed-up, former Cowboy now, but in 1995 he, and his game series, were in their prime, and there really is not excuse for not checking it out if you have access to a Jaguar. It is a good way to see the inaugural existence of some features that you take for granted in video games these days.

OVERALL--7

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/11/02, Updated 05/11/02