After the success of NBA Street, it was only a matter of time before EA
finally made a no rules, all-fun football game. That time is now, and to let
gamers know exactly what the game is and who it’s from, EA appropriately
titled it NFL Street. They’ve conquered the simulation world with Madden, so
let’s dive in, score a few touchdowns, and see if they still have what it
takes to kick the blitz out of the competition.
The range in complexity for
football is much higher than basketball (in the video game world at least), so
you might be a bit surprised by NFL Street at first. It’s challenging but
extremely simplistic. Street’s playbook is very small, narrowing down the
choices that players have to make, and at the same time lessening the
strategic aspect of football. At first this bothered me, especially since I
wasn’t overly thrilled with any of the plays. That’s because I sucked. I’ve
played enough Madden games that I can jump in at any time and score a
touchdown. Same with most football games. But Street took some getting used
to. I’m sure that the really skilled Madden players will have a much easier
time, but there’s a lot of versatility in Street, and it takes a lot of quick
actions to succeed.
NBA Street allowed
players to goaltend (making it too easy for my cousin to beat me – though I’m
determined to get my revenge with this game). Since interceptions are allowed
in football, the equivalent to that would be tackling players as they
attempted to catch the ball. NFL Street allows that, and within the first
thirty minutes you’ll realize that that’s what the game is all about.
Obviously you could tackle the player after he catches the ball, but that’s
not always going to cut it. Fumbles are possible but are not guaranteed.
Computer opponents are pre-equipped with decent passing stats, so no matter
what you won’t be able to win if you don’t learn to tackle the receiver before
he gets the ball.
Once I began to fully
grasp NFL Street I began to really appreciate its challenge. I loved it from
the start, but it was a bit stressful watching my opponents (who were set on
the Easy difficulty level) intercept several of my passes. This isn’t the
kind of game that I’d say you have to stick out, but if you haven’t been
playing Madden or at least NBA Street lately than it will definitely take some
practice.
The game’s "BIG" features
have been heavily promoted, but incase you missed them, they include 7-on-7
gameplay; urban and fantasy-style fields; numerous NFL legends; and an
integral style performance system. By holding the L button you activate the
game’s Stylin’ Moves, which, in effect, make the player prance around. As
silly as some of the "stylin" moves look, some of them are pretty cool —
players can taunt their opponents by spinning the ball on their finger or by
holding it behind them. Should one of your opponents be good enough to touch
you while being mr. cocky, you’re likely to fumble and lose out on all of
those points you were gaining, as well as the potential touchdown you could
have earned. It’s a big risk, but a necessary one. Performing moves
increases your GameBreaker meter. It’s not at all impossible to win a game
without filling the meter, but if your opponent fills theirs and yours is
empty, watch out! GameBreaker power makes it easy to intercept passes. It
also makes it easy to score a touchdown (increased speed and strength crushes
the competition’s defense).
At its core, NFL Street
is a multiplayer game. It has a few single-player modes, including one with a
lot of challenges and unlockables (be the first to score a touchdown; win the
game within a time limit, etc.). Speaking of time limits, I almost forgot to
mention that this game does not have one. The standard setting is that you
play till someone scores 36 points. This instantly stops your friends from
scoring a touchdown and playing cheap till the time runs out.
When you and a friend (or
several friends – up to four people can play) sit in front of the TV with NFL
Street in your machine you will not want to get up. Your butt just might
leave a permanent dent in the couch. Seriously, this is an awesome, very
addictive multiplayer game. You’ll get bored with the single-player modes but
will play it just to unlock everything. The unlocked goodies (extra players,
fields, etc.) only make the multiplayer games more fun.
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Gameplay: 8.5
If sports games
had to have subtitles, NFL Street’s would be "Pass ‘N’ Tackle." It’d sound
silly, sure, but it would clearly convey the main gameplay points. There’s
more strategy inside this game than you’ll notice at first. The playbook is
barren in comparison to Madden, but you’ll have to quickly think of the
appropriate course of action with every play. If you’re good at stopping
passes then your opponent will throw in a sneaky running play.
Graphics: 8.9
Not on par with
Madden (no game is), but NFL Street is a gorgeous game. Gamers will be more
than impressed with the player detail; it’s cartoony and exaggerated, and very
realistic all at the same time.
Sound: 5
Crappy rap music
and pretentious sound effects. And one decent rock song.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Getting good is
the hardest part. Once you’re good, you’re good, and you’ll have the power to
make your opponents suffer. Muhahaha!
Concept: 6.9
Would NFL Street
be here if it weren’t for NFL Blitz? Possibly. But there’s no denying that
NBA Jam is the reason NBA Street is here. Jam started it all, and very little
innovation has been since.
Multiplayer: 9
Are you itching
for a game to take over your room? Are you searching for that special someone
to spend your Valentine’s Day with? Who needs love when you could spend your
time on the couch with NFL Street. It’s got all the qualities of a good
relationship (loyalty, commitment) without the worries of getting a broken
heart. Actually, you might be broken after getting your butt kicked, but
that’s one of the many reasons why you’ll be playing this game for months to
come. I myself am determined to crush a few of my friends at this game. That
driving force is what makes a truly great multiplayer game.
Overall: 8.5
I recently
watched a re-run of Home Improvement where Tim creates the ultimate Man’s
Bathroom. Al comments that if they had a refrigerator, they’d never have to
leave. Tim then pushes a button, revealing a hidden fridge. Awesome idea, I
thought. Then I realized that the Man’s Bathroom was missing one extremely
important thing: a game console and a copy of NFL Street.
