Publisher: Sega
Platform: Dreamcast
Reviewer: Ben Hopper of GameCritics

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First Impressions:

Graphics:

The graphics and sound are every bit as good as you'd expect them to be -- easily dwarfing anything yet seen on a home platform. Some of the weather effects left something to be desired though, and the player models are noticeably more blocky than in the first game -- most likely due to the need to free up disk space for the Network feature. Despite those minor quips, it's pretty amazing what this game achieves in the audio-visual department. The players are detailed right down to the breathe strips across their noses or even the color of their elbow pads, and the motion-capture is top-notch.

The little things are there that you don't even look for -- like the pylons in the end zones, the referees discussing a difficult call or the players' movements and gestures in the huddle. Visual Concepts didn't miss a thing in their realistic depiction of the NFL. That's perhaps the biggest improvement I noticed over the first game. There were all kinds of little oversights in NFL2K that have vanished without a trace in NFL 2K1.

Sound/Music:

The stadiums not only look great -- especially in the tracking shot following a kick-off -- but they sound great as well. Think of the atmosphere during an NFL game: the sounds on the field; the crowd; the stadium's announcer speaking independently from the play-by-play commentary. It's all there. I felt the scope and dimension of the pro football environment while playing NFL 2K1.

The music though, which is the worst thing about NFL 2K1, goes for the mighty trumpet and booming drums that echo the FOX network. It's repetitive and irritating (not to mention unhip as hell) all the way through the game. Thankfully, you can turn down the music during games, and that in itself speaks to NFL 2K1's biggest strength: If there is something in the game that doesn't fit with your style, you can change it to correspond to your tastes.

Gameplay:

The game manages to accomplish all of these things without compromising the gameplay -- which is as smooth as I've experienced since videogame football made the transition from the arcade action in Tecmo Bowl on the NES to the slow simulation of John Madden Football on the Genesis. Just like everything else in the game, the gameplay is very balanced -- not only between offense and defense -- but between the running game and the passing game. Passing the ball can be a breeze with the Maximum Passing option, and running backs can make room for themselves with easy-to-perform juke moves. NFL 2K1 gives you complete control over the action without making things complex, and contests move along at a brisk pace as a result.

Enjoyment:

If there's one thing NFL 2K1 doesn't have, it's an attitude. Though it plays to near perfection, Sega and Visual Concepts have yet to establish a personality for this series. Focusing on Minnesota Vikings' Randy Moss here and there doesn't cut it. Conceptually, this football franchise needs a look and feel that doesn't scream "generic." I'm glad that NFL 2K1 shuns the "big TV" approach taken by the other football games. It doesn't try to overwhelm us with the realistic broadcast approach. I thank God that John Madden's ugly and annoying ass is nowhere to be seen, and the psuedo-Sportscenter backdrop that 989 loves so much is a happy no-show.

Multiplayer:

NFL 2K1 is just the second Dreamcast game to come with a network mode (Chu Chu Rocket! was the first -- and no, I'm not counting Sega Swirl), It is, of course, the one feature that no console football game will be able to touch for quite a while. You can play people from all over the country through Dreamcast's built-in modem. From the first moment I logged on, I was absolutely hooked. Playing football online is every bit as fun as I could have ever imagined, and much more competitive. Up to eight players (four per Dreamcast) can play at once, but it's just as fun playing one-on-one. It's not without its flaws -- as games sometimes grind to a halt due to poor server connections, and the network interface doesn't keep track of win-loss records or even your own connection speed. Also, it would have been nice if the game could label users who frequently quit in the middle of games, that way they could be avoided without any problems. I've had several wimps bail out on me when the score quickly reached 14-0, and I wanted to strangle every one of them. But the inherent problems of online gaming don't stop NFL 2K1's Network mode from being totally fun (you can even talk trash during a game with Dreamcast's keyboard). I've already played more legendary online matches than I can count. In fact, it's possible to forsake the Season mode all together and just play NFL 2K1 online all the time. Who wants to bother playing the computer when there are hundreds of real people waiting to play you over the Internet?

Overall Impression:

NFL 2K1 is quite simply the most comprehensive and authentic football game around, and it's a blast to play. I hate to be repetitious, but there's just no comparing this game with anything else, and the online features just makes it a no-brainer. I may sound like I'm doing a plug for Sega here, but if you want the best football game out there, you're going to have to pick up a Dreamcast.

Marketing Efforts Towards Women:

NFL 2K1 makes no attempt whatsoever at attracting a female audience. It doesn't even have cheerleaders (who do more to attract men anyway). Let's face it, American football is a guy sport. It will never be universal like soccer, basketball or even hockey (throw bowling and golf into the mix if you like). It's a very specialized and narrow-minded sport in which a woman's only role is on the sidelines. If the women gamers out there can accept that, then NFL 2K1 is the best football simulation around. In fact, gamers of the female persusasion could even take advantage of the opportunities the network mode affords by getting online and beating the guys at their own game.

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