Pros: Excellent graphics and gameplay, lots of options and game modes
Cons: Repetitive play-by-play, a couple of little things.
The bottom line: The best sports simulation available for the Sega Dreamcast.
For years, Electronic Arts has dominated in the department of video game football with their John Madden sponsored line of football simulations. Even since the days of Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo, everything else was only second best. It was simply a fact of life - so long as the sun rose in the morning, EA Sports was the owner of the premier video game football franchise. At least, that’s how it was until the release of the Sega Dreamcast in 1999 and Sega Sports’ NFL 2K the next year. Simply put, NFL 2K revolutionized football gaming, returning the fun and challenge to a genre that had gradually become as pudgy and non-responsive as its main proponent. Since NFL 2K, Sega Sports have continued to release football games for all platforms that are increasingly making a run at football supremacy in the video game world. Perhaps it’s ironic that the rise of the 2K series came about only as a result of Electronic Arts’ refusal to write games for the Dreamcast system. That decision could very well haunt the higher-ups at EA Sports for a long time to come. Madden still has it’s grasp on the trophy, but there’s no doubting the rising stock of Sega Sports’ NFL 2K franchise.

NFL 2K2 was the final edition of Sega Sports’ newly famed football series to be released on the Sega Dreamcast. It was a sign that the end was near that the game was simultaneously released for both X-Box and the Playstation 2. But even since the untimely death of the Dreamcast gaming system, Sega’s NFL franchise has trekked on, and found itself a comfortable home on all three of the remaining next generation consoles. The game’s coverboy, you ask? Well, it’s Randy Moss - the same fellow it had been for the previous two editions. But does that mean that NFL 2K2 only comes to play when it wants to? The answer to that question is a resounding no. NFL 2K2 was the best football game I’ve ever played at the time of it’s release, and despite the shortcomings of the Dreamcast system and the lack of updated rosters, it’s a game that still holds up incredibly well.

My first exposure to video game football came in the form of Madden 1994 for Super Nintendo, a game that would continue to receive a tremendous amount of playing time even after the death of the system, and one that just about everyone in my family mastered a long time ago. The second exposure was Sega Sports entry into the lucrative football market. NFL 1995 was a solid, if somewhat unspectacular game. But since those days of old, I had never touched another football game (with the exception of NFL Blitz) until I picked up NFL 2K2 at the local electronics store for $40 early in 2002. In all honesty, I was expecting to grow bored of the game within weeks and toss it aside. For a while, in fact, the only amusement I got out of the game was turning offsides off and waiting next to the quarterback for the snap, then proceeding to absolutely nail him (believe me, it’s more fun than it sounds). Gradually, though, I began to enjoy the game more and more, and I was left with no other choice but to bestow upon the game the title of ‘classic.’ Even to this day, with NFL 2K3 finding it’s way into my friend’s GameCube on a regular basis, I’m still thrilled by the simple joys of NFL 2K2.

There’s an old saying that goes, “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.” This saying can be applied quite well to the formula applied to the creation of NFL 2K2. Unlike NHL 2K2 and World Series Baseball 2K2, where tremendous of amounts of recoding and revamping were required, NFL 2K2 sticks to the formula that made NFL 2K and 2K1 great games, with programmers only tweaking the gameplay and providing an impressive boost in graphics that already push the Dreamcast unit to the edge with it peering over the cliff. The game’s opening sequence is essentially a collage of live action footage put to a thumping hip hop-style beat and random grunts and gurgles intent on simulating the football atmosphere. Once you’ve proceeded through the introduction, you’re left at the helm of a game that utilizes the same style of menu as every other Sega Sports endeavour - one that’s very lively and visually interesting in spite of the lack of any form of actual graphic image.

One of the best aspects of NFL 2K2 is the wide variety of game options available to the player. Starting with the basics, there are the standard quick game option, the exhibition mode, a tournament mode, a regular season mode for playing out a single year as your favourite club, a playoff mode for doing likewise in the postseason, and the options menu. The options menu is quite detailed, allowing you to change even the smallest facet of gameplay so that NFL 2K2 suits you better. There are three difficulty levels, with one being easy, two being challenging, and the third being quite difficult, as well as options to change quarter length, weather conditions, and even the chances of a specific variety of penalty being called. You can turn specific penalties off entirely, while controlling others with a slider that indicates how likely infractions are of being called. You can turn off fatigue, decide whether or not to use Video Memory Unit play-calling (selecting plays using your memory card screen, a handy feature for playing friends with), and so on. The list of options is nearly endless.

In addition to these menu choices, you can also choose to customize the game. This ranges from trading players and signing free agents to creating your own player (which, unlike other Sega Sports games, is an excellent create-a-player mode). You can create your own plays and assign them to specific teams for use, and possibly the most complete aspect of this department is the ability to create your own team for participation in an exhibition game, a tournament, or even an NFL season. The game allows you to select jersey colours, a team name and location, logos, and even the stadium in which you play. There are about six custom stadiums for use, as well as about ten different symbols - some good, some so-so, and some bad. The option to create a logo would have been an excellent touch to the game in spite of the challenge of using such a tool, and more colours would have been great, but the create-a-team mode is otherwise quite a solid template for creating a team as unique as you.

Remarkably, though, that’s not all. NFL 2K2 sports a host of different game options for gamers. The most immediately noticeable is the tutorial mode, which randomly matches you up against an opponent in a single match up, taking the time to explain step-by-step the different features of gameplay, play calling, and formations in the game. The tutorial mode is usually something that you’ll need only once, but is still nice to have for beginners. If that isn’t what you want, NFL 2K2 also sports a practice mode that comes in far more handy than you might think it would. The practice mode allows you to put your team into different situations with or without an opponent, as well as running various plays and formations to get a feel for them in an empty practice stadium. Practice mode is useful in trying out some of the plays that you can create in the customize mode, as well as messing around with the game to try things that you otherwise wouldn’t have the chance to do. I can amuse for long stretches of time trying to work out trick plays from otherwise standard formations and doing endless laterals all over the field. Then again, I’m not exactly a normal person.

But, I think we all know where the true focus of NFL 2K2’s gaming is, and that’s in the franchise mode. Since Madden first introduced it a few years back, it’s gradually become criminal for a game not to have them - especially a football game. For the uninformed, the franchise mode allows you to take over as owner, general manager, president and coach of the football team of your choice, and do with them what you want. Sick of the management that’s destroying your favourite club? Then just take over, and make the moves that you want to make. Restore your team to the glory that they once had through dealing players and making good selections in each year’s NFL Entry Draft. With every single professional club and fully updated rosters as of preseason of the 2001-02 season (although, interestingly enough, there’s no Tom Brady here), you can literally live the life of an owner. NFL 2K2’s franchise mode allows you to control every single detail of the day-to-day operations of your team. It’s your responsibility to sign and negotiate with your players, bartering to get you the best deal, and it’s up to you to make your picks in the annual draft. You call the plays on the weekly basis, dress your team and cut the excess baggage, and deal with injuries as best you can. The franchise mode is so intricate and detailed (although not quite as much as Madden’s) that you’ll be wrapped up for weeks figuring out ways to score the clutch quarterback or all-star receiver. Player’s ratings rise and fall over the course of a season and their careers, and as one generation retires, the next gradually fades in to take its place. NFL 2K2 fully tracks all of the stats during each season in franchise mode, even going so far as to cast votes for the annual all-star squadrons. 2K2’s franchise mode has kept me busy for months on end, and I still don’t foresee any end in sight. The only two problems I have here are slight ones, but are annoying enough that they’re still worth mentioning. The first is that the game doesn’t compile stats over more than a single season. At the end of each year, every personal stat gets reset, meaning you never get to see the career statistics for an individual. Some team stats are saved (mainly records, playoff appearances and Super Bowls), but not all, and that can at times be frustrating. The other complaint is that every single draftee at a certain position has the same jersey number, and you can’t change them. All wide receivers, for example, share the number 85, which can detract a little from the otherwise realistic approach to managing a team. But then, I’m the kind of person who expects everything out of a game and is disappointed by even the smallest flaws - in fact, I think it would be great if you actually had to manage team finances too, making sure that you’re bringing in fans and making money. Most aren’t interested in that, though, and I can understand why.

When you step out onto the field to start a game, the first thing you’ll notice - as usual with Sega Sports games - are the graphics, which are a step-up from NFL 2K1 and quite good even in comparison with the more advanced systems. Again, considering the limitations of the Dreamcast, the graphics are remarkable, with at tremendous amount of detail rivalling that of Madden 2002. Since NFL 2K2, Sega Sports has improved even further in this category, but the visuals here are still comparatively breathtaking. Like in all other sports, the stadiums here are rendered perfectly and in great detail, down to the surrounding buildings in the background and the locations of advertisements and scoreboards. The turf is excellently portrayed, though natural surfaces could have used a little more difference in shading to establish themselves. Weather effects are nice, but they don’t ever really make their mark on the ground. At best, all we get is a thin layer of white, and the rain fails to turn the field to mud. Players themselves are accurately portrayed, with a number of different body types for different players. Linemen are big and wide, while receivers are tall and lanky. The jerseys are accurate, featuring small wrinkles here and there, and the helmets shine brightly, reflecting the sun’s glow while still looking true to real life. Player’s faces are somewhat plain beneath the masks, but there are resemblances for the big name stars. The crowd and sidelines are rather unimpressive, but this is something that all football simulations have a problem with, and something that Sega made an effort to fix for NFL 2K3. The refs actually run around following the ball and watching the play, though they too lack the visual flair of the actual players. Each player has a different style of dress, down to several varieties of shoes, gloves, and different colour long sleeved shirts that cover their arms.

Player movement displays the prowess of the NFL 2K engine refinements even further. For the most part, the movement of each player is quite realistic. They push off to get head starts, they fight off defenders with their hands, and make gorgeous catches while sprawling in midair. Juking and stiff arms look realistic, and there are a huge variety of tackles that defenders will use to bring down their man. It actually looks like players are tackling and dragging down players, with realistic contact made between players. And even with over twenty men on the screen at once, the frame rate stays consistently high, with absolutely no slowdown whatsoever.

But enough about the dashing good looks, how does it feel? And how does it play? NFL 2K2 lives up to the near unanimous praise that it has garnered critically. In a word, the game plays like a dream. While Madden is an absolutely rigid simulation with little room for miraculous dives or big tackles, NFL 2K2 combines the best of simulation and arcade football. NFL 2K2 is slightly faster paced than Madden, and the players maintain high speeds even while juking and evading hits. There are plenty of enormous, thundering tackles that send players flying, and perhaps the receivers can dive just a little too far, but all of these exaggerations are within reason, and the physics are basically accurate to real life, minus the speed certain players can attain. The physics of the football itself are also pretty much true-to-life. It twists and turns when it gets tipped, and your QB can only throw it so far before it loses steam. Passing was made slightly more difficult, with an emphasis placed on a realistic running game.

Playing the game itself couldn’t be easier. Play calling is a breeze with the intuitive approach that the programmers took. Along the bottom of the screen between plays, a horizontal bar lists all of the formations (which are largely true to the team’s real-life counterpart). When you hover over a formation, it will impose itself on the field to show you what it looks life. Once you choose a formation, the bar will be replaced by another listing all of the plays under that formation. When you hover over a play, the image on field displays the routes of every player, with the primary receiver shown in a different colour. A blue button under each listed play denotes a passing play, while a red denotes a running play. Defence uses the same play selection method along the top of the screen, with everything listed in formations. You just either make a plan, or just click and go. Once you’re the quarterback under centre, everything is pretty basic. If it’s a passing play, each button represents a different receiver. If it’s a running play, you’ll automatically hand the pigskin off to your running back. The quarterbacks themselves move realistically. They’ll pump fake, and scramble their way out of a collapsing pocket just like a real QB would, making them hard to catch for the defence. Once your player receives the ball, they can use the speed burst, juke, deliver stiff arms with either arm (controlled by the left and right triggers), and even dive for the end zone with outstretched arms. But Sega Sports made a note of trying to minimize those gauranteed money plays that plague a lot of sports, meaning you'll have to work for every yard. Alternately, on defence, you can attempt to power through the offensive line or go around it, and you can make a stab for an interception by pressing the Y button. Delivering a heavy tackle while holding onto the speed burst increases the odds you’ll cause a fumble, and so on. It’s all very basic and intuitive, meaning you’ll pick everything up within five or ten minutes of starting a game. Kicking is simply determined by an arrow you control and a bar that you have to stop at its highest position - a very rudimentary system, but still very good. You can really do just about everything on the NFL 2K2 virtual field as you can in real life. You can lateral, go for fake plays, and again, the list goes on.

Even the sports games that succeed in every category manage to fail in the sound department. NFL 2K2 is bye and large an exception to that rule. The fictional commentary and play-by-play team has a tremendous amount of dialogue from which to draw on, and they call the game fairly accurately considering they’re really just part of a video game. However, like all sports video games, the lines of commentary run short at some point, and you’ll be left more annoyed by the antics than anything else. Comparatively, however, they’re actually quite good. Other than that, the sound category gets an excellent grade. The stadium announcer says what he needs to, stadium sound effects are present, and the crowd actually sounds like they feel it most of the time. The grunts and groans and helmet-to-helmet contact as well as snippets of dialogue and celebratory statements all sound excellent as well, which is quite the contrast to normal sporting games.

Of course, I’m forgetting something here, and that’s the online play. NFL 2K2 allows you to go online with up to eight people to duke it out in a game of football. I really can’t comment here, as I’ve never played this game online. From what I’ve heard it’s very entertaining, but I have to imagine that by now, most people have abandoned NFL 2K2 online in favour of one of the newer football sims online. Other than that, I think I’ve about covered the essentials. There are a couple of other cool things, like throwback jerseys and all-star teams featuring players from previous eras, but no classic teams like in NFL 2K3.

In the end, NFL 2K2 is a very solid game, probably the single best sporting game released for the Sega Dreamcast. It easily rivals Madden 2002 on any system because of its sheer fun and playability. It’s an incredibly easy game to pick up, and the jarring hits and excellent programming make it feel so real that you may be icing the bruises the next day. The graphics are great, the gameplay is awesome, and there are more than enough modes of play to keep you occupied for the next three years. NFL 2K3 is a step forward in realism, for sure, but I’m still not completely convinced that it’s that much better of a game. The fast pace and big plays of NFL 2K2 make it an addictive game. And besides, there’s another reason I love it - it’s the only video game that I’m actually better at than my friends. My record of 48 wins and 1 loss is a true display of my passion and zeal for the game. Or maybe just the fact that I have too much time on my hands. Whatever.

For those confused, "turducken" is John Madden's favourite food, a turkey stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a chicken. Ewwww.

Related Reviews:
NHL 2K2
World Series Baseball 2K2