NFL 2010 Review

Great sports games are hard to come by on the iDevice platform and the very few that are good are pretty pricey because of the name attached to the game *MADDEN* cough*cough* so when I came across Gamelofts NFL 2010 and saw that in comparison looks wise it didn’t seem all that different. I went ahead and downloaded it with high expectations just from the looks alone and hoped it was a great adaptation of a good football gaming experience. So how did it do? Check out my review below to find out.

The Game

Every 2010 player/team and over 200 plays to choose from make NFL 2010 a great sports game from the get go, since for the last few years Madden has had the names and rights locked up on the home consoles allowing them the only developers with the NFL licencing to develop a true NFL game. However on the mobile platform Madden does not carry the same monopoly of ownership or exclusivity – so iPhone gamers that are looking to get away from that pricey Madden franchise can rejoice. Features include: The official NFL RSS feed integrated into the main menu for all the latest news about your favorite team, sideline commentary, and 3 game modes to choose from Exhibition, Season, and Playoffs.

Gameplay

The gameplay is truly amazing only the 3rd sports game on the iPhone platform I have ever played that gave you that same feeling you get when  playing on a home console. Fast paced and in your face action from coin toss to game end. Almost all the features on the field that you would want are there. While on the offensive end you’ll run, pass, juke, spin and truck over your defenders on your pursuit to the endzone. For the defensive end you will find yourself blitzing, deflecting, intercepting, sacking, an devastatingly tackling the opposition. The gameplay couldn’t be much smoother or satisfying on the mobile gaming platform.

Controls

The game controls are for the most part flawless. I never found myself out of sync with the gameplay are loosing control of my team. Just about everything is operated by touch and movement is by virtual joystick which is very responsive. Before the snap you can cycle through player by on screen button or just simply touch the player you want to be for faster control. After the snap on screen buttons will allow for offensive moves like passing, juking, spinning, tackling, or trucking over your defender. The touch passing feature is pretty nifty, once the ball is snapped icons appear over your receivers and you simply touch which one you want to throw to. Another cool feature is the play selection windows, just like how you can view your albums and slide them around on your iPod. The plays selection are set up in similar fashion – just slide them around and select your play. There are two version of play selection. Advanced which will allow you in depth formation choices or simplistic which will give you quick plays based on whether you want to pass, run, or kick. If your a noob I would go with simplistic for starters but once you have up’d your skill set or if your familiar with football games I would go with the advanced plays selection style.

Graphics

The graphics are pretty and pristine, with almost undetectable difference from Madden on the iPhone. The uniforms and fields are all in great 3D taste an quality and movement animations are fluid. All around visually this game is solid and Gameloft delivered a well designed game in NFL 2010. There are not a whole lot of games that can compete on this level of visual quality for the iPhone/iPod Touch, especially with so much packed into the game.

Sound

The sound is well done, from the music selection on the main menu to SFX on button taps – to down on the actual field the sound is everything you would want to hear from a great football app. The on field sound really puts you in the game, the crowd is roaring and the tackles are hard hitting. Even the announcer is not annoying and adds a decent quality to the action on the turf, and for me nothing kills a great game faster than an annoying repetitive announcer in the background.

Verdict

Overall the game is the total package for football fans the only thing it is lacking is the ability for multiplayer. NFL 2010 is firing on all pistons and is a welcomed adaptation of an NFL branded football game for the iDevice platform. With beautiful 3D graphics smooth controls and great sound to boot – NFL 2010 is a definite must have and for only $2.99 as opposed to the competition which is Madden 2010 at $9.99 it’s an easy decision for me. The same great gameplay and graphics with all the real teams and players at less than half the cost of Madden, what more would you have to think about?

Gameplay: 4.8/5
Controls: 4.8/5
Graphics: 4.5/5
Sound: 4/5
Overall: 4.8/5

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-Steve