NFL Fever 2004 is Microsoft's own entry in a football video game field that's
been dominated by EA Sports and Sega the past few years. While the big
boys are not in danger of losing their leadership position to NFL Fever 2004,
the game does provide a competent alternative especially if you're looking for
some great Xbox Live support.
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| A defensive lineman's most embarrassing moment. |
NFL Fever 2004 does a lot to make the game accessible to those who may not be
experts in football, or at least the video version of the sport. You can
use a simplified play calling scheme that lets you pick between a run or pass
play, or to defend against the run or pass on defense. There is also a
Coach's Choice option that lets you pick from a small set of recommended plays
for the current game situation. In a nice touch your team's coach will
also offer his insights on the game situation and provide some pointers on play
calling. Of course you have the option of using the standard play calling
interface that allows you to specify your team's formation and play. In
another nice touch the game will keep track of your most recent play calls so
you can easily re-run a play that is proving to be effective for you.
On the field things can be simplified to make use of one button passing - just
hit the button for the receiver to whom you want to throw the ball - and one
button control for ball carriers. The latter feature lets the computer
pick the most appropriate move, stiff arm, spin, etc, when you press the B
button. For veterans looking for more challenge and control, the game also
supports trigger passing in which you are given control over the velocity and
loft of the pass and a new feature known as Read and Lead passing. Read
and Lead passing is hard to get the hang of, but once you do it provides you
with a lot of control over your passing game. Not only can you pick your
receiver and the velocity of the pass, you can also pick the spot on the field
that you want to place the pass. This allows you to give a speedy receiver
the chance to out-sprint a DB or to throw to the receiver's inside shoulder to
screen out the covering back.
On the defensive side of the ball your controls are pretty basic no matter
which offensive control scheme you select. You get the basic dive, sprint,
and catch type of buttons, but advanced moves such as swim and spin moves are
missing. This takes the fun out of playing a defensive lineman in the game
because they tend to get locked to a blocking offensive lineman and you don't
have the control to shake the block and make a play. To register a sack
you pretty much have to use a linebacker and hope he can burst through a hole in
the line. Defense in NFL Fever 2004 feels more like a passive activity
than in other football games, with most of your participation coming from taking
over DBs right before a pass gets too a receiver (this is pretty much a
necessity, BTW, because the computer receivers will haul in just about
everything that comes their way).
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