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READERS REVIEW:

 

GAMEDAY 98
Written By: John Esser

Please note that the views expressed in this review are those of the writer and not of A.P.I
 

 Well first I'd like to thank Sony for the best football game on the planet so
far....I'll quickly say I've been playing vidz for the better half of 27 years.
From Atari to Intellivision to Apple IIe to Sega to IBM to Sega Genesis and now
Sony PS. I've played basically every football game ever made. Lets just say
I've wasted alot of time.(But its been fun) Well, let us begin.

Graphics:				             Rating: 95%
When it comes to sports, graphics are to me the least important factor in a
quality game. But then again, for those of you that have a clue about games 15
years ago, understood...

PROS: The graphics in GD98 are great during play!!!  Alot of reviews I read
talk about sprites and frame rates. Who cares!? Movement of players is done to
perfection.
CONS: The only thing that may be lacking is that there is no intro to an
individual game. At least there should be intros when it comes to the playoffs.

Sounds and Effects:   				     Rating: 85%
PROS: The music for the game is good, during gameplay grunts, play calls, and
the hits are great. The announcer is decent.

CONS: If you've played FIFA 98, which has the best commentary out there. There
is no doubt that the commentary could have a bit more variety, without going
overboard.

Playability					     Rating: 95%
PROS: Where to begin?? Game options is done well. It has all the basic on/off
options plus: game speed, clock speed, physics, computer IQ, camera angles, and
field conditions. Physics is a very cool feature that you have an option to
change. If you play in the snow or rain, only fumbles, and incompletions are
slightly increased. If you set Physics to loose, players will slide when making
a cut. Now when it comes to making the moves, GameDay98 is the King. When
running with the ball you've got Stiff arms, spins, jukes, dives, hurdles, high
steps, shoulder charges, speed burst, and even a one handed catch(when
receiving). All these moves are very well configured to the gamepad.
  The pass game in GD98 is a wonderful thing with Total Control passing. I
have'nt played GD in arcade mode and never will. With T/C you can lead your
receiver in any direction. As QB you can't do all the jukes, but you can throw
the ball away, spike the ball to stop the clock, or kneel. As for defense, GD98
comes up big again. You have the swim move, raise hands, speed burst, dive, and
forearm shiver if you're definding a receiver. When it comes to plays I think
theres 500 or so to choose from.

CONS: First and foremost, penalties. Gameday definately has problems here.
Illegal chop block, and hands to the face are called way more than they should
be. Theres no such thing as a false start in GD98!! Pass interference, holding,
and offsides are the only penalties done well. Punt returns against the
computer at times are BS. You usually have 1 chance to tackle the punt returner
or it ends up to be a 30 or more yard return. When it comes to GD98 offensive
plays, theres alot of plays that can be read by watching the men in motion.
Gameday needs more plays that have similar motion.

Value for the Money:				    Rating  90%

Gameday obviously has all players, stadiums, and teams(including every
superbowl team from 1 to 30, and all-stars team for each Team) I've now owned
GD98 for 6 months. GD98 has four difficulty settings from rookie to hall of
fame. Let me tell you I've played 3 full seasons on hall of fame and still
have'nt made to the show. The only thing that takes away from the value is
stats. During a season you are unable to view your teams individual statistics.
Unless your players are league leaders. All in all
Gameday with its few flaws is the best Football game there is!

OVERALL RATING:      92%

-- 
John Esser