TV Sports: Football

The graphics are superb - the best I have seen in any sports simulation - the grunting and thumping sound effects realistic and the gameplay supremely addictive. Just kick a field goal to encapsulate the best of all these qualities.

Someone once said about Gridiron, 'Football is war,' and with all the heavy contact going on, this seems to be true. But there is more to this game than just running, throwing and hitting - there's loads of tactical play as well. Before we got into that, maybe we should give a quick explanation to those unfamiliar with the sports of

To most people the sport of American Football is nothing more than big men in big pads charging wildly into each other. But to people like me, avid supporters of the State’s biggest game, there is a huge attraction to the sport coupled with avid Channel 4 viewing and essential purchases of consumer durables. For those who are not familiar with the game I will give a brief rundown of rules and terms. The side in possession of the ball (the offense) have four attempts (downs) to move the ball ten yards forward from the line of scrimmage, otherwise the ball goes to the opposing team. If the offense manages to make it into the end zone of the opposing side with the ball he scores a touchdown worth six points. The player only has to get himself with the ball into the endzone to score, where as in rugby the ball has to be placed on the ground.

Erst die gute Nachricht: Spielerisch ist die Umsetzung der Amiga-Sportsimulation "TV Sports Football" auf den C 64 sauber gelungen. Jetzt die schlechte: Die ganzen schönen Statistiken, die bei den 16-Bit-Versionen für Laune sorgten, fielen beim C 64 unter den Tisch.

The game's visual highlight occurs when you kick a field goal or extra point, as you're treated to a full-screen animation with a behind-the-kicker vantage point. It's really easy to aim your kick and satisfying to see it sail through the uprights. Considering how awesome that is, the complete lack of a half-time show is disappointing. TV Sports Football isn't terrible, but it feels like a watered-down version of the game I remember, and its slow pacing is sure to irritate sports fans with short attention spans.