ABCs Monday Night Football
Reviewed by Expunter #5
This seems to be a game that is rare. I haven't seen any tips for it,
nor found any game guides on it. Pretty much this seems like an
average video game, but the game it self is well entertaining, but
isn't the best football video game. It's like some things in this game
are very well done, and then other things are just terrible, which I will
get into. This game like most football games is played on a vertical field
(up to down), it doesn't have penalties and is a rather rough guy game,
and you can design your own team or rename a team.
Graphics: 9 out of 10
The graphics were pretty well done. Frank Grifford, the crowd cheering
or booing, the people in the stands were pretty well done. When raining
or snowing, this also was done pretty well. Although the players look
real, they are so small compared to the large field they are playing on.
But this really isn't the art, its just how it was organized.
Music and Sound: 10 out of 10
There is the Monday Night theme song, and that seems pretty real. There's
some sort of beat when the game is in play. The sound is of the ball being
passed/kicked, players being tackled and moaning and groaning, and the
voices of "first down" "interception" "touchdown", and ect. were pretty
well done and are quite enjoyable. I really can't think of any cons to say
about music and sound here.
Game Challenge: 8 out of 10
The game was made in 1993. You'll find San Francisco, Dallas, Buffalo,
Philadelphia the real good teams and Indianapolis, Chicago the real crummy
teams. Once you get the feel for the controls, the game is easy. If you
basically take the game seriously, don't screw off, you'll always win, but
one big mistake and/or a couple of little ones and it can result in a loss,
(especially for post-season). One season I was 12-5, and still missed the
playoffs. There are things that interfere, like power plays and kicking, but
there can be ways to work around this.
Game Play-Fun: 9 out of 10
This game really is a fun game to play. The players roughing each other
around, the crowd "booing" or going "Forget it!" and throwing their arms
around when the teams are doing bad, and then jumping up and down
cheering with excitement when the teams are doing well, and if you really
are a type of person that shows no mercy you'll love it because there's no
penalties, and you can interfere with passes! This game may not be all that
great and have some things that should have been done better, but I find it
a fun game to play.
Frustration
There are several things that could have been better. First there are
rosters, with the players number, but when you play the game the players
are so small that you can't read their number (let alone they have a number
on their back) so you don't know who's who. This makes it very hard you
really don't know who is who, and this is very annoying because the plays
also won't tell you who will run them, or give you a set-up of where each
player is. Secondly the weather is random. If there's snow, you'll know at
the beginning of a game and it'll always stay like that, and rain occurs
random on a clear game, (even once it can start out that way) but its
always lasting like 4 minutes of game play. If it was various length of
times at every time, it would make the game more interesting. Thirdly
kicking was set up pretty lousy in this game. You have to fill this meter
that has 8 bars by tapping the B button as fast as you can in the few
seconds you have before the player kicks it. On kick-off I'm lucky to get it
up to 6/8, and punts 5/8, usually lucky all the way for PAT/FGs. Punt
kicks are really bad. It only goes 40 yards when it's at 5/8. the average
kick even by the computer is usually 25 yards, and what's sadder is the
player usually has to run after the ball, and most times the ball bounces
back making horrible punt coverage! Also you get these power plays where
you have try to fill this power bar by pressing B rapidly, but to me its
impossible, and very hard. I have never tackled the computer, which is
always so fast, which makes it very unfair. (hint: computer always goes
for them with less than 1:30 of each half, so you'll know when to avoid this)
Lastly, but most important is that the game includes ref's measuring to see
if someone got the 1st down. This at first is cool, but always when they
measure, they always give the first down, and this becomes time wasting,
and annoying. The whole point of measuring is to see if you got it or not.
Replayability: 7 out of 10
If you play regular season and then don't make the big game, Frank Grifford
will say try again, and you'll start a fresh season in week 1. I don't find it
harder, maybe a little easier (esp. maybe for the power plays, or its just
me getting better, or a little of both. I seem to notice I get worse with
them as the season progresses) This game is a game that I will replay every
so often. Even once I mastered it, its still fun to play, but its not the best.
Game Value: 8 out of 10
I don't see this game advertised much, and didn't even know it existed
until I saw it at warehouse that was something like "Unofficial World of
Nintendo" back in Oct.1994 (year after the game came out) I think it was
around $20. I don't think it was totally worth the price, but I was pretty satisfied.
Setting: 7 out of 10
The helmets don't contain the real NFL logos, but some wild made up
symbol. The colors do pretty much match the NFL uniforms, (except NJ
supposed to be NY(N) which in this game has them in gold, white, blue)
Also the players are made up, (you won't find Marino, Bledsoe, Montana
here), but the teams are pretty accurate. If you do choose to create your
own custom team you'll get this red uniform team. You can't choose a
color to their helmet/uniform. Also the game does not allow you set
time for quarters, each quarter is 5 minutes, but I don't find this bad because
it takes about over half hour to get through a game pretty much this way.
The game has a pre-season option (the computer randomly selects its
team) a 2 player option, and the regular season (where you play. If you
created/renamed a team you only have it here, you'll have the original
for pre-season/2 player option) The game will save the last 2 best
replays Frank Grifford calls, it gives you an option that let's you see the
credits from the stadium view with fireworks going off, and an option
of stereo/mono) You get to choose from a play book of about 12 running
and 12 passing plays. You get to choose 4 running and 4 passing, in a
middle of a game at half time or before you start your game. All power
plays are the same, and for the passing it's luck. You choose one of the
the 3 buttons, A= short pass, X= Medium Pass, Y= Long Pass, and most the
time you'll complete it, but other times its incomplete or picked off. I
mentioned its hard getting the meter up, and for the short pass power
play that's where I am only able to get it up slowly and gradually. Also
on a short pass you will never be picked off, where more chances are on
the long pass. For the run power play the quarterback will hand off to the runner
and you have to then just fill the meter. These power plays are cool, but
you only get 1 pass 1 run per half, and they work like time-outs (meaning
if you had 1 at the end of a half, you won't have two. Also if you go into
overtime, whatever you had left stays) The power plays are also difficult
and I haven't even mastered them. Also when on defense you try to guess
your opponent's play but you can't choose power play. (maybe this is why I
am never able to tackle the computer here) Also the game has an option
where you can view basic stats. Basic standings of the teams (Win-Loss).
Player stats; passing (COMP, YDS, TDs), Rushing (ATT, YDS, TDs), Receiving
(Catches, Yds, Tds), and then sacks (shows how many sacks a player has made)
What I think should have been done to make the game better
First I don't like having to wait 30 seconds, to have the officials see that
I got the 1st down then give it. The power plays should be easier, or you
should have more (like maybe pre-season where you can practice and get
a feel for them), or if there was a Game Genie code that gave you something
like infinite power plays. If there are going to be rosters with player's
numbers then you should see them in their uniforms with their number so
you can see who is who. The punts should have been set up better. You only
get 30 yards with the meter filled 5/8, where I think it should be more like
40-45 yards. Same with kick-off, except it was designed little more accurate.
Also as I mentioned before, rain only lasts like 4 minutes in this game when
it does happen. This could have been set up so it would rain all game, or just
more various times, instead of it lasting 4 minutes. The rain does occur
any random time though. In my opinion, that's about all the things that this
game needs to make it perfect.
Overall: 9 out of 10
Overall I think that this is a rather fun, rough football game. Its fun to
play, and even funny. This really isn't the best football game, but if you
are the type of person who like sound/graphics I'd definitely recommend
it, because the sound and graphics of this game are very well done. If you
are the person who just wants a decent or precise football game then I
wouldn't really recommend it that much, but not say it would be awful.