NFL '97
1996 video game
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
NFL '97 is a football video game released exclusively for the Sega Saturn. New gameplay features included the ability to control the speed with which the ball is thrown and the use of a blue arc to track possible receivers.[2]
| NFL '97 | |
|---|---|
Cover art picturing Kordell Stewart | |
| Developer | GameTek[1] |
| Publisher | Sega |
| Series | Sega NFL |
| Platform | Sega Saturn |
| Release |
|
| Genre | Sports |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer (1-8 players) |
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 57% (4 reviews)[3] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 4.5/10[4] |
| GameRevolution | B+[5] |
| GameSpot | 4.8/10[6] |
| Next Generation |   [1] |
NFL 97 received mostly poor reviews. Critics highly praised the play editor,[4][6][1][7][8] but criticized the player animations,[4][6][1][7][8] the camera,[4][6][7] and various aspects of the gameplay. Tom Ham elaborated in GameSpot: "For example, it's hard to distinguish who the receiver is, and the quarterback takes too long to hand the ball off. Even executing a kickoff was painful."[6] Next Generation found the most fault with the passing arc,[1] while GamePro focused on the limited number of player moves, and concluded that "with so many serious flaws, the game's just no fun to play."[7] Kraig Kujawa of Electronic Gaming Monthly simply said that "it hurts to play NFL '97."[4] Colin Ferris gave it a positive review in Game Revolution, citing the playbook editor, bigger player graphics, and control of passing arc.[8]
