Things are getting a little macabre here in the Undertow studios as far as my reviews
go. I'm taking a look at the dying days of the Sega Genesis and their games thereof in
the year 1998, and a lot of them have been sports games. Please choke back your tears
and hang with me as we look at NFL 98, the final American football game created for the
Sega Genesis by Sega Sports. This game is different from the Madden series by EA Sports
in terms of attitude and game speed, making it quite enjoyable. Your playbook has a plethora
of defensive plays with unconventional names, such as Whale Tail Right and Oregon Trail
Left, which afflicts the entire opposition with dysentery and broken wagon wheels, which
are tough to sustain during a deep playoff run. Although you probably couldn't tell from
the way I play the game, NFL 98 tailors gameplay to your needs, meaning you can choose a la
carte how well you or your opposition execute player speed, burst effect, all the way to
pass accuracy and blocking. So really, there's no reason for me to keep throwing interceptions,
right? The year 1998 showcased some of the greatest teams in NFL history, such as John
Elway's Denver Broncos, the 49ers featuring Jerry Rice and Steve Young, even Randall Cunningham's
Vikings, who shows his prowess with Cris Carter and Randy Moss. If you don't yet have the
handle of the controls, you can practice with just your team on the field, but to be honest,
I feel that building your skills should be done on the football field with another team.
One thing that can be deceiving about NFL 98 is the way the camera zooms out during
a kick return. I feel like I just fumbled the ball and scramble to hit the right buttons
to recover it, but then I hear the whistle and the play goes dead. At the same time,
when you are still carrying the ball, you may feel like you've run towards daylight
when in reality, you've only run for ten yards. Yes, even though NFL 98 marked the end of
an era that would soon give way to the Playstation and Nintendo 64, this is still a very capable
old school football sim. This game plays very smoothly, uses the classic three-button play
calling system and has overall flair, as trash talking and late hits are still allowed. Even
though Sega would dissolve the franchise after NFL 98, this game should serve as a harbinger
for better things to come, much like the end of Slash Stewart as Steelers QB.
