NFL Quarterback Club 98

In truly heroic fashion, Acclaim and Iguana have risen to the challenge of boosting the value of the Quarterback Club franchise. With a calculated eye on the Super Bowl Ring, they have made Quarterback Club 98 one of the most visually impressive videogames ever released.

This cartridge features a super high resolution (640 X 480!), as well as lighting and shading effects that are hard to believe. This is truly a title that will have passersby looking twice to see if a live game is being played.

It is the robotic, lifeless, clumsy movements of the polygonal players that will ultimately ruin the effect, however. It is also this crude animation, along with a lack of any real gameplay gusto, that sabotages this cart's chances to take the top football spot on the Nintendo 64.

Sooooooo Close

Acclaim and Iguana did almost everything perfectly right for QBC 98. They spent the dollars on the NFL license, so there are cool logos everywhere. They picked the right MVP to endorse the game, as well as contribute plays to it (uh, that'd be Packer, Brett Favre, in case you didn't know). They even called on a different professional football player - The New York Jets' Adrian Murrell - to handle the motion capture.

The playbook is solid, with tons of passing and running strategies - this being Brett's baby, though, you'll probably notice a slight bias towards the passing game. The player moves are thorough, with swim moves, stiff arms and laterals all a part of the picture. There's even some very cool depth to the cart. Like a collection of yesterday's best teams to play with or against, as well as some of the most exciting historical matchups ever, all preset and ready for you to test your skills. And if you burn through the fifty or so preset scenarios, you can then custom design your own.

A sports game wouldn't be too impressive these days without the ability to trade, create and sign players. You'll also want to be able to create your own teams, engage in a Fantasy Draft, and also manage your team's roster by keeping a vigilant eye on your salary cap. QBC 98 has you covered.

Even in the play by play department, Acclaim went over the top. They chose one of the best in the business, (who also happens to currently be one of least respected men in women's underwear), Mr. Marv Albert!

In almost every respect, Iguana and Acclaim have outdone themselves with QBC 98.

So, What Went Wrong?

There's no denying the visual command of this game. The artists have every right to be proud of the shiny presentation of QBC 98. However, it seems to me that the animation team at Iguana was not as concerned with blasting it between the posts.

The players in QBC 98 move like zombies. The control behind them is adequate but the resulting wooden animation hurts bad. Add to this, the fact that the gameplay of QBC 98 seems painfully slow, and you have a game featuring highly polished football pros who look more like they're trying to wade through a swamp than bolt to the zone.

I really hate to say it, but the disappointing speed and sloppy animation end up making this beautiful game feel exactly like playing a 16-bit slow-ass SNES football sim. Yes, the feature candy in this cart is yummy, but when it comes down to it, the actual tactile experience of playing the game is less impressive than it should have been. And I can blame that exclusively on the pace of the game, as well as the choppy moves of the players.

Skimpy Sounds

The audio component of QBC 98 is way below the standards set by its visuals.

Marv Albert, one of the most colorful sportscasters in the biz (some would say too colorful), sounds like he was recorded in the Sega Genesis' SportsTalk Studios - anybody who marveled at the scratchy monotone of the 16-bit announcers back then, should know exactly what I mean. His calls are cut up and spliced together in absurdly inorganic capsules. Their repetitiveness is much more annoying than the Maddenisms you'll endure in Madden 64.

As for the on-field sound effects, look for them to be muted and dull. No amplified referee calls, and hardly any squeaks or squawks out of the pros, makes the action in this cart almost a silent affair. If it weren't for the steady annoyance of Albert's MIDI-encoded sibilance, the silence of this cart would work wonders for sleep deprived football lovers everywhere.

The music in QBC 98 won't keep you up either. The developers at Iguana went all out and delivered... drum roll please... exactly one monotonous tune to the proceedings. Every time you turn the game on, switch to a menu screen, read the cool QB profiles, or pause for an instant replay, you'll hear the same damn music. A season of this and no one would blame you for wearing your football helmet all the time.

QBC 99?

Although I enjoyed last year's QBC 97 on the PSX, it was no match for the sharper looking (and playing) games from EA and Sony Interactive. It didn't really come as too much of a surprise then, to learn that this year Acclaim had decided to stick their bullets into one gun and release their football title exclusively on the Nintendo 64. The sales figures through the holiday season proved that they made the correct decision. QBC 98 has been more popular this year than Madden 64.

It is a tough decision to make between the two carts. N64 gamers are going to have to ask themselves what is more important to them;

QBC 98 - glossy graphics, a NFL license, loads of cool features, along with slow, poorly animated gameplay.
or
Madden 64 - great graphics, smooth animation, fast, solid gameplay, loads of features, but without a NFL license and a less impressive graphics resolution.

Personally, I favored the more immediately enjoyable and better playing Madden 64. I definitely understand why gamers have gravitated towards this cart, however.

One thing is certain, if Acclaim and Iguana are able to deliver a football game this pretty next year, with gameplay and control that is smoother and faster than the competition, there's very little doubt in my mind that Quarterback Club 99 is going to win all the glory.

As for today, despite the giant steps of Quarterback Club 98, I'd still rather play football on Sony's field. And on the N64, Mr. Madden gets my nod.

Pros

Cons

Bottom Line