ESPN NFL Prime Time

by ESPN NFL Prime Time Playstation 2

Product Features

• * Excellent presentation and stats tracking
• * Probably the best franchise mode available
• full team descriptins

Product Details

• ASIN: B00005NCAB
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,922 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

ESPN offers up its own NFL coverage on the occasional Sunday and Thursday nights. It's not as wacky as Fox's nor as staid as CBS's--and it isn't as prestigious as ABC's Monday Night Football--but it is a recognizable name to mainstream fans who might notice it in a field dominated by other football video games. ESPN NFL Primetime doesn't outdo the other titles in rushing and passing, but its gameplay holds its own in a crowded market, plus it has a franchise option that can't be touched.

The graphics are quite good. Although not as flashy as NFL 2K2 or Madden NFL 2002, they at least offer a great deal of speed. All the animations are performed quickly and with little of the slowdown that's plagued many a first-time sports game franchise. The result is slightly faster-than-normal gameplay that's quite exhilarating, but makes the game somewhat more difficult to get into. It doesn't help that tackles are performed from a bit too far away, and too many tacklers seem capable of stretched out 5-yard leaps.

The running game is a bit frustrating at first. Basically, only the best backs in the business can gain even 2 to 3 yards per carry; the rest get stopped in the backfield by the defense. Passing isn't much more realistic as long bombs are a bit too easy to catch, even in traffic, but that same complaint can be leveled at every football game this year.

Primetime's extensive franchise play is as deep as the competition's, but offers a hard-core NFL fan's attention to detail when it comes to stat and scouting reports. Stats even include such real-life minutiae as a player's 40-yard-dash time and how much he can bench press. Combine that with the excellent use of ESPN's visual style and commentary from Chris "Boomer" Berman and Tom Jackson, and the game really does look and feel like a Sunday night broadcast. This one is recommendable to true football fans--even if they're already playing with the competition. --Andrew S. Bub

Pros:

• Excellent presentation and stats tracking
• Probably the best franchise mode available

Cons:

• The running game isn't perfect
• Neither is the passing game

Amazon Preview

ESPN broadcasts NFL games on Sunday and Thursday nights. While not as traditional as ABC's Monday Night Football powerhouse or Fox's Sunday afternoon coverage, ESPN offers broadcast experience and a hard-core football sensibility. That makes a video game based on the broadcast a compelling package for NFL fans indeed. ESPN NFL Primetime will feature the commentary duo of Chris Berman and Tom Jackson, and will offer all 31 NFL teams and all the players.

Expect extensive playbooks and a robust play editor, as well as a unique TV-style presentation based on the cable network's coverage. You'll also be able to create your own players, and engage in practice, exhibition, playoff, and full-season play. Konami is also talking up something called QB/Receiver logic, which lets computer-controlled receivers move logically to the ball after it's thrown, thus shaking off coverage and making a crucial surprise play when needed. The game also looks as though it has some state-of-the-art visuals. They might even be good enough to make you question whether you're playing a game or watching ESPN on Sunday night. --Andrew S. Bub

Read about a full season's worth of football video games in Amazon.com's Pigskin Preview.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dissappointing, November 29, 2001

By 

"superhose11" (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ESPN NFL Prime Time (Video Game)

This game was very dissappointing to me. First the graphics aren't very good. Secondly, the gameplay is near impossible on any mode but rookie. When you control players, it feels like they are floating, there is no such thing as momentum in this game.

There are very few moves that can be performed on defense. You either knock your guy down, get knocked down or end up locked to the other teams blocker. It seems like players are magnetically attracted to each other.

The commentary is poor. There is a lot of repetition, but that is prevalent in all sports games. However, Tom Jackson sounds like he is reading from que cards and having trouble seeing those que cards. Sometimes the commentary is irrelevant to what is going on on the field.

This game has some good features, the create a player is good and the TV style presentation is attractive. However these are not enough to save the game. I purchased this game because I have EA sports NCAA football and I wanted something different in a pro football game. Needless to say I should have stuck with Madden or NFL 2k2. Konami is going to have to make some huge improvements before I ever buy another football game that they make.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Yuck. Stick with Madden or NFL2k2, November 21, 2001

By 

Jon (Denver) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ESPN NFL Prime Time (Video Game)

One word can describe Konami's Primetime 2002 - cheesy. The graphics, although quite sharp, make one feel like they are watching Saturday morning cartoons, not the game on Sunday. Couple that with TV like captions (scoreboard, on screen updates, etc.) and you get a pretty bizarre picture.

Not to mention the announcing... Berman does a solid job in my opinion, but unfortunately Tom Jackson sounds choppy and scripted... obviously reading his lines. It may not seem like a big deal first, but after 3 or 4 games of hearing it, you're more than likely to mute the TV like I did.

Gameplay is fast and furious and not at all Tecmo-like, as some previews described it as. There is no depth whatsoever to the game, simply drop back and tap the corresponding receiver button... no route-based passing or even the ability to lob or throw a bullet, which leads to constant incomplete passes as defenders zoom to break up ridiciously thrown balls. The running game plays decently, but it becomes quickly frustrating when a defender 10-12 yards away from you flys out of nowhere and makes a spectacular, mind-boggling, not to mention quite unrealisitc tackle... again and again and again.

Altogether Primetime 2002 lacks the genuine look and feel of the real game and does nothing but provide complete annoyance to the player. Stick with Madden or NFL2k2.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT, December 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: ESPN NFL Prime Time (Video Game)

This game is a lot of fun. It's not as sim-like as Madden, but has a fast arcade-like feel. The Franchise mode is excellent. I really love the ESPN style overlays and Chris Berman is excellent. The graphics are great, with some of the best tackle animations I've ever seen.