AGH Jaguar Review:
TROY AIKMAN FOOTBALL

by Williams

Troy Aikman Football finally fills a void in the Jaguar library by becoming the first (and quite possibly last) football simulation. Yeah, Brutal Sports Football beat Aikman to market, but that's more of a fighting-sports hybrid and a poor one at that. The Jaguar version of Aikman won't make you toss John Madden Football in the dumpster, but it's not a stinker either.

Basically a slightly upgraded version of the 16-bit SNES and Genesis game, Aikman has the authentic NFL teams on hand, but the lack of an NFLPA license hurts the sim aspect of the game immensely. Aikman is the only real player, so unless you're a Cowboys fan you'll probably be disappointed. The playbook is relatively large, although some plays just don't seem to work as well as others. And you're best served to play against a real opponent because the computer's A.I. is terrible. Any player who can't move their offense up and down the field without scoring probably isn't trying.

Graphics are so-so and look like an almost direct port from its 16-bit predecessors. Player movements aren't smooth at all and the characters seem to blur together. Sound effects and sound samples are limited, with only grunts, the yell of the quarterback saying "hut hut hike" and the referee's whistle comprising most of the audio effects.

Jaguar owners dying for a football simulation can do better by picking up Madden or numerous other superior titles. Unless, of course, the Jag is the only system in your household, in which case it's the best 64-bit football game on the market -- by default.


Title Troy Aikman Football
Publisher Williams
System Atari Jaguar
Graphics 5
Sound 5
Gameplay 5
Overall 5
Reviewer Keita Iida

Go to previous page