Xbox
Released in 2001 by Microsoft Game Studios
Grade: C+
Microsoft’s first crack at football isn’t exactly fine-tuned, but it’s a fun, nice-looking football sim.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the first of three NFL Fever games, exclusive to the original Xbox.
Praises and gripes
There are some arcade-like elements, like bulky players, mechanical movement, and hard hits, but this game aims to be a realistic football sim with a lot of strategic depth.
Plays unfold somewhat slowly, especially long bombs down the field. The control can be clunky at times, so it helps to have well-planned strategy and deliberate execution.
Rushing and passing are well balanced. Certain routes work a lot better than others, though, and sometimes receivers don’t track the ball well. You’ll tend to exploit the game’s quirks instead of using well-rounded football instincts. A lot of battles for the catch look funky, but at least there’s a realistic mix of passes that are caught, broken up, and intercepted.
On defense, it’s intuitive to chase down your opponent and crush him with the reliable tackling controls. Pass coverage is often frustrating, though, because players get turned around easily.
Some odd things happen here and there. Passes get tipped in the air a bunch of times. There are few fumbles. Receivers lurch out of bounds as they make catches and it’s called a good catch. I do like that penalties are called at a good rate, and the calls feel reasonable.
With three difficulty options, the CPU opponent puts up a good fight but is horrible with coaching decisions, even worse than Madden and 2K from this era. The playbooks and before-the-snap adjustments are good enough for a 2002 football game. In addition to standard season and playoff options, there are helpful practice and training modes.
The graphics are nice and clean, despite a few funky animations. The commentary is bad, but overall the sound offers a solid football vibe.
It’s a little surprising that the Fever franchise wasn’t given more attention in its time. This game isn’t as good as Madden 2002, but it’s much more playable than NFL 2K2.