NFL Fever 2000

NFL Fever 2000 is a video game in the sports genre developed by Microsoft Game Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios originally released in 1999. It is currently playable on Windows.

Bad and easy footballBad soccer games are too easy to make. The challenge of creating a good soccer game is due to the sheer breadth of the audience. Some want to manage a team. Others want to coach. Some like to throw the ball and others like to run the ball. You can't please everyone. Whether you like, love or simply enjoy NFL Fever 2000 depends largely on your point of view. In other words, don't watch a Sylvester Stallone movie if you want comedy.

NFL Fever presents itself as the lightest in the world of computer soccer. Team management takes a back seat to the coaches. Coaching takes a back seat to reading defenses before passing the ball. More than anything else, the ability to knock a player to the turf after doing somersaults, spins and gymnastic pirouettes takes precedence in this wonderfully entertaining game. If you're impressed by style over substance, this may be the best soccer game ever. If you're annoyed by the inconsistencies of the rules and the need to keep track of your star linebacker's stats, you won't get much out of this game. But if you're looking for pure arcade fun, eye candy and over-the-top action, this game is the way to go.

My dad is a soccer coach, so I grew up knowing the difference between a nickel and a dime before I knew how much each was worth. I knew what a shotgun was before I shot one. And I knew a fullback was made for blocking, not all that touchdown stuff John Riggins popularized in the early '80s. Fortunately, this game assumes, or at least rewards, this kind of knowledge. Interestingly, it doesn't really punish you if you don't know this kind of stuff. How? During the play selection sequence, Matt Millen will make a situational recommendation. If you need short yards, you'll see about six plays intended for small gains. If the clock is running down and you have a 14-point lead, only running plays are offered. If it's third and long, nickel and dime packages dominate.

If you choose to ignore Millen's advice, you can pick your own plays by selecting the offensive and defensive scheme (such as Pro Set, 3-4 or 4-3), and then choose individual plays from each line. You can see six plays at a time (which is much better than Madden's three) and each is easily identified as a pass or run play. The defensive lineups show not only the alignment, but also the responsibilities of each position. Once you've moved to the line of scrimmage, you can view the scheme and adjust your plans accordingly. Whether it's calling an audible or moving a player to another position, you have complete control over pre-snap decisions.

Offensive plays are balanced between running and receiving, although pre-snap planning is only moderately useful once the ball is in play. In the real world, the run sets up the pass (or the pass sets up the run). It doesn't really matter which prepares what, because as long as you can do at least one thing well, you can figure out how to do the other. Most computer soccer games lean heavily toward the pass, and I find that a bit repetitive.  NFL Fever offers a fair balance of running and passing; if you really want to run the ball, you can. But don't expect the game to be all about the running. Just as in the real world, if the defense suspects an offense, they can stop it by crowding the line and attacking the holes.

Bringing Back Barry - Part IRushing in NFL Fever works like the Detroit Lions, with four basic outcomes. The inside rush is by far the least successful play, rarely providing more than a yard or two. The outside rush gets a few more yards per carry, but rarely provides gains of more than 7 yards. The third type of run is the 'caught behind the line of scrimmage', which brings back memories of Barry Sanders and reduces the average yards per carry to negative numbers. Finally, the impromptu run provides the most satisfaction. It's usually the result of a play off tackle that bounces the runner to the outside and toward the line of scrimmage. If you want to rush the ball, don't be afraid to bust the play and run into daylight.

Passing is a little easier to learn but harder to master. After passing the ball, tap the 'A' button to light up the receivers. Simply press the button that corresponds to the open receiver and move the chains. At least in theory. In practice, you must identify the open receiver and throw the ball with the amount.

It is possible that we have multiple downloads available when different versions exist.