iPhone Reviews 2.0

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NFL 2010 is a football game by Gameloft. $2.99

Gameloft got in first with their own football game, picking up some early cash before Electronic Arts own Madden 10 was released onto the App Store. NFL 2010 is the first true football game that we could call anything near good. Earlier on we reviewed a game called PocketSports Football, but this game was far from anything we would call a good game these days. NFL 2010 features not only a complete football experience, but has somehow also managed to scrap up the permission to use complete NFL teams and player names, just as Madden 10 already had. This is the main reason why this game got its time in the spotlight before the arguably better, more known, yet more expensive Madden 10 came and stole the spotlight as the true football experience. For $7 less does this game live up as something to buy, or should you skip it and go with the premium option of Madden 10?

My first impressions of playing this game was how impressive this game was graphically. We have had a fair share of sport games on the App Store with the most realistic looking being Tiger Woods PGA Tour. NFL 2010 however features the players in a similar manner to Real Soccer 2010 so I was thinking the players would look kind of dodgy. However the players are incredibly detailed and can generally be told apart if you know your team well enough in the real NFL. The players move and feel well enough like real players and this game is of a very high standard for the iPhone. To do a quick comparison with Madden 10 however, the graphics I feel are much lower when directly compared to Madden, but with $7 off on the price you are certainly not getting robbed with bad quality.

NFL 2010 has very easy controls that make it perfect for those who are new to the game or even the code of football. Everything from the on screen way to pass or punt the ball right down to the way to choose your plays is done in an easy manner. To choose plays you select options which bring down the next set of options, which can be swiped left or right to see more options. Once you choose your plan in either defense or offense you then automatically set your team up on the field. You can control any player you wish by selecting them then moving them around with the D-Pad. In offense you throw the ball by touching the player you wish to throw it to. In both defense and offense you sometimes get the option to avoid a tackle or deflect/intercept when special buttons come up on the screen. The game goes into slow-mo and you have more time to choose the right option for the situation, which is quite a cool part of the game.

Comparing NFL 2010 to Madden 10 to me is almost like NFL 2010 is the arcade version while Madden 10 is more of a simulation match. NFL 2010 doesn't seem to be as realistic but more fun to repeatedly play as a more arcade version of NFL. There are just little things in NFL 2010 that don't seem to be possible but there are also aspects of Madden that need to be altered also. While neither are perfect Madden seems the most realistic. Surprise surprise, NFL 2010 is about leading your favourite team (In my case the Cardinals) to victory in any way possible. There are various games modes to play including quick play for a fuss-free match, exhibition where you can fine tune a solo game to play, season mode to play through a season length of your choice and the playoffs where you try to win the Superbowl while skipping the season. The games are short and fun but I found after a small bit of practice incredibly easy. Even on hard mode I managed to win a game with 2 minute quarters 37-7. What I found is that there is one defensive play and one offensive play that I can continue to play and they don't figure out how to beat it. I would really like to see the other team have a smarter football brain with the ability to beat recurring plays like my tactic. Apart from this I find NFL to be a fun experience.

Where I stand in the NFL 2010 vs Madden 10 debate is that NFL 2010 is for 'softcore' fans of the sport as such who don't care about super fancy graphics, more realistic gameplay and the big price for more strategies etc. For only $2.99 NFL 2010 is an extremely generous price and really anyone who doesn't want to pay for the best will be incredibly satisfied with their purchase of NFL 2010. Still splashed with the Gameloft quality we have come to know and love, this is really a game that will have you shouting 'Touchdown!'... just maybe not when playing Madden 1o.