NFL '97
| NFL '97 | |
|---|---|
 Cover art picturing Kordell Stewart | |
| Developers | GameTek[1] Padded Cell Studios |
| Publisher | Sega |
| Series | Sega NFL |
| Platform | Sega Saturn |
| Release |
|
| Genre | Sports |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer (1-8 players) |
NFL '97 is a football video game released exclusively for the Sega Saturn. New gameplay features included the ability to control the speed with which the ball is thrown and the use of a blue arc to track possible receivers.[2]
The game was originally developed as Jimmy Johnson Football before Sega decided to release it with the NFL '97 name, while the PlayStation version was separately picked up by Interplay under the VR Sports label, and became Jimmy Johnson's VR Football '98, after being originally licensed to Konami.[3]
Reception
[edit]| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 57% (4 reviews)[7] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 4.5/10[4] |
| GameRevolution | B+[5] |
| GameSpot | 4.8/10[6] |
| Next Generation | 1/5[1] |
NFL 97 received mostly poor reviews. Critics highly praised the play editor,[4][6][1][8][9] but criticized the player animations,[4][6][1][8][9] the camera,[4][6][8] and various aspects of the gameplay. Tom Ham elaborated in GameSpot: "For example, it's hard to distinguish who the receiver is, and the quarterback takes too long to hand the ball off. Even executing a kickoff was painful."[6] Next Generation found the most fault with the passing arc,[1] while GamePro focused on the limited number of player moves, and concluded that "with so many serious flaws, the game's just no fun to play."[8] Kraig Kujawa of Electronic Gaming Monthly simply said that "it hurts to play NFL '97."[4] Colin Ferris gave it a positive review in Game Revolution, citing the playbook editor, bigger player graphics, and control of passing arc.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "NFL '97". Next Generation. No. 27. Imagine Media. March 1997. p. 92.
- ^ "NFL '97". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 89. Ziff Davis. December 1996. p. 327.
- ^ "Jimmy Johnson Goes VR" (PDF). Game Informer. August 1997. p. 31. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "Team EGM Box Scores: NFL '97". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 91. Ziff Davis. February 1997. p. 151.
- ^ "Recent Saturn Game Reviews". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on August 15, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Ham, Tom (December 1, 1996). "NFL 97 Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
- ^ "NFL 97 Review Score". Archived from the original on 2019-05-18.
- ^ a b c d Air Hendrix (February 1997). "NFL '97". GamePro. No. 101. IDG. p. 92.
- ^ a b c Ferris, Collin (June 6, 2004). "Ooo, that Play Just Didn't Work! Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
External links
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