GameBreaker:  Plays Like a NeckBreaker

	SCEA's NFL GameDay set the standard for 32-bit football games before 
Madden 97 invaded the market.  GameDay has engraved its name in the annals 
of videogaming history as the premier and uncontested video football game 
of 1995.  Though lacking in big-name players and any long-term stats tracking, 
the game played a major role in veering would-be game system buyers.  
This is a galactic accomplishment.  Equally galactic are the expectations 
of Sony to produce football games of increasing quality and innovation.  
This summer we heard of a college version of GameDay in the works, complete 
with that which the original was lacking:  season-long stats, thus resulting 
in what could so far be the "perfect" video football game, with a slew of NCAA 
teams and various technological improvements.  The dawn has come.  
GameBreaker is here.  All the promises have been kept.  Finally, those lofty 
expectations can now be put to the test...

	Only one thing about GameBreaker is truly wrong, and it nullifies the 
game's attempt at realism and, thus--depending on your opinion--may also 
destroy the game:  the action on the field is too fast.  Everything happens 
about 50% faster than it should--and at its lowest speed setting (yes, the 
speed is adjustable).  It's like the players all took a triple-dose of Prozac 
with a 16oz. bottle of Jolt right after their six morning cups of joe.  
The players seem to run about 25mph and have the reaction time of a Pentium 
processor.  No mortal man could possibly survive a power tackle from one of 
these guys without suffering at least three broken ribs, a punctured lung, 
and moderate whiplash.  The football rockets through the air like a pitched 
baseball--dip your hands in glue and you might be able to catch it.  Real 
cheerleaders dancing around this fast wouldn't last a dozen downs.  I've 
heard GameBreaker was to be practically identical to GameDay 97, which 
is supposed to be 50% faster than the original.  That should have been 
50% smoother, not faster.
	
	However, after a couple cans of Mountain Dew, it's not so hard to tackle 
those lightspeed carriers with equally fast defenders.  Actually, after I 
played a couple quick games with a friend and started a Crimson Tide season, 
I began to kind of enjoy the game despite its hyperactivity (which turned 
rather fun after a while).  Though Madden 97 currently reigns PlayStation 
supreme, it's a refreshing change to play a football game that doesn't take 
itself so seriously by focusing on realism, which should be taken in small 
doses.  GameBreaker's fate will be determined by the expectations of GameDay 
fans and by realism fanatics who swear by Madden 97.  I predict those people 
will be sorely disappointed.  Everyone else will probably get a kick out of 
the game and find it's speed either a frustration or a challenge (let's try 
to be optimistic).

	Objectively, here's how I rate its ingredients:

	Graphics: 8   (a bit less polished than GameDay, with little FMV)
	Sound:  9  (same general GameDay effects, plus PA announcer and fight songs)
	Playability:  6 (just too damn fast, but it's not too hard to adjust)
	Convenience:  8  (-2 points for requiring 6-12 memory card blocks)

	OVERALL:  7  (If it weren't for the programming flaw of excessive speed,
 		GameBreaker would exceed GameDay by a considerable margin.)

	William Ward
	wwward@cinternet.net