GameDay '97 for PlayStation - SCEA (Sony)

This review has been done as a collobrative effort between two sports
video game loving PlayStation Junkies.  Please understand that both of
us bring different attributes to the table, Geof is the better game
player, while Barry is the fan of the nice graphics and easy game
play.  Hopefully this cooperative effort will give you a good over all
flavor of the game being reviewed, with all sides nicely represented. 
Please remember though, opinions expressed here-in are those of the
authors and not necessarily those of the site where you are reading
this drivel! 8^) ;}


The GameDay tradition continues....

NFL GameDay by Sony was the early champ in the virtual football
stadium we call the PlayStation.  Last years release beat everyone
else to market, and set a standard that even kept Electronic Arts from
releasing their Madden game (with worries that it just wasn't up to
the quality level that Playstation owners would expect).  Electronic
Arts was right to have those worries.  The original GameDay was at the
time perhaps the greatest NFL game ever to have seen time in a game
console.  Now Sony has followed it up with GameDay '97.


Improvements over the Original GameDay

GameDay '97 is the long awaited sequel to last year's best seller
GameDay.  If you like a comprehensive football simulation, then this
game is for you.  GameDay '97 is everything its' predecesor was and
more.  Let's get to the specific improvements.

First, the gameplay is more involved.  In addition to the usual dive,
hurdle, spin, and burst modes, you now have the option to dive over a
pile of lineman, hurdle with a speed burst, or even throw in a juke or
two.  The combination of the moves is a first in football gameplay and
truly adds to the longevity of the game.

Passing control is nicely improved too.  Rather than just lobbing or
sending a bullet pass down the field, you can now lead a receiver or
even throw a bit of a stop fade.  Now that is sweet.  Your receivers
have advanced capabilities as well.  They can even do one-handed
catches.

Special teams play is incrementally improved.  The key difference is
the hang-time of punts and kick-offs is much more realistic.  Field
goal kicks are basically the same but seem to take seasonal effects
much more realistically.  Kicking a field goal in the "blizzard" mode
is near impossible!

Graphics and sound effects are basically the same as last years
edition. Sony did use the public announcer more effectively in that
you are not inundated with the incessant rambling for each and every
play (relative to Madden).


On the plus side

The game is fast and plays a lot like NCAA Gamebreaker.  Several folks
have said that the games are one in the same (with the addition of
college game specifics in Gamebreaker).  The artificial intelligence
is good in that running predicatable plays brings predicatable
consequences. Namely, you don't gain many yards!  The passing control
is spot on.  The running is
realistic in that on all but the easiest mode, running does not
consist of 90 yard runs on each play.

The statistics are the usual sound quality.  All the typical game
options are in tact with effective use of the memory card.  All the
players are there with the correct teams and they basically look like
they should.


Penalties and Infractions!

Okay, here is where we both go off a bit!  Overall, we'd rate the game
an 8 out of a 10, but there is a long list of negatives.  Let's get to
it.

Bugs, bugs, bugs.  The internet is full of reports of all kinds of
bugs. The reviewers of this game personally found quite a few
themselves (especially Geof, who seems to really put these games
through the paces).  What was Sony thinking of here? The game would
have been a 10 if some of the bugs were fixed.  For example, how could
you get into the playoffs with only 14 games played (when the team you
are playing have completed 16 games)?   Why would all teams be given
an automatic tie at the end of the season?  Why are some of the basic
rules of football not followed (e.g. fumble returns are not followed
correctly)?  We could go on here with a rather lengthly list of
documented problems, but why waste your time reading this article.  Go
to rec.games.sony to see for yourself.

Another negative is the lack of a proper celebration at the conclusion
of the Superbowl.  When you finish a season, win the playoffs, and
have a rout in the Superbowl, you deserve a celebration.  We want one! 
(Not that Barry ever makes it that far in playing these games, but
Geof is right on here!  When you win at a game, you deserve a good
celebration, and these game producers need to give it to us!!!)

Barry notices that the presentation of this year's game just doesn't
seem up to snuff.  The graphics within the game are still very good,
(among the best),  but the introductory menus for instance seem cheap
and cheesy, and just don't look like they belong in a quality game. 
(Barry recall's last years version as looking much more polished in
these areas).   Perhaps this has happened because EA finally did get
Madden '97 out, and actually beat Sony by several months.  It would
seem in many ways that Sony was worried about losing the early lead
they had to EA, and in fact rushed this update to try to maintain
their place in the market.  The problems that Geof found in the game
play seem to back this up as well.


Comparison to Other Football Simulations

Despite the negatives noted above, GameDay '97 still takes the crown. 
Geof logged in significant time on NCAA Gamebreaker, GameDay, GameDay
'97, and Madden '97.  He ranks them in the following order as of the
date of this writing (in parentheses is our numeric score):  GameDay
'97 (9 / 10), NCAA Gamebreaker (8 - 9 / 10), Madden '97 (8 - 9 / 10),
and GameDay (8 / 10).  

We are still waiting for the perfect football simulation.  Who will
bring it to us?



Rating: 8/10 


Geof Pejsa (gpejsa@erols.com) & Barry Dowell


Vital Statistics

Genre:  Sports/Football
Game Format: 1 CD for Sony Playstation
Publisher: SCEA (Sony)
Audience: K-A (Kids to Adults)
Players: 1 or 8 (multi-tap adaptable)
Memory card: 6 - 12 blocks
Street price: $59.95