NFL Backyard Football 10 :: Wii Game Review

With over 35 NFL pros and all the team logos and colours of the real-life National Football League, Backyard Football ’10 comes to Wii from Atari. Play with up to four players in multiplayer action for co-operative versus battles, a series first, in a team made up of some of your favourite NFL pros like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

False Advertising?

Though the back of the box touts “Realistic Football Action” this game is nothing but, with dumb as rocks Artificial Intelligence that lazily mirrors your movements with the ball as it defends your ball carrier’s run. None of the players really resemble their real-life counterparts or play any differently than each other despite having different statistics for things such as throwing, catching and running. The graphics are a throwback to the Nintendo 64 era but with a slightly higher resolution and show a lack of polish consistent with the package as a whole.

Think of the Children!

Even for the youngest pigskin fans, Backyard Football ’10 has little to offer, especially on a system that has a simplified Madden NFL 10 for the casual football fan. EA’s Madden has been designed for the Wii with much more care and enthusiasm and caters to younger gamers less familiar with the rules and procedure of more simulation-style football games. Backyard Football’s extent of using the Wii-mote pales in comparison to Madden too, with the only motion action a shaking of the remote combined with a button press to pass.

Play Ball?

There is nothing to like about Backyard Football ’10: everything it offers is bested by Madden. With weak commentary, dated graphics, poor presentation, lazy artificial intelligence, bland gameplay and underused motion controls, Backyard Football ’10 should be avoided.

Rating:

Price: $29.99

ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

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