NFL Quarterback Club '99

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a game by Acclaim, and Iguana
Genre: Sports
Platform: Nintendo 64Nintendo 64
Editor Rating: 8/10, based on 4 reviews, 8 reviews are shown
User Rating: 9.0/10 - 2 votes
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See also: Sport Games, Sports Management Games, Football Video Games, NFL Games

Last year's sales winner in N64 football was NFL Quarterback Club 98. While I personally did not review this game, the reviewer seemed to have mixed emotions. On one hand, you have great graphics and the only NFL license on N64, but on the other hand, the AI was a bit on the suspect side. Well, Acclaim Sports has taken all the criticism to heart and has gone the extra yard with QB Club 99. Did they succeed, or will their reign at the top be short-lived?

So what do we have that is new this year, you ask? How about a totally revamped Artificial Intelligence system, 250 new motion captured animations, new graphics, a revised game engine and commentary by actual NFL announcers? To answer the question, a whole lot is new this year. The competition is quite a bit stiffer with Madden 99 in its second year and securing the NFL license. It is time to lace up those cleats, adjust your jock and get ready for some football lowdown.

Gameplay

There is something about this game that is different. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is just something different. Anyway, this aside, there are plenty of things that are quite familiar. For one, the NFL license. That is right, all your favorite NFL players are here. Not only that, but you have teams from the WNFL as well. Sure, nobody knows any of these players, but it is still cool to have the option to play as them. You can never have too many options when it comes to selecting your teams.

As far as the overall interface and setup, QB Club 99 does a nice job. The menu system is very intuitive and easy to use. You can pop in the game and jump directly into a quick game, or you can delve deeper into the options. There is just about every option you could ever want out of a football sim. One thing that I did have a problem with was saving a season. I don't know if it was just me or if there is actually a problem here, but I never could figure out how to save a season.

There is still something that is really different about this game that I can't put my finger on. It is really starting to bother me. Anyway, you can have all the teams you want and the easiest menu system in the world, but that does not mean anything if it plays like crap. So how does it play? That is a tricky question. First, let's get one thing straight. This game plays like a sim more than an arcade-type game. If you are looking for an outrageous football game I suggest you check out NFL Blitz, because this game tends to lean more towards the simulation side of things. There are some arcade-style elements mixed in, but the overall feeling is simulation.

First off, it will take you at least five games before you are really comfortable playing this game. Since I did not play last year's version, I can't compare the gameplay between the two so I may be at a slight disadvantage, but I do play a ton of football games and it usually does not take me too long to get the hang of things. I am not really sure if this is good or bad. What it does mean is that it will take you a long time to master the game and I am still not good enough to beat the computer at all times. This is a definite advantage to the replay value.

I really had a tough time getting an inside ground game going. I could usually gain some yardage on sweeps to the outside or pitches, but I really had a tough time gaining more than 1 or 2 yards up the middle. Is this realistic? To a certain degree. It would have been nice to break a few of these runs up the gut to keep me trying, but as it was, I found myself staying away from running up the middle and only pushing the ball outside on the ground. One thing that was annoying about the running game was that for some reason the running back would react differently than what I expected. Let me explain. Let's say that I ran a pitch right. I would hike the ball and everyone started moving right. The QB then pitched the ball to the running back. For some reason, the running back would catch the pitch heading to the left. I just could not figure out why he did not just catch the pitch and continue to the right. That means in order to continue to the right, I would have to stop his momentum from going left and head right, costing valuable seconds. If I took him left, I could occasionally break off a long run, but since my blocking was set up to go the other direction, I usually got stuffed.

I am still trying to figure out what the hell it is about this game that is different. I just can't quite pinpoint it. Anyway, the area where this game feels most arcade-like is in the receiving. The passing can either be controlled by pointing the analog stick in the direction of a receiver and letting the computer decide which receiver is the best choice, or you can select which receiver to throw to by pressing one of the C buttons or the A&B buttons. What feels arcade-like is the fact that the majority of your catches are diving, sprawling catches. It was rare that I would have a receiver catch the ball in stride and continue running. When it did happen, it was a beautiful thing. On the down side, it seemed like there were way too many dropped passes by open receivers. I can't tell you how many times I had a receiver break past the defender and lay the ball in perfectly, only to have the stupid receiver drop the ball. Ok, this does happen in real life, but this is the NFL, Baby. Dropped passes should be the exception and not the rule.

I did have a couple of complaints about the game. First, the games tend to play at a snail's pace. Yes, it is cool to see your QB down on one knee drawing up the play in the huddle. It was not cool taking 10 seconds for the quarterback to walk up to the line and snap the ball. This was especially frustrating when the clock was winding down and I was trying to get off a quick play. It would have been nice to have a button to push to kick the QB's ass in gear and get him up to the line. Another thing that bothered me was that I felt removed from the action at times. There were too many plays on defense that just happened and I really felt like I had no control on the outcome. They just happened.

Graphics

This game runs on a modified version of the All Star Baseball 99 game engine. I know it sounds weird that a football game is based on a baseball engine, but don't worry, it works great. What it also does is give the game great graphics (even without the expansion pak). The players look...wait a second, THAT'S IT! I just figured out what's so different about this game. The players look real! They are not block 3D polygons. They are realistically shaped and very detailed. My mind is so conditioned to seeing blocky polygon players that when I see realistic-looking players, it seems wrong to me. What a treat these graphics are. I think that just about everyone will agree that the bar has been raised to new heights. The only complaints I can think of are that I seemed to be back away from the action a little, and there was a very minimal amount of slowdown at times.

Bottom Line

So now you are looking here to know which football game you should buy. Well, all I can tell you is that you won't go wrong buying either one. This game has some great features, and the player models are the best I have seen in any sports game to date. The somewhat distant feeling I got kept me from really loving this game, but it is definitely worth a look.

Download NFL Quarterback Club '99

Nintendo 64

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP

Game Reviews

More hi-res American football. Spoilt for choice on this department.

The finest American football game to have existed. The graphics are gorgeous and it plays a magnificient game of the 'ol gridiron'. Ahems, yes.

Practice

Last year's QBC suffered from the lack of a practice mode, forcing you to experiment with different plays in the unforgiving atmosphere of a full game. This time the designers have rectified that mistake and included a simple practice option where you can fine tune your tactics and mess around with the controls.

Scenario

The historic simulation mode returns with 32 new scenarios, including last season's Superbowl upset Surprisingly, you can choose to play as either side, so you can play the scenario as the determined underdog and fight for a last-minute victory, or you can try to hold on to a slim lead under heavy pressure.

Hi-res

Iguana are the undisputed masters of the N64's hires modes, and QBC 99 contains some of their sharpest, most realistic visuals yet The stadiums are modelled in a similar style to All Star Baseball. with video screens dotted around displaying the action in miniature, and seamless soft-skinned players.

Animation

The variety of different motion captures is staggering. When a player breaks through a tackle he stumbles for a few paces before regaining his balance; the quarterback looks at the running back before faking a hand off and stepping back; players will shrug and stare angrily when they miss a pass.

Replay Mode

With such a rich variety of animation, the best way to appreciate it in full is by using the replay mode. Move the camera around and you'll notice little details such as the logo on the ball, and the way the ball is actually caught and held by the receivers instead of being magically 'beamed' into their hands.

Rushing

The rushing game is a huge improvement from the last QBC game. Players actually look like they're making tackles now. instead of bouncing off each other. If a weedy player tackles a giant running back around the ankles, he'll find himself dragged up the field and into (cough) a whole world of hurt. There are twice as many different moves as Madden (hurdle, spin, juke, han-off and two kinds of dive), so there's more scope to continue a powerful run well into the opposition's territory. Barging through the opposition's defence is incredibly satisfying.

Passing

Pressing R pulls the camera right back to get a view of the entire width of the field, and little N64 buttons appear over the heads of the receivers so you can tell who's who. It works exactly the same as last year's QBC except the vasty improved realism of the game means that the receivers have to be positioned more carefully to make the catch. To make things a bit easier, the players will wave frantically to grab your attention when they're unmarked.

Analogue Mode

By switching to analogue mode, you can pass to the receiver you're facing using just one button, as in NFL Blitz. Madden also includes a similar option, but it isn't likely to be used very much in either game, as the standard 'buttons' passing method is so much more precise.

Quarterback Club 99 has some pretty big shoes to fill, since the first QB Club was the topselling N64 sports title of 1997. What makes it even tougher is the fact that the competition has figured out the whole high-res equals high-sales thing. But, pretty graphics can only go so far without some decent gameplay to keep it interesting (obviously). Undaunted, Acclaim has addressed this matter head-on and plans to wow us with a smarter, faster, deeper QB Club. Look out Madden, here she comes!

As mentioned, the Al was the biggest problem last year. Money plays were plentiful as were a lot of quirky Al moves. Defensive players would cover their zone but ignore the guy with the ball running by, etc., etc. These were really unacceptable problems which tainted the whole game as well as ruining its chances of being a true football sim like Madden or GameDay.

To combat this, the guys at Iguana have substantially beefed-up the Al by several means. One such way--game strategies written by New York Jets offensive coordinator Charlie Weis. Among other things, Charlie helped to implement authentic team playing styles: the 49ers' west coast offensive, the Steelers' ground attack, to name a few. Still another Al seminar involved intensive football strategy training for the programmers themselves. In other words, they lived, slept and ate football (yummy) in order to program a smarter game.

Other significant changes include a brand-new game engine made especially for Acclaim's sports titles (used in All-Star Baseball 99 already). In case you didn't know it, QB Club 98 actually used the Turok game engine. Hey if it works, why not?

Also new is a trademarked polygonal engine used to power the little guys. They call it Hi-Rez:vl and it features 640 x 480 resolution. Add to that all 30 stadiums rendered in 3D, 1500 different players (distinct body types) and 250 new animations including the Merton Hanks chicken dance and you've got quite a visual smorgasbord. But then again, graphics were never the problem in this game. In addition to the normal stock of 31 NFL teams QB Club 99 has six European Clubs. Finally some teams the Bears can beat, whoopee. But why stop with European football when you can create your own players and teams. Select their uniforms, salaries, abilities, coaches and even the logos. While it may not be as in-depth as WWF War Zone's create options, it's still fun to create a team called The Big Girly Men or the Dump trucks! Let your imagination run wild.

It's all academic at this point but if QB Club 99 indeed takes all the Al improvements mentioned and continues to look awesome, we could have a great football game on our hands.

NFL Quarterback Club '99 blites the N64 with the most gorgeous gridiron graphics of any football game this season. But will it have the championship gameplay to match?

In the Huddle

Quarterback Club is high-stepping toward pay dirt with all the features of an NFL powerhouse. The game sports the entire lineup of NFL players, stadiums, and teams (including the expansion Cleveland Browns), along with six NFL Europe squads. Quarterback Club also includes 30 team-specific playbooks. plus injuries, season awards, and historic simulations. You can play in Exhibition, Practice, Season, Playoff, Tournament, or Pro Bowl modes, and the all-new analog-passing system promises to provide gamers with more accurate throwing control than last year's game.

On the Field

Graphically, Quarterback Club is poised to sack gamers with unbelievable player animations, including tacklers getting dragged into the end zone and player-specific celebrations like Terrell Davis's salute and Merton Hanks's chicken dance. Players run, jump, and dive downfield at a much smoother, more lifelike pace than last season, and the game also includes new two-man commentary from ESPN's Mike Patrick and CBS's Randy Cross.

But enough with the glitz and gloss--will QB Club have the gameplay to satisfy hardcore football fans? Iguana guarantees it will, but judging by the rev we played, it's still too early to tell. Sometimes the game played great, with all the players blocking and tackling just like their real-life counterparts. Unfortunately, though, the game sometimes left us scratching our helmets as players ran and dove all out of position. Hopefully. Iguana will continue to tweak the A.I. before the game's release. Quarterback Club definitely has the potential to challenge Madden's current gridiron supremacy, but it still needs a lot of work before its season begins sometime this fall.

Quarterback Club is back for another season, promising to blindside football fans with improved graphics, tougher A.I., and better overall gameplay than last year's all-flash.

Goal to Go

Quarterback Club's dancing in the end zone with some of the coolest features and best visuals of any football game. All the NFL teams (even the expansion Cleveland Browns), stadiums, and players are included along with the six NFL Europe clubs and all the general manager abilities you could want: trades, draits, free agents, and the dreaded salary cap. If you take a team through a season, not only do players get older, but their attributes actually change according to their performance in the previous game. QB Club's new polygonal player models also look incredible, sporting all-new animations, like Merton Hanks' chicken dance and wicked new tackles. Madden, beware! Quarterback Club might finally have the total package necessary for a Super Bowl run.

Jetting to the Top

Although still early in development, NFL Quarterback Club '99 already appears to be a huge improvement over last year's game. For starters, the new A.I. and team strategies were written by New York Jets Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis. This season, players won't just follow scripts and cover pre-assigned spots on the field--they'll actually adjust to situations and tendencies as they occur in the game. Team strategies will also change during gameplay: For example, if you're constantly blitzing, the computer will start calling short pass plays to exploit the overly aggressive defense. If the A.I. comes together as planned, Quarterback Club should finally play as good as it looks.

With the football season well underway, Acclaim Sports is finally hitting the trenches with NFL Quarterback Club '99 to engage Madden ih an all-out gridiron war. While QB Club ranks hands-down as the best-looking football game ever, its A.I. and wacky passing physics spoil any ground the graphics so monstrously cover.

Second String

QB Club steps into the stadium with a very respectable lineup of standard features and play modes, as well as 32 historic Super Bowl situations.You can even create custom sims; using any modern day team. Plus, QB Club includes a fantasy draft, trades, and die ability to create custom players, teams, and playfeooks (unfortunately, you can't create your own plays as in Madden '99). Oh yeah, all the official teams, players, and stadiums are also accounted for.

While QBC99 is a more enjoyable game.to play than QBC98, there are still some'major , quirks in the Al and the passing game that mar what could've been a great title. Diehard sim-sters will wince when they notice the computer-controlled defensemen just standing in place rather than reacting to die play. Sim junkies will also frown as the opposing quarterback shakes off every tackle up and down the field: Its just'not very realistic when the QB rushes for 90 yards and twoTDs in the first quarter.

A sore spot for last years QB Club was its passing game, and evert though Iguana (the game's developer) has tuned it-up a bit for QBC99. the passing still needs some work. Unlike last year, where the ball hung in the air while the receiver ran his route (only to come down five minutes later), the quarterbacks this year either overthrow or underthrow the receiver So instead of having to wait for the ball to fall, you have to run your receiver to the spot the ball is going, which can be ahead of your receiver by as much as 15 yards,What this game really needs is a bullet pass.

Farve from Perfection

As for the positives, QB Club still sports the best graphics of any football title on the N64. and the two-man commentary from Mike Patrick and Randy Cross blows away Madden and Summerall's You'll also find that the four-player mode is a blast.'However, when faced with Madden's overall package of superior gameplay and deep sim-stylc features, QB Club will just have to settle for second best.

ProTips:

  • On obvious passing downs, try running upheld with your quarterback You'H be surprised how many yards you can rack up.
  • Pass the ball when your receiver gets a step beyond the comerback, then run to the spot onfield where you see the ground marker to make the reception.
  • Pick pass plays that offer a variety of routes: It's good to have a running back in the fiats, a tight end slant across the middle, and a receiver running a post pattern.
  • When playing defense, take control of the middle linebacker to stop quick slant patterns.

Graphics

Without a doubt, this is the best-looking gridiron game around. Each player sports impeccably clean details, and the in-game animations are simply awesome.The only hitch is that the frame rate could've been a little smoother.

Control

The games control is either to effective or not effective enough; The shimmy move to shuck off 'defenders needs to be toned down a bit, while the passing game Is in desperate need of a bullet pass.

Sound

The games sounds are really topnotch with awesome player collisions and a very intuitive crowd. QBC99 also sports the best two-man commentary for an N64 football game yet. Now if only Mike and Randy wouldn't repeat themselves quite so much...

Fun Factor

QBC99's arcade.-style gameplay will, appeal to the younger N64 crovyd.but hardcore sim gamers will bfe less impressed. The graphics.historical.sims,and excellent four-player mode add to its replay value, but the game's AJ and passing physics ultimately keep ir behind Madden as the number two title for the system.

Snapshots and Media

Nintendo 64/N64 Screenshots

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