ABC Sports College Football: Heroes of the Gridiron - PC Review - Gamecenter

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ABC Sports College Football: Heroes of the Gridiron

continued
Intentional Grounding
From here, the game spirals downward. First, because there are only 32 teams, true league play is out. Instead, teams are divided into four unrealistic conferences based on geography. Once the game starts, there are two modes to choose from: Coach and Player/Coach. The player mode is the most disappointing. ABC Sports College Football: Heroes of the Gridiron Control is jerky and so is the animation. Stadiums aren't rendered realistically, the offensive line doesn't pick up outside blitzes, and the game just isn't as fun as the competition. By default, the joystick isn't even configured to throw the ball. The coaching mode is better, but a lack of visible labels on plays (unless you hover the mouse over them) ruins an otherwise elegant play-calling interface. There is a very nice coaching profile feature, which allows players to determine the percentage of plays used in any given situation. However, I was frustrated by the often obscured play clock, players running different plays than called, and slow simulation times.
Multiplayer options are a plus for any game, but HOG has its drawbacks. A maximum of two players is not sinful, but it does pale next to some of the competition. Two players can play/coach on one PC, but when connecting two computers via modem, LAN, or Internet, only coaching mode is allowed. Also, I experienced a number problems with multiplayer session including TCP errors (when running IPX) and crashes when playing over Mplayer.
I am a hard-core college football fan, so I found some enjoyment from HOG: the history sections, authentic fight songs, and the all-time rosters. But the game itself was the least enjoyable part. With a lack of attention to detail (missing logos, incorrect stats, buggy performance) and some frustrating extras like an autoplay feature that always runs the install program instead of the game, as well as unstoppable DirectX installation (which caused me hours of grief), I am hard pressed to recommend ABC Sports College Football: Heroes of the Gridiron to anyone other than football history buffs.
As for prospective game reviewers still looking for a college to call their own but who don't have the grades or cash to attend one of the finer gaming universities, I recommend the following community colleges (named after classic computer RPGs): Diablo Valley Community College or Rogue Community College.
Tips
-Use the number keys (1-0) to switch camera angles before the snap. This is a good way to check coverage on receivers.
-When in coaching mode, I found success running the option against a 3-4 defense. The computer rarely catches a fast pitch man.
-ABC allows any team to choose from a large variety of plays. Although unrealistic, this is a boon for offensive coordinators. In real life, a team can only be effective in a few formations--each one requires practice. In HOG, run them all to confuse opposing defenses.
If you like this type of game, you might want to check out NCAA Football 98.

Hugh Falk believes that all video games are really tests in which the best players will one day be swept up by aliens to fight for the freedom of the universe. He has dedicated his life to critiquing and hopefully improving games for the sake of Earth and the universe. Agree or disagree with the review? Let us know.

Facts

ABC Sports College Football: Heroes of the Gridiron
ABC Interactive, 541/850-8201
Price: $45.00
Pentium-100, 16MB RAM, 45MB disk space, SVGA, 2X CD-ROM drive, Windows 95; Sound Blaster or compatible sound card

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ABC Sports College Football: Heroes of the Gridiron

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