Audio:		8.0
Visual:		7.0
Gameplay:		7.0
Story:		8.0
Replay:		9.0
Score:		8.0

Platform:	X360
Developer(s):	EA Tiburon
Publisher(s):	EA Sports
Genre:	Strategy
Players:	1
Release Date:	September 02, 2008
Rating:

In the day and age of the gridiron that we know as football there has been one game that has dominated the gaming community in the terms of sports and that is the Madden series brought by EA Sports. Well, a few years back they started doing a game called NFL Head Coach which got some good looks, but ultimately was seen as Madden without the football. With interest in the NFL at an all time high, the interest in NFL Head Coach has grown a little. Can EA deliver yet another sports game to continue its seemingly unstoppable monopoly of the sports world? Or will this be something that falls into oblivion as a waste of time and money? Let’s see…

Story:

You are the head coach of an NFL franchise [you can be a real head coach or create your own] and you job is to take the franchise to the top of the peak. While taking over the duties of coaching in the games and calling the plays, you must also sign free agents, scout prospects, teach your players the playbook, create new plays, and complete certain goals that your fans, GM, media, players and staff all want you to do. The story is surprising good and has a large amount of things to do. Through the story your approval rating will sway back and forth according to what you do or don’t do. As the head coach you are forced to make some decisions that you may not what to and this will effect your approval as well as your roster and staff.

Surprisingly this game has an interesting take on the NFL in light of the Madden game franchise. While in Madden you act like a GM, signing, trading, cutting and such, it is all very different in NFL Head Coach. For one, your approval in Head Coach determines your standing with your current team. I chose the Arizona Cardinals for my first time and went 11-5, won my division, made the playoffs, went to the conference championship and lost with an ending approval of 89. The next year I went 9-7 and still made the playoffs, but lost in the wild card round and got fired with an approval rating of 70. It is very difficult and much more strategic than Madden will ever be. While Madden is based solely on your abilities in the game, NFL Head Coach makes you play with strategy. The story is fun and creates some real suspense in the NFL.

Story: B+

Gameplay:

The gameplay is really interesting. When on the field and coaching you can make all the play selections and you have to be wise with your selections. If your team hasn’t learned the play they are more likely to screw it up, but at the same time running the same play over and over, makes the defense get used to it and therefore more likely to jump the play. You can get playmakers, when doing your gameplan and use them in game, such as making your O-line strong, hitting their RB harder and trying to force fumbles, getting a stronger rush on the QB, or tightening your DBs coverage.

While the on field gameplay is solid, the front office stuff is just as enjoyable. You have to choose what to train or who to train, scout college talent, re-tool your depth chart, sign free agents if needed, and train your coaches. The staff progress ability is a great asset and allows you to train yourself and your other coaches the way you want them to coach. You can also train your GM and add things like learning everything about small, mid-major and major schools to learn about all their talent. The game forces you to make decisions on the fly as well as coach your team. You have to complete goals or you will get fired. The lower your approval rating the less leeway you have with your team.

NFL Head Coach 09 isn’t without its major problems though. Running the ball is extremely hard even against terrible defenses. I was the KC Chiefs and in my third year as Head Coach I had a well established front line with an overall average of 87 and had Darren McFadden an overall 91 at this point. Against the Raiders who still had no one worth a damn on their D front line I could only amass 78 yards on 23 carries with one TD. I had over 400 yards in the air though and thus my point is that the running game in 09 is still a rough one. Beyond that the game is still solid and the create a play is one of the best things.

The create a play has been expanded and allows you to REALLY create plays. Yes, you can make the Wildcat formation or the much loved option play as well as bring in a college coach and even add the heavily used spread offense [or hire Mike Martz]. You can do any kind of motion as well as blocks and the what not. You can sub in your QB for someone else in order to perform said Wildcat formation as well. This is great and an upgrade from games past.

The game itself, is really much harder than you would expect. With all the decisions you have to make you can’t just simulate all the way to the playoffs and be fine. You also have to be wise with your draft picks especially with your first and second rounders and look for gems in rounds 3-7. This game also continues EA’s use of a different name for New Englands HC Belichick by naming him Hal Ophamer. It’s pretty funny actually.

Gameplay: B+

Graphics:

Graphically speaking NFL HC is pretty good. All the head coaches look pretty similar to their real counterparts, you can even see the despair in former Lions HC Rod Marinelli. The only real gripe I have with the graphics and the game itself, is that you cannot create your own HC look. It has been something EA has been seemingly reluctant to use. It seems, “Ask not what AE can do for you, but what you can do for EA.” To which we all open our wallets and buy a game with a heavily overrated player on it [Michael Vick, Vince Young, Brett Favre] and continue to eat it up. All we ask for is a little customization!!! You let us move our franchise to another city if we oh so desire it, but as far as customizing our face that is a no no!

Anyway, back to the graphics, the in game is just as tight as Madden is and includes all the angled shots for your pleasure. Graphics are not what the game goes on and they are easy to see that. While the graphics are Madden acceptable they are still decent at best. Graphics in the game are a thing that is secondary to the game itself and are nothing more than that. Don’t make graphics the reason behind playing most sports games especially ones that focus on the front office and dealing aspects of the game.

Graphics: B-

Sound:

The sound is pretty cool in NFL HC 08 and it really gives that coliseum feeling with the epic musical soundtrack along with nail biting moments in game. [I won via a 56 yard field goal with 2 seconds left thanks to Neil Rackers] The game really keeps you on your fingertips with everything a real coach has to go through. Making critical draft picks, extensive trades, as well as gameday starting positions and which play to run. You may think it would be really easy, but it really isn’t.

Hearing your OC and DC get pissed when a play goes awry is kind of funny along with your emotions you can do. The sound is really a great setting for the game itself and keeps the ‘grid iron’ feeling in the football game. I must commend EA for making a better game here especially sound wise.

Sound: B+

Replay:

Let’s just say I have several different saved franchises and just bought the game the other day. I find myself enjoying it more and more after each play and the decisions you have to make are just something fun as well. Playing against friends as well as online is additional fun when you include the franchise mode that is the mainstay of the game. If you dominated Madden see if you can do the same with NFL Head Coach 09 and see how good you really are. NFL HC makes you give up the ability to lob the ball to T.O. or Fitzgerald and forces you to choose plays that are strategically made. If you have a heavy blitz coming and your QB doesn’t recognize it there isn’t anything you can do, but watch him get beat harder than Ashlee Simpson’s career.

Replay: A-

Overall:

The game is solid and well done. If you’re a strategy buff [Civilization series, Age of Empires series] and a lover of sports then this game is a good mesh for you. It combines the ware and tear of the NFL with the sweat and grime of the front offices that keep them running. You take the reigns of the franchise and attempt to drive it home to port in hopes of not only a Superbowl, but also of keeping your job. With the ability to lose it by simply releasing or trading someone that your owner deems necessary even if they aren’t [Seriously, how useful is Tony Gonzalez to the Chiefs? I got a first and second round pick out of him.] seemingly necessary to your teams development. With all your decisions being a make or break at times it really adds the heavy load of stress to the mix and with gametime decisions as well as in game decisions that can make or break your career, this game really tests you in the world of EA Sports.

If you think, “Hey I have Madden and I don’t want to play a game where I don’t get to actually play the game and only coach it” you are severely wrong. This game is very enjoyable and I was just as skeptical as you should be. If you’re gonna play a game like this you have to be skeptical and I must admit that it delivers and delivers well. With a game that is tense and enjoyable this is one of those games that is just too damn fun to put down. All I can say is simply that this game packs a punch that is rare to find in many sports games…replay ability.

Overall: B+

Achievements:

	Gameday Guru	50
	Complete a head to head match on Xbox LIVE
	Drawing Some Plays in the Dirt	10
	Create at least 10 custom plays
	Gold Miner	10
	Find 90+ Potential Training Camp Invite
	Media Darling	10
	Get your approval level with the media to 80, after one season
	Mr Popularity	10
	Get your approval level with the fans to 80, after one season
	Teachers Pet	10
	Get your approval level with your owner to 80, after one season
	Man of the People	10
	Get your approval level with your team's players to 80, after one season
	One Big Happy Family	10
	Get your approval level with your coaching staff to 80
	Xs and Os Guy	20
	Create at least 25 custom plays
	Goal Oriented	15
	Accomplish all of your Season Goals
	I'm The Decider	10
	Get 100 percent correct defining moments during a game day
	Best of all Time	100
	Go undefeated during a season
	We Like You	25
	Get an overall Approval Rating of 85, after one season
	You Arrived	30
	Win your first Super Bowl ring
	We Love You	50
	Get an overall Approval Rating of 90, after one season
	One for the Mantle	50
	Win the Coach of the Year award, after one season
	Welcome to the Club	125
	Win 100 games with a created coach
	Repeat Offender	100
	Win back to back Super Bowls with one team
	We Idolize You	75
	Get an overall Approval Rating of 95, after one season
	Best Ever	250
	Win the Super Bowl 3 times with the same team
Secret Achievements
	Nerves of Steel	10
	Successful Defining Moments 20+
	A Cut Above	20
	Get the highest overall approval Rating in the league, after one season