Pigskin Preview

By JOSHUA QUITTNER

I am a man who lives among women, which is splendid most of the time--unless I want to play video football. "What about some football?" I suggest to my wife. "Maybe," she says, grabbing for the video-game controller. "But first some Bust-A-Move." Bust-A-Move! Oh, accursed game! My wife and daughters want to play only Bust-A-Move-2, a Tetris-like, digital opiate, circa 1996, that entails firing small colored balls into three-of-a-kind formations. When you lose, a chicken squawks in what sounds to me like a mocking tone. I will admit the game has appeal. But compared to football? Please.

"Come on, we can play NFL Blitz! It's so easy Pinky could learn it," I say, referring to the despicable, six-toed cat sleeping on my pillow. "First," says my wife, "some Bust-A-Move. No cheating."

I have spent the past few lonesome weeks collecting football games for Nintendo 64, the Sony PlayStation and the PC. (Mac users: Your sole choice is Playmaker Football, at $20 from Playmaker Software.) After fooling around with the titles that just came out for this season, I understand why football dominates the software-game charts: it has evolved into something complex enough to satisfy the most Nixonian of pigskin fans and yet is hugely entertaining for Sunday kibbitzers.

The Big Three--GameDay '99 ($40 from Sony 989 Studios), Madden NFL '99 ($50; EA Sports) and NFL Quarterback Club '99 (due out next month; Acclaim)--are locked in a play-off for market share among gamers who want realistic simulations and fat playbooks. Each game claims that its players are governed by state-of-the-art artificial intelligence that changes according to the play. Each allows you to select camera angles and slow-motion replays. Each features play-by-play analysis. So which of the three should you buy?

If you have a Nintendo 64 console, Madden is your best choice. Its 3-D graphics are not as vivid and sharp as those of Quarterback Club, but the game play seems to be more challenging. (Note: I saw only a demo of QC '99; I did not get to play it extensively.) On the Sony PlayStation I'd go with GameDay for its superior graphics and game play. Likewise, for a PC, GameDay is tops; if you buy the software, you can play the game free against others on the Net at www.989sports.com

While each of the Big Three has its own "dad mode"--which typically allows the less dexterous player to operate everything with a single button--each struck me as too complicated to enjoy right out of the box. Wondering if the problem might be me, I called Reilly Brennan, managing editor at GameWeek and a video-football expert. His favorite football game, it turns out, was my secret No. 1 too: NFL Blitz ($50; Midway), an irreverent, arcade-style, five-on-five game that works on all three platforms. "It's what a video game should be--easy to play and fast," he said. "It'll sell a million copies this year."

Tell that to my wife. After a few dozen games of Bust-A-Move, she yawns, displaces the cat and climbs into bed. Pinky sidles up beside me, and I fire up Blitz. I place his mutant paw on the controller. "No cheating," I say. It's lonely living among women.

Play links are at time.com/personal E-mail Josh at [email protected] Anita is on Digital Jam, 7:30 p.m. E.T. Wednesdays, CNNFN.