Not worth your time

Background Info
Any football game released after 09.09.99 is subject to inevitable comparisons to Visual Concepts' NFL 2K. Not only does Quarterback Club 2000 (QBC 2000) face the unenviable challenge of measuring up to the standard set by NFL 2K, it also has to contend with Acclaim's legacy of producing sub-standard football titles. I've somehow managed to avoid playing previous installments of QBC, so I was able to approach QBC 2000 with a clean slate. While I didn't expect a game the caliber of NFL 2K, I was hoping for a solid and enjoyable football experience. Sadly, QBC 2000 doesn't even come close to delivering on those modest expectations.

Presentation/Graphics
Past incarnations of QBC have been hailed for their polished graphics and chided for shoddy AI. With the arrival of the Dreamcast, most every game now delivers jaw-dropping graphics and a game's visuals have to be REALLY impressive to stand out from the crowd. QBC 2000 is a nice enough looking game, but does little to distinguish itself from the pack. It doesn't move as fast or smooth as the best of the competition, and the ball and player models are not as smooth as they could or should be. There are some nice animations on display, but it's not uncommon to spot missing frames.

QBC 2000 aims for a TV-style presentation that is strikingly similar to NFL 2K. However, that's where the similarities end. It's almost unfair to mention the two games in the same breath. While NFL 2K is capable of fooling a bystander into thinking there's an actual game on TV, no one will be duped by QBC 2000. It's almost as though the developers knew what they wanted to do, but ran out of time. Games are introduced with extended camera shots of the field where the only thing to occupy your visual interest are the goalpost flags flapping in the wind. Instant replays are ushered in with the same sweep technique used in NFL 2K, but look downright cheesy in comparison. The replays themselves also leave much to be desired, lacking interesting camera work, and set to a musical soundtrack.

Presentation/Audio
The audio package here is of overall good quality. For the most part, the sound is clear and dynamic. Sound effects come across as quite realistic, but I could certainly do without the silly trash talkin'. It's more akin to NFL Blitz than to the classy implementation of speech in NFL 2K. Worse still is the crowd noise. Not only does it sound more like pink noise than an actual crowd, but it starts and stops as though someone is throwing an on/off switch in sync with the action on the field. Horrible stuff.

The two-man commentary team of Mike Patrick and Randy Cross does a more than adequate job. No, the commentary doesn't rank with Visual Concepts efforts or the best of EA Sports work, but apart from some overly long and repetitive intros (while you sit transfixed watching those aforementioned flags waft in the breeze), it's pretty non-intrusive. These guys aren't particularly verbose, but in some cases less is more.

Interface/Options
A good measure of any game's interface is how quickly and intuitively you can navigate its menus and figure out its control scheme without referring to the manual. In the case of QBC 2000, you've got your work cut out for you. Sure, it's simple enough to find your way into an exhibition or season game, but I ran into spots of trouble trying to get my offense onto the practice field and, especially, in successfully drafting a fantasy team.

I don't want to get too far into the control setup here, because I'm going to touch on it again in the Gameplay section. I will say, however, that it takes some adjustment for those of us brought up on a steady diet of Madden and, more recently, NFL 2K. The playcalling windows are Madden-esque, but they transparently overly the field (but NOT a la NFL 2K), and the small white diagrams can be hard to decipher. What's more, players are not identified by their corresponding button control. It's easy enough to figure out who's who once your offense comes out in formation, but it's a detail that shouldn't have been overlooked.

After having been spoiled by the ever so sweet replay interface of NFL 2K, the replay control in QBC 2000 is an abomination by comparison. It uses a toggle system to switch between standard and zoom controls, and ranks as perhaps the clumsiest replay interface I've ever encountered. After a few experiences with it I found it just wasn't worth the trouble to watch replays.

Gameplay
It's in the gameplay department where QBC 2000 really comes apart at the seams. The game offers a good selection of play modes (Exhibition, Season, Playoffs, Custom Players and Teams, Fantasy Draft, etc.), along with the ability to play classic matchups. Like NFL 2K, QBC 2000 lacks a franchise mode.

Once you hit the field, QBC 2000 starts to unravel almost immediately. In order to become accustomed to the game's control layout, I decided to spend some time in practice mode before suiting up against a real opponent. It took me quite some time (and several visits to the manual) before I was able to figure out how to THROW a pass, let alone complete one. Why? Because QBC 2000 features perhaps the most unresponsive control I've ever run into. The lag time from button press to command execution seems like an eternity. It's almost as if the game doesn't sense the input at all sometimes. And it's not just in-game, the same is true when navigating the options when the game is paused. Here's what's required on a typical passing down: Wait until team is set in formation, press Y for wide angle view of field, press A to snap the ball, press A again to activate receiver icons, press icon button to throw to receiver, press X when ball arrives to catch it. With that many button presses required to complete a pass, it's vitally important that the game be extremely responsive to controller inputs, and QBC 2000 is as sluggish as it gets. Football is a game of split second reaction and timing, and the control here completely destroys any illusion of reality.

The running game doesn't fare much better. Running backs have a nice assortment of moves at their disposal but pulling them off is easier said than done, again due to the control. Players accustomed to NFL 2K's control layout will notice early on that the turbo control is replaced in the QBC layout with a brake button. Just when you want to turn on the afterburners your runner stops dead in his tracks.

Player momentum and physics (though not necessarily size) are fairly well modeled. After months of NFL 2K's ankle tackles, it's nice to see players actually break and bounce off of tackles.

What about the AI you say? QBC 2000 has far more fundamental problems than its AI. For example, what difference does it make if a receiver runs a proper route if the control doesn't allow the QB to time a pass to him? Sure QBC 2000 has its share of AI issues, but they're rendered almost moot by the gameplay mechanics. That said, I can't resist sharing an example of the “intelligence” that's built into QBC 2000. Before starting my season as the 49'ers, I decided to run a fantasy draft. My backfield included Steve Young, Eddie George, and Napolean Kaufman, my main WR's were Isaac Bruce and Keyshawn Johnson, and my #'s 3 and 4 WR's were Terrell Owens and Michael Westbrook! And lest you think I used all my top picks on offense (I didn't), my defense included the likes of Ty Law, Deion Sanders, Lawyer Milloy, Warren Sapp, Jesse Armstead, and Hardy Nickerson. If it's possible to assemble a team as stacked as this one, why even bother with the charade of a fantasy “draft”.

Replay Value
If you can get past the control issues (I couldn't), it's possible that you'll find some replay here. Even then, the lack of a franchise mode hurts badly. QBC 2000 isn't nearly a strong enough game in other areas to have any lasting value without one.

Overall
As you can tell by now, my first exposure to the QBC series has not been a happy one. If Acclaim ever hopes to seriously challenge the likes of NFL 2K and Madden 2000, they've got an awfully long way to go. As it stands, QBC 2000 is as close to unplayable as any football game I've ever played.