While Madden NFL has enjoyed a pretty much uncontested run at the top of the console world recently, when it comes to the iPhone it’s a whole different story indeed. Gameloft are quite content to give EA a run for their money on the mobile sports front, and with NFL 2011, they’re showing signs of being able to grab the brass ring.
Certainly there are similarities between the two competing games, from the fully licensed teams to the viewpoint and general play style, but of course, it’s only natural that two titles depicting the same sport are going to have matching functions and features.
NFL 2011 allows you to compete in single matches between the teams of your choice, complete a full season, or just shoot straight to the play-offs. There are three standard difficulty levels to choose from for all modes, with the size of your challenge also affected by the quality of the side that you play as. For those of you that like to pick one team and stick with it, you’re able to set your favourites at the beginning, which the game will default to on the team selection screen.
For the benefit of those who didn’t experience last year’s version of the game, or are picking up an American Football title for the first time, there’s an invitation to play through a tutorial mode before your opening gridiron session. This will run you through the various controls, both attacking and defensive, as well as asking you to demonstrate what you’ve been shown – much like a teacher challenges a daydreaming student to repeat what they’ve just said. Those who ignore it and subsequently get creamed by the opposition will be relieved to know that it can be revisited at any time.
Control mainly works on the virtual joystick and buttons system, although certain functions, such as changing player can be activated simply by tapping the player on-screen that you wish to be in charge of. As usual, the joystick function suffers from the same “big thumbs” troubles that have plagued the other titles it has been utilised in, but is generally fairly responsive.
When it comes to choosing offensive and defensive plays, you get the standard iTunes library style action of sliding your finger along to scroll left and right, before tapping to confirm your selection. For the novices, you can have a recommended play selected for you, allowing you to learn over time what the best formation for your current situation is. Of course, nothing beats the feeling of selecting a perfect passing play yourself and executing it to perfection.
Finding a receiver for your pass once again involves correct timing and keep an eye on the screen. Potential recipients will appear with numbers above their heads, in a coloured circle. The circle will change colour, seemingly dependent on the likelihood of the pass being successful. It’s up to you to tap the circle when you wish to make the pass, and then watch in hope as it sails towards the intended target (provided you didn’t get taken down before you could throw it).
It doesn’t take long before you’re playing like a pro, albeit not necessarily a highly paid one! Getting a victory is no simple task, even if you just starting on Easy and using the strongest team. The AI has something of a nasty tendency to be able to break through to your Quarterback with very little effort, while forming an impenetrable wall that prevents you from doing the same. Even on the occasions that you do get through, they have a knack for releasing a lengthy pass right at the last split second. While the obvious answer to combating defensive woes is to make all your offensive plays count, this is often easier said than done.
While the on-field action is enough to compete with EA, NFL 2011 is still lagging behind Madden in terms of additional features. What’s on offer here is fully functional, but when you take into account the likes of Madden’s ability to let you create your own plays, the new Total Defensive Control, and the ability to enjoy Bluetooth multiplayer, you start to realise that Gameloft are still playing catch up.
Of course, this isn’t to say that they won’t ever catch up though, as there is a lot of promise here, not to mention a few unique features, like the ability to keep up with your favourite team’s news via RSS feed and Gameloft Live integration, allowing you to earn achievements while you play. In addition, it should also count for a lot that NFL 2011 offers a cheaper price point than Madden (much cheaper at time of writing), something that should resonate well with the more casual or new player, who simply wants to learn more about the sport. They might not be Superbowl winners yet, but with a few good trades, it could soon be Gameloft’s time!
NFL 2011 is currently available on the App Store for 59p (99 cents) for a limited time only. Usual price £3.99 ($6.99).
