Description:
Where were games like Backyard Football 2002 when we were kids? This latest addition to the award-winning series may have colorful cartoon graphics, a bumping soundtrack, and lots of squeaky voices, but underneath is a football game so fun and detailed that it can actually teach children about the sport. You can click a single button to immediately get a random pickup game going, but the real fun is in the single game and season modes. In the single game, you get to choose a field to play on, set the weather conditions, and decide what rules you want to use. Then you pick your team from a bench full of imaginary and real world players, each rated in a variety of statistics like passing, catching, and kicking. The season mode offers even more depth, letting you draft a team and lead them all the way to the championships, tracking their stats, trophies, and standings along the way. The game mechanics are simple enough for kids to learn but offer a surprising amount of depth for those who practice. For passes, just click the spot where you want the ball to end up. To move while running, click the spot you want the player to turn towards. To switch players, click the player you want to control. Once the basics are mastered you can learn some advanced tricks, like tapping the mouse button to throw a pass with a high arc versus holding the button down to throw a frozen rope. You can lead your receivers, perform fake punts, put specific players in specific positions for every play, and do just about everything else the big-boy simulations do, and a narrated tutorial lets you practice before taking your skills onto the field. (Ages 7 and older) --T. Byrl Baker
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