Last year marked the console debut of Microsoft’s NFL Fever (it originally appeared on the PC) franchise and for a rookie franchise, the game came off far better than expected. Even with the big two on the market, Fever managed to gain a cult following of some sorts. Those who were looking for a heavy dose of arcade action, but were turned off by NFL Blitz, were delightfully pleased, especially the casual football fans who didn’t want to deal with all the intricacies of the sport. However, an equally large number of the population was turned off from the game due to the hyper-inflated statistics and unrealistic gameplay. Microsoft has listened to its audience and worked hard to deliver a game that plays and feels much more like a realistic football simulation should.
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This year’s game features many of the same principles found in the other 2003 entries, this means franchise modes where you’ll have to deal with salaries, practice modes where you can perfect your usual bells and whistles. What this game does do better than the rest though is in the execution of the online component. Utilizing Microsoft’s Xbox Live technology, finding a game and hooking up with someone is a breeze. Thanks to the headset, you can even trash talk throughout the duration of the game without having to type a single word, awesome!