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What: ESPN NFL Prime Time 2002

Game System: PlayStation 2

Price: $49.99

First, let’s be realistic: The best NFL game for this or any other game system is the Madden game by Electronic Arts. This game, however, is not a bad alternative.

In addition to the basic play modes, exhibition, practice, season, etc., “ESPN NFL Prime Time 2002” (that title just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?) offers a mode that lets you customize the game to put yourself in classic situations. Also, it has an excellent Franchise mode.

The Franchise mode lets you pick your favorite team and run it as coach and general manager through a preseason, the regular season, the playoffs, the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl, and the off-season.

Once the season begins, you can play your team’s game or let the computer simulate it. And if you choose to simulate the game, you actually have a lot of control over how the team plays the game in the simulated contest. You can adjust settings for conservativeness or aggressiveness of the offense, the run/pass balance, the blitz frequency, and the frequency of running zone defenses verses tight man coverage.

Some of the game’s best features are in its off-season. After each year in a franchise, you get to go through the basic stuff--re-sign players, sign free agents, see retired players, and the rookie draft, which is where the game really shines.

All in all, “ESPN NFL Prime Time 2002” makes you feel you are actually participating in the NFL.

Houston Mitchell