NFL Quarterback Club 2002

Acclaim's Quarterback Club franchise has seen both the mansion and the shack. Once heralded for its gameplay depth and wealth of options, Acclaim's NFL game made quite an awkward transition to the 32- and 64-bit generation of hardware. Looking to get the series back on solid ground, the company refrained from pushing another mediocre sequel out the door and instead took a year off to make sure the next installment received some much-needed TLC. Acclaim is finally ready to talk about the labors of its work, and lead designer Dan Baker was more than happy to supply us with all the details for NFL Quarterback Club 2002 for the PlayStation 2.

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As with any licensed game, all the NFL teams, stadiums, and players are included in Quarterback Club 2002. In addition to the rudimentary modes like season, playoffs, and practice, QBC 2002 will bring the series' heralded challenge mode out of hibernation for the first time since it last appeared on the Sega Genesis. "The QB Challenge is definitely something we are excited about. It's really turned into a great feature, and we'll also have a few hidden retired quarterbacks that the user will be able to unlock after they accomplish certain tasks," Baker explained. The QB challenge features four events: speed and mobility; accuracy; read and recognition; and distance. In addition to boosting your quarterbacking abilities, Baker claims that the QB challenge is a blast to play all on its own. Similar to Madden's challenge mode, the simulation mode will let you create your own predicaments and then attempt to resolve them. While statistics will carry over from one season to the next, QB Club 2002 will not include a career or franchise mode. Players may be created and signed, but they will never suffer career-ending injuries, and they will never break career records. You won't have to worry about your stud players asking for more cash after a solid season, either. Baker also stated that Acclaim had counted on including online gameplay but is currently evaluating each platform to ascertain if it's viable.

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Inhibitors to QBC's success have varied with each year of its release. In 1998, it was impossible to run the ball; in 1999, there were too many money plays; and in 2000 and 2001, the AI was simply woeful. Baker stated that Acclaim is trying to rectify all these problems at once with the PlayStation 2 version. "This year, we are focusing on three major fundamentals for our football game: artificial intelligence, gameplay, and user control. All three of these are needed to create a good football game and have been our primary [focus] since the game has been in development," he explained. Acclaim's Austin branch has shown its commitment to these goals by rewriting the game's AI from scratch. Baker believes that this will in turn create a more balanced blend of the run and pass. "Solid defensive artificial intelligence has the ability to slow down the passing attack, which means people will try to mix things up and run the ball, as well as pass," Baker stated.