All-Pro Football 2K8

Many sports games have dedicated specific modes of play to the assemblage of legendary athletes. All-Pro Football 2K8, the long-awaited spiritual revival to 2K Sports’ legendary football series, dedicates an entire game to that concept. The reason is simple: EA currently holds an exclusive license that allows them to be the sole developer of NFL-related video games. Not one to let a license get in the way of good gaming, 2K Sports decided to create a franchise with the stars of NFL’s past who are not restricted to EA development.

All Pro

Joe Montana, John Elway, Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, and Mike Ditka are a few of the celebrated offensive champions, while Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Dick “Night Train” Lane, and William “The Fridge” Perry are some of the leading defensemen. But these touted stars don’t even scratch the surface of All-Pro’s full lineup. The tagline is clear: “Over 240 legends. Full customization. This is football resurrected.”

Dream Team

Without any licensed teams on board, All-Pro Football 2K8 puts an interesting spin on team creation and team selection. For starters, there are no teams to play with until you jump into the game. Every mode – the main options being season, quick game, and online – is based on the creation of the team you deem most effective. At least one team must be created before the game begins.

Players are separated by quality among three categories. Choose two Gold Star, three Silver Star, and six Bronze Star players. Any position may be applied to these slots with the expected limitations. You can only pick two quarterbacks, but they may both come from the Gold Star tier, if that’s the way you’d like to construct a team. The remaining players are generated randomly but with some direction. Each position offers a couple different styles to choose from, plus a middle selection that is a balance of the two.

QBs can be a Scrambler and have weaker pocket passing, or have a “gift for standing in the pocket” but lack the ability to run at top speed. Running Backs choose Power or Finesse. Safeties, cornerbacks, linebackers, defense lineman and offense lineman may receive coverage or run support. Receivers have the access to an ability that sounds like a character from Metal Gear Solid, Deep Throat (new star receivers go deep). Or they can choose the power of Possession and be pure catchers.

"Yeah, I'll have a number five and a large Coke, please."

Dozens of player attributes are used to differentiate between the players. Some of the highlights are Rocket Arm, which gives your QB top arm strength; 4th Quarter Comeback, where your QB is best when trailing in the fourth quarter; and Speed Burner, which provides the top speed for that player’s position.

Team logos, stadiums, and uniform designs are comprised of pre-made, fictitious elements (alphabets, generic animal and weather shapes, etc.) that don’t seem too cool at first. But I tried not to think about that because the same could be said for the logos and colors of real teams. There’s a loser or two in every sport. Once a team starts to win, however, its name and logo are suddenly synonymous with coolness. If my team is kicking butt, do you really think anyone’s going to care that a lame twister is on my helmet?

The controls are smooth, though not too unexpected. No question, All-Pro’s greatest strength is its catching system, which is more thoroughly exhausted through player participation. A well-aimed pass could make it into the hands of your teammate all on its own. The AI is geared to direct your players in the ball’s direction. But if you take control of the player before the ball arrives, a simple tap of the R1 button (and a quick position adjustment, if necessary) will increase your chances of a successful catch.

Realistic! Not Realistic

All-Pro’s graphics are like a new penny that’s dirty on one side – it shines from one angle but is tarnished from another. The player faces aren’t that great, but the body and uniform components (jersey, helmet, etc.) are incredible. When you zoom in during a replay, the fabric, skin texture and helmet elements (reflections, scratches and scuff marks) come to life in a way that’s sure to make Madden’s graphic designers take notice.

Ball collision is good but not perfect. When the ball makes contact for a catch, the animation proves the action was legitimate. The player reaches and grabs the ball in a believable manner. However, if the catch is missed, you may or may not receive a reliable visual. I’m no pro athlete, so my passes aren’t always perfect. But when my receiver fails to make the catch, I’d like to see more than a jerky animation where the ball approaches – but does not touch – the player’s hands. It spins, shakes, and falls to the ground.

As far as being a next-gen game, All-Pro Football 2K8 misses the mark. It also loses points for technical issues, and for being a game that isn’t too far ahead of the last NFL 2K. However, it earns points for being a fun, pick-up-and-play football game that, if arcades still existed, would belong in a public gaming venue. The replay value is above average when taking multiplayer into consideration, so this is definitely a game you’ll come back to. But it’s not NFL 2K reborn. Remember that before diving in.

Gameplay: 7.5
All-Pro Football 2K8’s blend of classic athletes, player attributes, and a reliable catching system earn accolades for this NFL 2K follow-up. Unfortunately, its lack of groundbreaking content and so-so presentation keep it from being the football equivalent to NBA 2K7.

Graphics: 7.9
Gorgeous and not. All-Pro 2K8 is accurately animated and features some of the best textures around (when zoomed in very, very close). But from afar, the player faces are the only thing that stand out, and they are downright ugly.

Sound: 7.8
The commentary is good and avoids being repetitive most of the time. However, the soundtrack is a disaster for ruining good songs with lousy remixes. 

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Unless you’re new to gaming, All-Pro 2K8’s standard gameplay mechanics will be easy to learn.

Concept: 7.7
Rounding out the game’s original content are the classic athletes, which have been reborn in virtual form (not an original concept to our industry, but is new to football) and player attributes in place of statistics.

Multiplayer: 7.8
The single-player thrills only last so long. Once those have faded, All-Pro 2K8 stays desirable with its competitive gameplay and create-a-team feature, which will have you and a friend battling with a cluster of players from different teams and different eras.

Overall: 7.5
All-Pro 2K8 isn’t all perfection but is a decent alternative for gamers seeking something other than Madden.