                              MicroLeague
                               FootBall2

                             by Tony Curro

    It is late in the fourth quarter, and you have fourth and 5. You are
    trailing by 3. Should you punt and hope your defense can get the
    ball back? Should you try a pass? A draw? These will be the
    decisions you may face if you pick up MicroLeague Football2 (MLF).

    MicroLeague, who started out making the first realistic baseball
    game for PCs, now has ventured into the other sports. MLF is but one
    of these new additions. We will try to bring you reviews on the
    other sports in upcoming issues of CTM.

    MLF2, like the previously reviewed MLB4, has been vastly improved
    since the first release. MLF2 has added sound board support, and
    action videos. These little action screens pop up showing the action
    up close. The 256 color 3-D VGA graphics (EGA available), and
    digitized sounds put you right on the line. Smooth scrolling screens
    bring you the action, as you watch you man go in for the winning
    score.

    Included with MLF2 is the GM/Owner disk. Using this option, you can
    create your own dream team. Trade between teams, across decades, or
    eras. The choice is yours. And, with programmable team colors,
    league leaders and losers, you can really customize the game. Set up
    your own schedule. Edit the playbook and create your own plays.

    MicroLeague uses real statistics and real teams. Choose from any of
    the 28 teams of 1992, or from 20 all-time greats teams. MicroLeague
    has additional seasonal disks, and even Franchise History Disks. The
    FH disks contain the best teams, and an all-time greats of a
    specific franchise. They also currently have a College Football disk
    available.

    I have always looked toward MicroLeague for a game that is real.
    They use real players, and actual statistics in all their games.
    This is what I think has made them a force in the industry. Many of
    the others use fictional players, in fictional parks. Not
    MicroLeague. Other games also have arcade type features, where
    hand-eye coordination plays a big part in the outcome. ML allows you
    to enter the play (run, pass, field goal, etc.), and they you sit
    back and watch it develop. ML was talking about coming out with an
    arcade type game. For those who enjoy this, you may have that
    option. But games, which depend on if you move your player the right
    way to make the play, do not appeal to me. I like the pure game.
    True, the outcome can be random, but they do average out over a
    season. So far, and I have been a user of ML products since about
    1985, and own every baseball disk since 1982, they have not let me
    down. When I see a product with their name I grab it. The one place
    I was rather disappointed was with their Wrestling game. They have
    since discontinued it. But then again, is it a sport or an
    exhibition? Sticking with the REAL sports has not given them any
    problems.



    BASEBALL UPDATE:

        I know this is off-base, and out-of-bounds, but I must mention
    here some disks I recently look at that are for MicroLeague Baseball
    4. I reviewed that in an earlier issue, and thought to mention these
    disks here, as I will not have the space for them alone. I was
    looking at their set of Stadium Disks: American League, National
    League and Classic Stadiums. The first two contain the 14 American
    and 12 National League parks (guess they will have to add 2 more),
    while the last contains some of the REAL ballparks like: Ebbets
    Field, The Polo Grounds, Connie Mack Stadium. Using the Classics
    Disk you can almost see the history unfold on your screen. From all
    the reading I have done, I can almost hear Hilda Chester ringing her
    cowbell, and the Sym-Phony playing at Ebbets Field.

        I also worked with the GM/Owners Disk. This disk allows you to
    create your own teams, or import teams from another ML disk. Again
    as stated above, you have complete control over everything.

             ---------------- END OF BASEBALL -----------------


                            Product Information

                            MicroLeague
                            Football2

                            List Price -- $54.95

                            MicroLeague Interactive Software
                            2201 Drummond Plaza
                            Newark, DE 19711
                            302-368-9990
