NFL Head Coach 09 offers real-world

09/12/08 - The original NFL Head Coach 2006 was widely regarded as a failure. Its confusing interface and tedious tasks the game called for ruined whatever potential for enjoyment there was for an NFL coaching simulator. Two years later, NFL Head Coach '09 for the X-Box 360 completely revamps the gameplays mechanics to create an engrossing NFL management simulator.The first thing anyone who played the original Head Coach will notice is the lack of clutter on the menus and the ease of navigating through the many options. This is no small feat given that, at its heart, NFL Head Coach '09 is a text-based game.

Nearly all of the game's action originates from the on-screen clipboard. From there you can check your team's rosters, season statistics, health and nearly anything else that comes to mind.

From here you will also be notified of time sensitive tasks that need to be completed, ranging from trade or contract negotiations, upgrading your coaching staff's skills or setting the day's practice regimen.

The clipboard is the key to this game's success, as it keeps everything organized and in one place. It makes it impossible for you to miss any key decision, while enabling you to skip things you do not want to do. (For example, if I don't like to handle the practices I can set the computer to handle it.)

The off-season is one of the game's biggest strengths - in particular, the way the game handles the NFL Draft is remarkable.

Any fan of the NFL knows how big an event the draft has become, garnering at least two full days of coverage on multiple ESPN channels. This is the first NFL game to recreate that sense of importance.

The draft is set up almost exactly how you would see it on ESPN. This includes tickers and statistics showing every team's biggest needs, in addition to the players they have on their roster. After each pick, a poll of fans will come up showing their satisfaction with the choice. The poll has no real impact on anything, but it is a nice touch.

The draft even includes Adam Schefter and Todd McShay of NFL Network, providing commentary on every draft choice. These comments prove to be very useful and are actually uniquely recorded for every member of all 10 rookie classes (the game's career mode only lasts 10 years).

Schefter is actually present throughout the game and will pop up occasionally through the season to provide the news from around the league, and as give some subtle hints along the way.

Also, the draft actually requires scouting: the players' overall ratings are a mystery while drafting, which can result in some wasted picks if you are not careful, but also allows for the occasional surprise sixth round gem.

The detail of the off-season mode is tremendous, including the Rule 5 draft for rookie free agents, as well as training camp invites and roster cut-downs throughout the preseason.

If anyone out there harbors the fantasy of being the next great NFL general manager, this game will satisfy that very specific need.

While the management side of things works well and can be engrossing, the actual coaching feels a bit stunted in comparison.

There is a play creator, but it's pretty limited in its usefulness and leaves much to be desired in the way of creativity, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, with a fairly limited array of coverages.

Taking your team to the field reveals a few more problems.

First off, the game is ugly. The players' movement is very stiff and choppy. This is a surprise given the fact that Madden '09 has very fluid and smooth player animations. Head Coach '09 seems to be using the graphics engine of Madden 2008, which was not a particularly impressive-looking game.

Aside from the presentation issues, there are some loose ends in the gameplay mechanics. Some plays are far too effective. The fullback dive, for instance, is nearly always good for five to eight yards regardless of the talent on the field. Also, the passing game in general seems a bit overpowered, making 300 yard games a regular occurrence.

Calling plays for a virtual football team without actually controlling the players takes some time to get used to. But eventually, it becomes fun in its own way. There's an odd sense of accomplishment knowing you scored a touchdown because the players you drafted executed a play you designed.

As with most games, there are few AI glitches and player development issues. I encountered two issues specifically. One involved Ken Dorsey inexplicably developing past his stated potential rating repeatedly. Originally rated a 70 overall with a potential of 73, both ratings kept rising until he peaked with an 89 overall rating and a potential of 90.

The other issue is more of a technical bug involving the aforementioned clipboard. Apparently entering the play creator from a clipboard notification will cause all injuries to be frozen in place, meaning any players injured at the time will not get better and no other players will ever sustain injury. The obvious way to work around to this is to avoid going to the playbook creator from the clipboard.

Overall, NFL Head Coach '09 is a polished game when it comes to player roster and team management, but has some sore spots in field gameplay. This is a very in-depth game and is perfect for gamers who spent hours on their Madden franchises making trades and free agent signings. That is, of course, if they don't mind not being in control of the players on the field.