Mobile Game

Paolo Bandini

Hardcore graphics don't have to mean hardcore gameplay, as has been shown by UK developer NaturalMotion's two Backbreaker Football games for iPhone. NFL Rivals can be considered the third in the series, with the most obvious addition being an official NFL licence to include all the real-life American football teams. This isn't a full-blown simulation, though. As before, the gameplay is based on dashing down the field avoiding opponents through a combination of spins, leaps and sidesteps, before a spot of showboating while running into the endzone to rack up a few bonus points. The controls are simple, but the visuals are superb - the phrase "console-quality" is overused and abused in the mobile games world, but here it's justified. A feature that ties in your virtual play with real-life NFL matches will appeal hugely to fans of the sport, too.