Quarterback Attack with Mike Ditka

Last updated
Quarterback Attack Cover.png
Sega Saturn cover art
Developer(s) Digital Pictures
Publisher(s) Digital Pictures, Flash Filmworks
Platform(s) MS-DOS, Saturn, 3DO
ReleaseMS-DOS:
Saturn:
Mobile:
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s) Single-player

Quarterback Attack with Mike Ditka is a 1995 football video game published by Digital Pictures for the Sega Saturn, 3DO and MS-DOS. It features Mike Ditka as head coach of the player's team. Unlike in most football video games, the player does not control an entire team. Instead, Quarterback Attack attempts to simulate the experience of being a professional quarterback, with the other players rendered in full motion video (FMV). This break with convention divided critical response to the game.

Contents

The game was developed on a budget of two million dollars. [1] The video footage was filmed over two weeks. [1] When asked if it was difficult to call up his usual energy when working with a film crew instead of a real game-day situation, Mike Ditka said, "I've been called a lot of things, and being called 'an actor' has been one of them. It's not that hard to do, really." [2]

Footage from the game was used in the film Game Over .

After Digital Pictures bankruptcy, the rights to several of their games were purchased by a consortium that included visual effects company Flash Film Works. In December 2016, Quarterback Attack was remastered from the original source video and released as an app for Google Play [3] and iTunes. [4]

Reception

The two sports reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly both praised the unique game concept and said that despite being FMV-based, the game is actually fun to play. [5] A Next Generation critic agreed: "It's tempting to write this game off as another novelty FMV product, but when given the proper attention, this one might just surprise even the most die-hard of sports fans." He elaborated that the fast pace and smooth transitions between video clips enhance the feeling of being in a real football game. His one criticism was that the video quality is subpar by Saturn standards. [6] Greasy Gus of GamePro also felt the game simulated the quarterback experience with a surprising amount of realism and interactivity, noting that "You do everything a real QB does: call the play and the cadence, study the defense at the line and adjust with audibles if necessary, dodge the rush, find your open man, and get your crosshair on him for a clean pass. You even have the option of eating the ball Steve Young-style and scrambling for some yards yourself." He found the graphics and sounds were both sufficient though not without problems, but concluded that many gamers would miss the comprehensive modes and options typical of football video games. [7] Reviewing the 3DO version for the same magazine, Coach Kyle was even less forgiving of the game's novel concept; though he praised the video quality and humorous taunts, he focused most of his review lambasting the lack of football game conventions such as multiplayer modes, licensing, and the ability to control an entire team. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>NBA Jam</i> (1993 video game) 1993 video game

NBA Jam is a basketball video game developed and published by Midway for arcades in 1993. It is the first entry in the NBA Jam series. The project leader for this game was Mark Turmell.

<i>Brain Dead 13</i> 1995 video game

Brain Dead 13 is an interactive movie video game developed and originally published in North America by ReadySoft on 15 December 1995 and in Europe by Empire Interactive on the same year for the MS-DOS. Unlike Dragon's Lair and Space Ace, which began as laserdisc arcade games, it was only released for personal computers and video game consoles. In the game, players assume the role of young computer expert Lance Galahad to defeat Dr. Nero Neurosis at his castle and its residents. Its gameplay is primarily presented through the use of full-motion video (FMV).

Digital Pictures Defunct video game developer from San Mateo, California

Digital Pictures was an American video game developer founded in 1991 by Lode Coen, Mark Klein, Ken Melville, Anne Flaut-Reed, Kevin Welsh and Tom Zito.

<i>Corpse Killer</i> 1994 video game

Corpse Killer is a horror-themed rail shooter developed and published by Digital Pictures for the Sega CD, Sega CD 32X, 3DO, Sega Saturn, Windows 95 and Macintosh computers. An interactive variation on the zombie film genre, it utilizes live-action full motion video in a format similar to other games developed by Digital Pictures. Reviews for the game were mixed, generally criticizing the repetitive gameplay and low video quality, though many reviewers enjoyed the campy nature of the cutscenes. Corpse Killer was the first CD game released for the Sega 32X. It was later remastered for Steam, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.

<i>Enemy Zero</i> 1996 video game

Enemy Zero is a 1996 horror-themed adventure video game for the Sega Saturn, developed by Warp and directed by Kenji Eno. Players assume the role of an astronaut who awakens from cryogenic sleep to find her spaceship overrun by invisible creatures who are hunting and killing the ship's crew. They must navigate through the ship in a combination of puzzle-driven exploration rendered in full motion video and first-person shooter sections rendered in real time, during which they must rely on sound to either avoid or kill the invisible enemies.

<i>Madden NFL 98</i> 1997 American football video game

Madden NFL 98 is a 1997 football video game. It features John Madden on the cover. It was the last version of the Madden series to be released for the Super NES, Genesis and Sega Saturn platforms, as well as the last Madden game to utilize the 2D sprites for the players and referee, on 3D playing fields.

Maximum Surge is a cancelled video game by Digital Pictures. Planned for release in 1996 for the 3DO, Mac, PC and Sega Saturn, it was to feature full-motion video in the same way that many of Digital Pictures' releases of the time did. The game's 90 minutes of video footage starred Walter Koenig and Yasmine Bleeth, was directed by William Mesa, and was written by J. Garrett Glover and Charlie Ogden.

<i>Shinobi Legions</i> 1995 video game

Shinobi Legions, known as Shinobi X in Europe and as Shin Shinobi Den in Japan, is an action game in the Shinobi series developed by TOSE and published by Sega in 1995 for Sega Saturn.

<i>Slam City with Scottie Pippen</i> 1994 video game

Slam City with Scottie Pippen is the first FMV basketball video game. It was developed by Digital Pictures for the PC and CD-ROM-based video game consoles such as the Sega CD. Scottie Pippen stars in the game, and performed the theme song. Ron Stein, who had previously directed the video footage for Prize Fighter, directed the video footage for the game. A 3DO Interactive Multiplayer version was announced but never released.

<i>Madden NFL 97</i> 1996 American football video game

Madden NFL 97 is a football video game released in 1996. It was the first multiplatform Madden game released for the 32-bit consoles, being released on both, the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. 16-bit versions were also made for the established Super NES and Genesis platforms, as well as a portable version for the Game Boy.

<i>NFL Quarterback Club</i> (video game) 1993 video game

NFL Quarterback Club is an American football video game for multiple platforms that features quarterbacks from the NFL. It is the first game in Acclaim Entertainment's NFL Quarterback Club series.

<i>Arcades Greatest Hits: The Atari Collection 1</i> 1996 video game

Arcade's Greatest Hits: The Atari Collection 1 is a compilation of Atari arcade games for the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is a successor volume to Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits. Most of these games fall into the action game category. The Saturn and PlayStation versions of the game include an FMV documentary on the "Golden Age of Atari", featuring video interviews with the programmers behind the six games in the compilation. The later Super NES version was announced by Midway as their final release for any "16-bit" console.

<i>Krazy Ivan</i> 1996 video game

Krazy Ivan is a mecha first-person shooter released for PC, Sega Saturn and PlayStation in 1996 by Psygnosis.

<i>Shockwave Assault</i> 1994 video game

Shockwave Assault is a science fiction combat flight simulation video game developed by Advanced Technology Group and published by Electronic Arts for various home video game consoles and PCs. The player takes control of a futuristic fighter plane to defeat extraterrestrial ships and tripods.

<i>FIFA Soccer 96</i> 1995 video game

FIFA Soccer 96 is a football simulation video game developed by Extended Play Productions and released by Electronic Arts in 1995. It was released for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, Sega 32X, Sega Game Gear, PlayStation, Super Nintendo Entertainment System and DOS systems.

<i>Soviet Strike</i> 1996 shooter video game

Soviet Strike is a helicopter-based shooter game developed and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation in 1996 and the Sega Saturn in 1997. The game is a sequel to the Strike games which began on the Sega Genesis with Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf. Soviet Strike is the series' first installment for a 32-bit console and was first conceived as 32-bit Strike. Early on, it was intended for the 3DO console, before development changed to the PlayStation.

<i>NFL Quarterback Club 96</i> 1995 video game

NFL Quarterback Club 96 is an American football video game released in December 1995. The game was released on the Sega Saturn, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, Sega Game Gear, DOS, and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game's cover features San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young passing while being tackled by Chicago Bears defensive linemen Chris Zorich and Albert Fontenot. The Saturn, SNES and DOS versions were developed by Iguana Entertainment, while the Game Boy edition was developed by Condor Inc.

<i>NFL Quarterback Club 97</i> 1996 video game

NFL Quarterback Club 97 is an American football video game released in 1996. The game was released on the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and DOS systems. The game was also released in Japan on the Saturn. The game's cover features former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino.

<i>Road Rash</i> (1994 video game) 1994 racing video game

Road Rash is a 1994 racing and vehicular combat video game originally published by Electronic Arts (EA) for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer. A version for the Sega CD was developed simultaneously and released in 1995 to act as a "bridge" between the 3DO version and the Sega Genesis title Road Rash 3, and the game was subsequently ported to the PlayStation, Sega Saturn and Microsoft Windows in 1996. The game is the third installment in the Road Rash series, and is centered around a series of motorcycle races throughout California that the player must win to advance to higher-difficulty races, while engaging in unarmed and armed combat to hinder the other racers.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Hot Number: $2 Million". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 75. Ziff Davis. October 1995. p. 28.
  2. ↑ "In Your Face with Mike Ditka". GamePro . No. 85. IDG. October 1995. p. 86.
  3. ↑ "Quarterback Attack - Apps on Google Play".
  4. ↑ "Quarterback Attack with Mike Ditka on the App Store". itunes.apple.com. Archived from the original on 2017-01-05.
  5. 1 2 "Box Score: Quarterback Attack". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 77. Sendai Publishing. December 1995. p. 230.
  6. 1 2 "Quarterback Attack". Next Generation . No. 13. Imagine Media. January 1996. p. 156.
  7. ↑ "QB Attack Scores Big but Lacks Team Support". GamePro . No. 88. IDG. January 1996. p. 84.
  8. ↑ "Quarterback Attack". GamePro . No. 89. IDG. February 1996. p. 85.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.