When you pop in a game for the first time, there is always something amazing about how impressive the graphics look. This is definitely the case with NFL Quarterback Club 2002. Player models and their surroundings all show their glory as you jump onto the gridiron for the first time. In fact, you will soon find out just how impressive the graphics are when you hop on over to the Create-A-Player menu, where you can customize everything from wristbands to face masks.

The music and sound fx varies from excellent to average, bouncing back and forth like an oblong ball on Astroturf. The lows in the sound department are that the announcers sometimes say things that don't seem to be happening on the field at all. Fortunately, the highs outweigh the lows, and when the announcers are watching the same game as you, the things they say are quite clever. And as always, you will hear the roar of the crowd and every bone crushing hit on and off the field.

So what's in the name? If you're not familiar with the Quarterback Club series, then you're missing out on one of the best and most exclusive features within all games of the sports genre... the NFL's Quarterback Challenge. In this mode of play, you will have to bust out your favorite QB and compete for up to 125,000 dollars in prize money. Within the Challenge, you compete in four events against seven other QBs (all can be human-controlled) including Speed & Mobility, Accuracy Event, Long Distance Throw, and Read & Recognition. Let me tell you... this is a blast! Best of all, you can use one of your Create-A-Player quarterbacks or unlock greats such as Elway and Marino. It would have been nice to see an option to save your user stats and track your progress in all of the events.

Of course, NFL QB Club 2002 has all of the normal modes of play too. There's Exhibition, Season, and Playoffs, where you play a single game, an entire season, or choose a team to take through the playoffs, respectively. Also along for the ride are the Practice Mode, in which you can take the field for as little or as long as you want, and the Simulation Mode. In Simulation, you can recreate any game from the past or make up your own and try to hone your skills for the big dance. You will be able to set tons of options, including the time remaining, home and away scores, and what yard line to start on, just to name a few. It's here where you can really improve on your two-minute drill.

Now comes the hard part. With the exception of the QB Challenge, NFL QB Club 2002's actual gameplay and features seem to fall short of competing football games. Don't get me wrong, I've had a lot of fun playing this hard-hitting football game, but certain things seemed to be lacking. One of these is the AI (Artificial Intelligence) of computer-controlled players. It is because of this shortcoming that playing defense leaves you with a sense of having a lack of control. In a way, the best control your have is selecting your run/pass coverage. After that, it's (mostly) up to computer players. Another major issue I had was that there is no option to save your own user stats. Because of this, saving your personal records and things like audibles can't happen. It is very frustrating to have to re-change your audibles every time you boot your PS2, and not be able to track your personal statistics and records against human or computer players.

The game is also missing a lot of features that seem to be present on its competitor's football games. It may seem a bit nick-picky, but with this day and age of gaming comes a lot of competition. In order to be the top dog, you need to have everything but the kitchen sink to throw at people. One of the missing features I'm talking about is the lack of a salary cap, which allows you to create a team of superstars if you want to. Another is not having the ability to access the memory card saves from inside the menus (other than saving/loading specific things). Put this together with no user stats and the other things I've mentioned, and you get a mild feeling of emptiness.

However, there are also some added features in the game. One of which is the option of playing Pre-Season games to get the cobwebs out. Another is that although the instruction manual doesn't mention it, NFL QB Club 2002 does have a franchise mode. After your season, playoffs, Super Bowl, and Pro Bowl, you are given the option to start your next season. Career stats are accumulated (even for your created players), and your season stats are reset. Another addition is the 'Hyper' Audible. Basically, turning on this feature allows you to triple your available options. And, for the first time ever (at least to me), I've found a football game with a fairly realistic approach to the kicking game. Field goals aren't impossible unless they're impossible. This means that kicking a 40-yard field goal is very possible.

NFL QB Club 2002 has three levels of difficulty, Rookie, Pro, and All-Pro. Although it did get a bit harder, even in the All-Pro level, I didn't seem to have much trouble handling the computer. Sticking it to the offense, however, is tough in any mode. Unfortunately, I got a feeling of total lack of control while playing defense. But my overall feeling of playing the game is one that would probably rival near-perfection.

NFL QB Club 2002's controller combinations are actually quite well done. The controller feels very comfortable in your hands and everything you need is at your fingertips. The game makes great use of the PS2's pressure sensitive controls while passing the ball too. Menus are set up in a sensible manner, but you need to be careful not to cancel your changes by mistake, and exit the menus properly (for example, when changing audibles). All in all, NFL Quarterback Club 2002 is a solid game, and very fun for any fan. You should definitely at least rent the game just to play the Quarterback Challenge. Having this mode of gameplay adds a lot of value to the game, and makes up for some of its shortcomings.