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The NFL Quarterback Club. Now there's a name that commands respect wherever it is heard, for the Quarterback Club is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious organisations in the World. Meeting every Tuesday and Thursday at the official club treehouse, its exclusive members are only granted entry to the hallowed inner sanctum upon presentation at the top secret club password and handshake.

Once within, they proceed with the usual club agenda - high-stake games of Top Trumps, shotgunning cans of Top Deck and chomping on Barrett's sweet cigarettes, before Mrs McSwithen arrives with a lunchtime treat of chicken sandwiches and lemon squash. The second half of the day is then spent plotting how best to pelt eggs at the two smelly unpopular kids at Quarterback High, Joey Montana and Jonathan Madden.

Boy, it sure is a great club and we were privilged enough to join in their members-only antics thanks to the NFL Quarterback Club game released on the Megadrive a couple of months back. Well, now it's time for a club reunion, only this Tuesday's meeting promises to be even more exciting, because it takes place in the more luxurious 32X treehouse. Coo.

Based on the popular American sport they call football. Not to be mistaken for our own real football. Which they call soccer.

To acquire the highest score by beating an opposing team in a game of American Football.

The least you'd expect from a Megadrive 32X version of 16-bit game is better graphics and sound. That's what all that extra technology is for, after all. Well as it happens, that's exactly what the 32X version of Quarterback Club is all about. The actual gameplay is identical to the Megadrive version. The 32X's enhanced resolution and improved colour palette have all been put to use, with extremely impressive results. The front-end presentation is more polished, the playing field looks more convincing, with a better grass texture and even a stadium crowd around the edges. What's more 32X Quarterback Club even has all-new, biologically improved viewpoints to play from and here they are in their fullness.

1. Normal Cam The standard Madden-style view, the Normal Cam gives you a good overall view of the pitch, whilst still keeping plenty of the graphical detail on screen.

2. Blimp Cam This view realistically simulates how the game would be seen through the eyes of an overweight spectator. Ha ha, no really, it's actually a distance view of the pitch as seen from aerial camera.

3. Shoulder Cam Not actually carried around on the shoulder of an annoyed player, this one. In fact, it actually views the game from shoulder height, providing some fairly impressive usage of the 32X's sprite scaling abilities as the players move in and out of the foreground.

4. Auto Cam If you fancy a variety of viewpoints without the messy task of manually switching between them, this is the one for you. When long-distant kicks are in operation, it provides you with a Blimp Cam view, whereas more standard running moves are seen from the Normal View.

What's more, passing moves are seen from their own unique panning upward view.

I liked Quarterback Club on the Megadrive, so the least I expected from the 32X version was a game that played just as well. I wasn't however, expecting Acclaim to improve the visuals that much. As such, the result comes as quite a pleasant surprise.

Whereas the graphics on Megadrive Quarterback Club were clear and practical, there's no doubt that they were pretty basic. 32X Quarterback Club, on the other hand, looks extremely detailed with impressive pitch textures and clearly-defined sprites, plus the extra views all add to the superb presentation.

Likewise, the sound is superior, most noticeably with the clearer speech. The lack of the Quarterback Challenge is a bit of a shame, since it was quite fun. However, even without it, this is still the better game.

If you have a 32X and no Madden-style game to speak of, this should be a definite consideration.

Looks better, sounds better - 32X Quarterback Club is an improved version of a perfectly competent Megadrive simulation.

The added viewpoints make the game more exciting and like real TV gridiron (though the replay mode is still flawed, as the action freezes when you pan). But the penalty is the loss of the Quarterback Challenge, which, though an add-on to the main game in the original, was a major contributor to its appeal.

What's left is the no-frills playoffs, well plenty of frills actually. If you have gone to the trouble to get a 32X, I can thoroughly recommend this over all other American Football games.

Graphics 87%
P. A vast improvement over the Megadrive, with better pitch textures and player animation.
N. As far as the 32X goes, this isn't the amazing next level.

Sound 82%
P. A fair selection of good sound-effects and some decent speech too.
N. Boring, chugging front-end music. Needs more sound effects too.

Playability 87%
P. Responsive, easy-to-use, Madden-esque controls.
N. If American Football isn't your cup of tea, you won't like it.

Lastability 86%
P. With the range of play modes, including Pro-Bowl and multi-player options, there's loads to keep you at it.
N. They took out the Quarterback Challenge.

Value For Money 83%
P. Definitely superior to the Megadrive version and all for the same price.
N. Providing you already have a 32X, that is.

Overall 87%
Nothing to speak of 32-bit wise, but quite simply a great American Football game. Perhaps the best.