With two American football titles featuring in one issue the four readers who actually understand it all are spoilt for choice this month. Maybe there's a hidden American football underground over here somewhere, buying the games and secretly plotting a national sports coup. And this effort from Sega is defiantly one for the purists - managing to place itself somewhere above chess and slightly below global politics in terms of complexity.

ESPN NFL also has two of the most pointless modes for any sports event: The Crib and First-Person Football. The Crib is a virtual home that enables you to display the trappings of your success, and yes, that's about as thrilling as it sounds. But First-Person Football has to be the weirdest addition we've ever seen - if you thought it was hard to play from a bird's-eye view, try taking in the action from the inside of a helmet. Run through a crowded town centre while squinting for a rough idea of the effect.

This is simulation rather than entertainment. The various menus and buttons will reduce all but the bravest to tears as they try to separate their Dukes from their Strong Fan Iso. Not only is the level of depth daunting, the stop-start nature of play prevents any real excitement from building. It may be an accurate representation of the sport but then look how successful that's been over here.

Graphics 50%
Adequate but uninspiring.

Sound 60%
Good commentary, droning crowds.

Gameplay 40%
Stilted and intermittent.

Lifespan 50%
Complex and unrewarding.

Overall 50%
ESPN provides a complex and bewildering level of authenticity. Only hardcore fans should approach the ten-yard line.