NFL Flick QB - Part 1

NFL Flick QB

NFL Flick QB is another game by Full Fat that uses many of the same game mechanics and aesthetics as NFL Kicker 13 (mentioned in previous journal entry). Instead of being a kicker the player is now the starting quarterback for their desired team. The player must throw the ball accurately to their receiver without being intercepted and score as many points as possible.

As in NFL Kicker 13 there are a few different game modes, that don’t vary that much. There is Playermaker – three lives to score as many points as possible. Quickfire, one minute to score as many points as possible. Trick Shot, four “downs” to get the ball in a bucket. Trick Shot XL, three lives to hit a bucket and get it to fall over.

One of the best things about NFL Flick QB is the way it utilizes the touch screen. Depending on how you flick the ball changes trajectory, spin and distance. You get extra points for throwing a perfect spiral, which is done by drawing a straight line with your finger. The direction of a thrown ball can also be changed by rapidly swiping your finger across the screen.

Although far from being the NFL, the game does teach some basic understanding of the quarterback position. You should only throw to a receiver that is open and try not to force a pass to a covered player. Always throw the ball slightly to the side when the receiver is running so that they can run to the ball without being intercepted by a cornerback. The best throw is a precise one. In Trick Shot mode you are basically faced with a test many young players try, hitting buckets with the ball in order to improve accuracy and get a feel of how fast you should throw a ball and the best angle to do it.

The game is very simplified in some ways. For example there is only one receiver on the field whereas the opponent can have as many as three cornerbacks covering him. For a more realistic and more dynamic game it would make sense to add some extra receivers. This would make the game harder as the player would have to decide which receiver to throw to. While there is some defensive players trying to tackle you this mechanic could have been incorporated better. You can spot them from far away and it is too easy to avoid these players. Some stress is felt because of these players trying to sack you but it is far from enough. Adding blocking players on the offensive side while increasing the defensive players would once again add to the realism of the game and would also teach players about the idea of pocket presence and how to avoid getting sacked.

As with NFL Kicker 13 it is a neat detail that the actual NFL authorized the game and all the team names and uniforms are the same as in the real sport. One thing that I mentioned in my journal entry about NFL Kicker 13 was that they had these credits or coins in their game that could be used for virtually nothing. NFL Flick QB hasn’t made the same mistake and have just instead not added such a feature. The game does still feature a “leveling” mechanic where the collective points gathered through playing eventually causes a player to level up. The levels just unlock the other three game modes.