The process of getting through an entire four quarters is quite tedious, even to the most patient NFL gamers used to selecting plays and executing them on field. While some gamers will inevitably become frustrated by not being able to actually play in a game, NFL Head Coach 09 does a good job of simulating the exact feeling of a head coach watching from the sidelines. How fun that feeling actually is while playing a video game is up to you.

As dull as this game tends to be, EA has gone to lengths to make Head Coach a little more exciting. NFL fans will appreciate the excellent character models of the athletes. Watching them play, athletes move fluidly and realistically, enough to make watching them quite enjoyable in all honesty. You also have the option to sim each game, or alternatively, SuperSim, so you can still pick each play and learn from their outcomes after a game. There are a few noticeable new additions to this title as well, including more detail on home stadiums; the camera pans over the crowd to get a better sense of the atmosphere and add a nice visual to make things a bit more interesting. There are also updates provided by commentator Adam Schefter, as he alerts you of new things happening with other teams around the league along with NFL Network promo videos. Little things such as these aren't much, but they do make the game slightly more interesting as opposed to simply looking at menu after menu.

While the thought of a football RPG may bore some who enjoy the hands-on experience of Madden and other similar titles, there are some positives to NFL Head Coach 09. Football heads may enjoy the fact that the game does a good job of applying what your team learned from the drills they worked on throughout the week to the game you play the following Sunday, and that EA does a good job of adding a level of excitement to a very slow-paced game. Where it fails is in its ability to appeal to a wide audience. The only people who may actually be interested in purchasing NFL Head Coach 09 are those who crave so much football that their latest installment of Madden simply won't do.

By Pete Richards
CCC Freelance Writer