Gaming / Handheld Game Systems / Mattel Electronic Football

I grew up playing this football game with my cousin. With all the new games out now, the focus is on graphics and gameplay. This simple representation of football is so much fun and does it without any flashy bells or whistles. The concept is simple: you are the ball carrier and have to evade the opposing defense on your way to the end zone. You can only move forward, up and down, so there are no fancy backtracking moves to break a long score. It’s kind of like a chess game where the defense moves once you do and you’re forced to react to their new formation. At the end of each play, you can press the status button to see your current down and distance as well as your field position. You can also press the score button to know the current score. There is a kick button to use on fourth down, but that doesn’t get used very often! You can play head to head with a friend by passing the game back and forth when the game switches sides. You move from right to left or left to right. There are specific beeps for when you get tackled and a little melody that plays when you score a touchdown. I spent a good part of my youth trying to earn that melody and the nostalgia I feel when I hear it now is irreplaceable. It was only seven dollars on ebay and I couldn’t pass up that deal. I can still play it at any time and have a lot of fun each time. This handheld proves that you don’t need fancy graphics or sounds to have a good time. All you need is a good concept and your imagination.