Given the recent releases of NFL 2010 and Madden NFL 10, Backbreaker Football easily could have been lost in the shuffle. NaturalMotion Games doesn’t exactly have the reputation of video game vets Gameloft and EA Sports, and predictably Backbreaker didn’t have near the hype of the other two iPhone apps.
But Backbreaker Football is a hit. It’s amazing what superior graphics and controls can do for a game.
First off, it’s a little unfair to compare the 99-cent app to Madden and NFL 2010. While those games are football simulations, Backbreaker is essentially a mini-game with an arcade feel.
You take on the role of a ball carrier and are forced to spin and juke your way around tacklers on your way to the end zone. The game’s main mode, Challenge Mode, includes five challenges that become more difficult by including more tacklers and limiting the area you can move in.
Backbreaker boasts incredible graphics – much better than any other football game for the iPhone and, really, as good as any I have seen in any game. The players move realistically and the game play is smooth, making this a very pleasurable visual experience.
It excels control-wise as well. To move forward, you tilt your iPhone forward. The same goes for moving left and right, and it has to be said this type of set-up is a whole lot more fun than using a virtual stick.
You are also given left and right juke and spin buttons, as well as turbo and showboat buttons. Overall it is a very simple, yet innovative control scheme that is one of the best you will find.
Still, I want more from Backbreaker Football. While it’s difficult, the replay value is limited by the game’s lack of variety. I’m okay with it not being a full-fledged football game, but I would love the ability to play defense as well.
All-in-all, though, this is a great app for a great price and exactly the kind of game that works for the iPhone.
