Sony Computer Entertainment heavily marketed the game in printed and on television, with a campaign which characterized it as the choice of real NFL players.[7] SCE held two pre-Super Bowl XXXII events with the game, one pitting Super Bowl participants Robert Brooks and Terrell Davis against each other, and one at the PlayStation NFL players party in which sixteen NFL players participated.[8]
Like its two predecessors, NFL GameDay 98 was met with critical acclaim. Reviewers universally applauded its pioneering use of polygonal players in a football game, and in particular, the fact that it manages to do so without noticeable slowdown.[11][15][16][5][18]GameSpot, for example, remarked that "After two years of sprite-based 32-bit football games, many believed it wasn't possible to create a fully 3D PlayStation football game without making tremendous sacrifices in gameplay or aesthetics. NFL GameDay '98 is proof that the PlayStation is capable of accomplishing such feats."[15]Next Generation stated that "While Madden is still trying to get old school done right in the 32-bit age, Sony has, for the third year in a row, successfully reinvented the wheel and made it spin."[5] Some critics also noted that the use of polygons for the players enabled new moves that would not be possible with sprites.[11][15]
Reviews also widely praised the game's accessibility,[11][16][5][18] player animations,[15][16][5][18] and sound effects.[15][16] However, some still concluded that it fell second to its chief competitor, Madden NFL 98. GameSpot found the selection of moves excessive and the A.I. more vulnerable to "money plays" than that of Madden NFL 98.[15]Electronic Gaming Monthly's Kraig Kujawa likewise found it too susceptible to "money plays" to consider it as outstanding as Madden, though his co-reviewer Dean Hager held NFL GameDay 98 to be the better of the two games.[11]GamePro, while giving it a 4.5 out of 5 in sound and a perfect 5.0 in every other category (graphics, control, and fun factor), found it to be less realistic than Madden, likening it to stepping outside during the Super Bowl to play street football.[18]Next Generation, however, asserted that if Madden NFL 98 were to outsell NFL GameDay 98, "then there is a serious problem with the game-buying public."[5]
In 1997 Electronic Gaming Monthly named it the 31st best console video game of all time (while ranking Madden NFL 98 as 19th best), citing its revolutionary 3D graphics and solid gameplay,[19] and named it a runner-up for "Sports Game of the Year" (behind International Superstar Soccer 64).[20]
1234Scary Larry (October 1997). "Having a Good Day". GamePro. No.109. IGN. p.151. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
↑"100 Best Games of All Time". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No.100. Ziff Davis. November 1997. pp.140, 147. Note: Contrary to the title, the intro to the article (on page 100) explicitly states that the list covers console video games only, meaning PC games and arcade games were not eligible.
↑"The Award - Winners". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on June 15, 1998. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
↑Wertz, Langstone (September 17, 1998). "Head to Head". The Charlotte Observer. Chatham Asset Management. p.49. Retrieved October 27, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
