ESPN Sunday Night NFL

n/a

ESPN Sunday Night NFL
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Mega-CD
Publisher: Sony Electronic Publishing
Developer: Sony Imagesoft, Ringler Studios, Absolute Entertainment
Licensor: ESPN, National Football League, Team NFL
Sound driver: GEMS
Genre: Sports (American football)
Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code US 1994-12 T-93046 US 1994-11 T-93105
Non-Sega versions No results

ESPN Sunday Night NFL is a 1994 American football game by Sony Imagesoft, Ringler Studios, and Absolute Entertainment for various platforms, including the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Mega-CD, released exclusively in the United States. It is named after the Sunday Night Football television program that aired on the American television channel ESPN.

The game has an NFL license, so real teams and logos are present, but it does not have an Players Association license, so the names of the players are not used.

Both versions of the game are hosted by sportscaster Chris Berman, who appears as digitized voice samples on the Mega Drive version and full-motion video on the Mega-CD version. The Mega-CD version additionally has commentary by Mike Patrick.

Gameplay

The game is an NFL football game, featuring all 28 teams, and supporting one or two players. It uses an isometric field projection. As in other football games, the player must run, pass, and kick a ball across a regulation field spanning 100 yards in order to score points. Players can have full control over the team during plays or can choose to "coach" and only pick plays, with the computer executing them. Weather conditions can be fair, rain, or snow.

Before a match, players can toggle the delay of game penalty (whether players are limited to 40 seconds to pick a play before a penalty is incurred), toggle pass interference (whether the pass interference penalty, where a defensive player interferes with an offensive player receiving a pass, is called), and set the length of each quarter (5, 10, or 15 minutes, with a default of 15 minutes). Players can also decide whether to have "realistic" or "even" team skills, to try to realistically represent each team's strengths and weaknesses or to have a more fair game. Each team is rated on running, passing, defense, and kicking, and some teams play better on different types of field (grass or turf).

	Coin Toss
	At the beginning of the game, the away team chooses heads () or tails () and the referee tosses a coin. The winner of the coin toss can choose to kick () or receive (). The kicking team begins the game on defense, and the receiving team begins the game on offense.
	Kick-Off
	A kick-off occurs at the beginning of a set of downs or during a conversion play after a touchdown. The kicking team can choose between three types of kick: a deep kick is the furthest and highest, maximizing the distance that the receiving team has to run the ball; a squib kick is short and low, making it easy for the kicking team to surround the receiving team; and an onside kick is a short kick meant to make it easy for the kicking team to regain possession of the ball (but risking giving the receiving team an excellent field position). Kicking the ball is similar to a golf game, where a cursor moves up and down a track, and the player must press to stop it at the desired point. The first segment of the track determines the power of the kick, and the second segment of the track determines the direction.
	Playbook
	Both teams huddle at the start of each down to choose a formation and then a play from the playbook (using , , or to choose the desired row or column). The defensive team's selections are on the top, with and switching between the two pages. The offensive team's selections are on the bottom, with the row selected first and then the column. After choosing their plays, the teams meet in formation at the line of scrimmage. During this time and before the snap, either team can call audibles using , , and . This allows the team to change its play (but not its formation), either in response to the opposing team's formation or to deliberately confuse the other player, with the buttons corresponding to the same buttons used to select a play from the playbook. The play chosen is not shown when calling an audible, so the other player cannot see it. The offensive team can choose "No Huddle" to keep the formation from the previous down and choose the play from the field.
	Defense
	On defense, the team must try to prevent the offensive team from scoring field goals or touchdowns and to try to intercept the ball to gain possession. After the snap, the D-Pad moves the active player (which is indicated by a circle around him). The active player can be changed to the one who is closest to the ball by pressing . The player can be given a speed boost by holding . The player can dive or tackle with . Running into the opposing player with the ball also tackles him.
	Offense
	On offense, the team has four downs (plays) in which to move the ball 10 yards down the field toward the opposing team's end zone. If successful, the team keeps possession of the ball receives another set of four downs; otherwise, the opposing team receives possession of the ball. On the fourth down, the player can choose to attempt a field goal (if close enough) or punt the ball to the defending team. At the start of the down, the center hikes the ball to the quarterback with . Then the quarterback is moved with the D-Pad, activates the receivers with , and throws the ball with again. The running back moves automatically to try to catch the ball, but the player can use the D-Pad to take manual control. If the player fails to catch the ball, the pass is incomplete and the team gains no yards for the down. Otherwise, the D-Pad moves the player with possession of the ball (which is indicated by a circle around him). The player can be given a speed boost by holding . The active player can spin with to try to evade other players or dive to the ground with to gain additional yards at the end of the play.

Modes

The game has the following modes, which can be played by one or two players:

• Single Game: A single match between any two teams (which can be the same team).
• 1994 Season: A season of 17 regular games followed by four rounds of playoffs, with the same season schedule as the 1994 NFL season. The game saves the player's progress to a battery backup in the Mega Drive version or the console's internal memory in the Mega-CD version. Games not involving the player's chosen team have their outcomes decided by the computer.
• Random Season: A season of 17 regular games followed by four rounds of playoffs, with a randomized season schedule. Player progress for this mode is saved in the same way as the 1994 season mode. The player has the option to watch the computer play out the games not involving the player's chosen team.
• Playoffs: Skips the regular season games and plays the four rounds of playoff games, culminating in the Super Bowl. Player progress is saved in the same way as the season games, and the player can watch the computer play out the games not involving the player's chosen team.

Teams

Conference	Division	Team	Players
American	East	Buffalo Bills
		Indianapolis Colts
		Miami Dolphins
		New England Patriots
		New York Jets
	Central	Cincinnati Bengals
		Cleveland Browns
		Houston Oilers
		Pittsburgh Steelers
	West	Denver Broncos
		Kansas City Chiefs
		Los Angeles Raiders
		San Diego Chargers
		Seattle Seahawks
National	East	Dallas Cowboys
		New York Giants
		Philadelphia Eagles
		Phoenix Cardinals
		Washington Redskins
	Central	Chicago Bears
		Detroit Lions
		Green Bay Packers
		Minnesota Vikings
		Tampa Bay Buccaneers
	West	Atlanta Falcons
		Los Angeles Rams
		New Orleans Saints
		San Francisco 49ers

Production credits

Mega Drive version

Ringler Studios

• Executive Producer: Ed Ringler
• Senior Technical Director: Chris Oke
• Assistant Technical Director: Doug Mackall
• Programming: Chris Oke, Doug Mackall, John Bartak, Arthur Donavan, Andrew Tuck, Richard Gardner, Dave Castelnuovo, Lee Romans
• Playbook AI: John Bartak, Andrew Tuck
• Game Design: Ed Ringler, Dave Castelnuovo, Chris Oke, John Bartak, Doug Mackall
• Playbook Design: John Bartak, Ed Ringler
• Audio Supervisor: Doug Mackall
• Art Director: Ed Ringler
• Graphics: Gary Platner, Klee Miller, Philippe Buttet
• Additional Graphics: Chris Oke, Ed Ringler, Doug Mackall, Michael Gates, Duane Stinnet, Brian Fire
• Product Concept by: Ed Ringler, Chris Oke, John Bartak, Doug Mackall
• Special Thanks: Bill Johnson, Lyndah Logston, Dustin Howard

Sony Imagesoft

• Executive Producer: Rich Robinson
• Producers: Daniel Meade, Allan Becker
• Testers: Andrew Leighton, Jody Kelsey, Bruce Cochrane, Jose Cruz, Tobin Russell, Seth Luisi

Absolute Entertainment

• Technical Director: Roger Booth
• Audio Director: Mark Van Hecke
• Music and FX: Jim Wallace, Steve Melillo
• Product Concept by: Alex Demeo, Bill Jannott, Mike Sullivan, Robert Prescott
• Special Thanks to: Garry Kitchen, James Charne, Carol Albert

ESPN

• Executive Producers: Steve Bornstein, Ed Durso, Dick Glover, Tom Hagopian, Jim Noel, John Wildhack, Fred Gaudelli
• Special Thanks: Chris Berman, Mike Patrick

Source:

In-game credits

Mega-CD version

Ringler Studios

• Executive Producer: Ed Ringler
• Senior Technical Director: Chris Oke
• Assistant Technical Director: Doug Mackall
• Programming: Chris Oke, Doug Mackall, John Bartak, Arthur Donavan, Andrew Tuck, Richard Gardner, Dave Castelnuovo, Lee Romans
• Playbook AI: John Bartak, Andrew Tuck
• Game Design: Ed Ringler, Dave Castelnuovo, Chris Oke, John Bartak, Doug Mackall
• Playbook Design: John Bartak, Ed Ringler
• Audio Supervisor: Doug Mackall
• Art Director: Ed Ringler
• Graphics: Gary Platner, Klee Miller, Philippe Buttet
• Additional Graphics: Chris Oke, Ed Ringler, Doug Mackall, Michael Gates, Duane Stinnet, Brian Fire
• Product Concept by: Ed Ringler, Chris Oke, John Bartak, Doug Mackall
• Special Thanks: Bill Johnson, Lyndah Logston, Dustin Howard

Sony Imagesoft

• Executive Producer: Rich Robinson
• Producers: Daniel Meade, Allan Becker
• Testers: Andrew Leighton, Jody Kelsey, Bruce Cochrane, Jose Cruz, Tobin Russell, Seth Luisi, Kurt Schwengel, C.J. Cannoy

Absolute Entertainment

• Technical Director: Roger Booth
• Director of System Software: Rick Booth
• System Programming: Dennis Benson, Dave Minogue
• Video Programming: John Shen
• Audio Director: Mark Van Hecke
• Music and FX: Jim Wallace, Steve Melillo
• Product Concept by: Alex Demeo, Bill Jannott, Mike Sullivan, Robert Prescott
• Special Thanks to: Garry Kitchen, James Charne, Carol Albert

ESPN

• Executive Producers: Steve Bornstein, Ed Durso, Dick Glover, Tom Hagopian, Jim Noel, John Wildhack, Fred Gaudelli
• Special Thanks: Chris Berman, Mike Patrick

NFL Films

• Special Thanks: Sheila Bumgarner

Source:

In-game credits

Magazine articles

Main article: ESPN Sunday Night NFL/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advert in (US) #64: "November 1994" (1994-xx-xx)
also published in:

• (US) #5: "November 1994" (1994-1x-xx)

Physical scans

Mega Drive version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score (RU) 60 (US) NTSC-U 48 (RU) 58

	55
Based on 3 reviews

ESPN Sunday Night NFL

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart Manual Poster

Mega-CD version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score

	N/A
Based on 0 reviews

ESPN Sunday Night NFL

Mega-CD, US
Cover
Disc Manual

Technical information

Main article: ESPN Sunday Night NFL/Technical information.