Football, also known as Atari Football, is a 1978 two-player American football video game designed for the Atari 2600 platform. The game is played from a top-down point of view of the field and features two skill levels and three game variations. Using the joystick, players can choose from one of five different offensive or defensive plays.
In the first game variation, after selecting a play, players control their characters on the field, allowing for more direct involvement in the gameplay. In the second game variation, players have the option of controlling their characters after a play is selected or allowing the computer to control the characters, providing a balance between manual and automated gameplay. The third game variation has the computer controlling the characters at all times, and players only need to select the plays they wish to execute and indicate when they want to punt or pass the ball. This variation is more focused on strategy and decision-making rather than character control.
In all of the game variations, the timer begins at 5 minutes and is active only during plays. The objective is to score more points than the opposing team before the timer runs out. The team with the most points when the timer runs out wins the game. This classic Atari Football game offers a mix of strategy and action for football fans and provides an early example of sports simulation in video games.
(Source: MobyGames)