Average Rating: 
Rating:  - A True Classic In The Field (DOH!)
After having spent many years enjoying the original Mattel® Football 2 hand-held game, I decided to give the updated rendition a whirl. After spendin' more than a few hours with it, I found it to be almost as good as the original, although a few bizarre changes in the game-play had me bewildered for a moment or two. I was pretty floored when I found out that the second-half kickoff had been eliminated; you simply play through the second quarter right into the third now. The line of scrimmage has also been moved forward a yard, which means you need to gain an extra step to get a first down now. And unlike the receiver blip in the original FB2 that would attempt to stay in the same horizontal lane with the passer blip, the new receiver is a bit of a free-spirit that simply tries to get as far downfield as it can, and shows no concern about where the passer is. Speaking of passing: an incomplete throw on the new FB2 game is an automatic turnover, rather than a simple loss of a down. One other weird oddity with the new version: if a defender grabs a turnover within his own end zone, it is not downed for a touchback; rather, the offense actually takes over at the spot within the end zone itself where the turnover occurred! And if you don't enough yardage to make it past your own goal line, the other side gets a safety. Despite the weird changes in game-play, I did like the fact that the difficulty settings are more challenging. Unlike the original FB2, where I could set it on Pro 2 and end up with an Arena Football score, when I set the new version to Pro 2 I have to strain to even get a 1st down, let alone points! If I can get both teams to score three touchdowns on this setting, I was either very lucky or the batteries are running down. Needless to say, if you want an offensive contest, keep it set on Pro 1... On the upside, I was happy to see that FB2-Mark 2 has a Sound On/Off switch. This is one improvement I wish I had on my original game; it's kinda tough to sneak in a quick midnight match-up and not wake the 'rents with alla' those bleeps and whistles, you know? And being someone who's always losing the battery-hatch covers to my little electronic toys and gizmos, I'm overjoyed by the fact that the battery cover is kept securely in place by a Philips-head screw! Unfortunately, along with the upside, there's also a downside: one big problem I encountered with FB2's new design was the LED display screen. It can be hard to see the blips at times, even more so than the original. And the plastic screen that covers the screen is softer and flimsier than that of its predecessor, offering scant protection from hits and drops. Whatever you do, do NOT push down on any part of the screen! If you do that, you can permanently damage the LED lights. Trust me on this; I learned this lesson the hard way... 'Late
Rating:  - I have waited years for this
When I was a child I had this game until it got broken, and I have always wanted to own another. Thanks to Mattel I have the pleasure of owning it again along with the first football, basketball, and baseball.
Rating:  - Not a Perfect Clone of the Original
I agree with previous reviews that suggest you save this gift for someone over 30 who played with it as a kid. I LOVED this game when I played it over 20 years ago. In fact, I still have my original game. That said, this game is quite simple and may not appeal to your average 12 year old Madden X-Box player. I still love it. This game is also stongly recommended over the classic football 1 (white game) also available from Amazon.com. Football 2 (green game) adds passing --a key addition that adds life to the game.You nostalgia buffs should be aware of few differences from the original.
1)The sounds aren't as good. No longer is there a distinction between a Touchdown sound effect and a Fieldgoal sound effect. The first down sound effect no longer repeats the nice little beep you get when you make it, then retreat and then make it again. I do like that mattel added the "sound on/off" feature --not available in the original. But more troubling are some other changes. 2) The battery is no longer the longer-lasting square 9volt. Instead we get the typical 2 AA battery set up --which doesn't last as long or work as strongly for long.
3)In the original football 2, you could actually throw an incomplete pass by throwing the ball down a row that had no receivers OR defenders. In that case when it reached the end of the screen it was an incomplete. In the new version, such a pass is treated as an interception even though no defensive player touches it. A glitch? Intentional? Laziness by mattel? Who knows, but it stinks and should be changed.
4)Most importantly, Mattel removed the "secret" option (contained in the original instructions) for "Pro 3 and Pro 4" settings. By holding down the "kick" button when you turned on the game, you could raise the skill level even higher than the two options apparent on the face of the game. Pro 4 was challenging even to a 14 year old who had played the game for 100s of hours. Mattel removed this whole option from the game. So, if you just want to play the game you loved as a kid, and aren't worried about the details, this is a blast (and a nice gift for that "grown up" you know who played these games as a kid). If you want an exact recreation of the game you loved, this isn't quite it.
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