DISCLAIMER: This game is still in ALPHA. All thoughts and opinions herein are related to the game during its development state. Features/content are subject to change and this is not a final representation of the game.
Before we start talking about Mutant Football League, I wanna go back to my childhood.
Back in early 1995, something magical arrived at my house. Well, it was magic to me because I had no idea how cable television/phone lines worked. Needless to say in a world of AOL, crappy 56k modems and games exclusively coming from rental shops, this device changed my childhood. It was called Sega Channel. Take a few seconds and google that. I will wait.
Basically, it was an online monthly service that gave you access to about fifty games. These games would rotate and change out as new games released. It was amazing, remember this is 1995. You paid twenty bucks to access the internet back then. 
This is where my love affair began with many games such as Phantasy Star, Road Rash, and last but certainly not least, Mutant League Football/Hockey. Zoom forward to 2017 and I still love those games to this very day. Sadly, it seems like the games industry left fun and ridiculous ideas for more realistic, shooter games. That’s all fine and good, but thankfully I am not the only person who misses these old games.
You can imagine my exuberance when I heard of Mutant Football League. MFL is a spiritual successor to one of my beloved childhood games and it does things in its own fresh and unique way.
This isn’t some sort of slap dash nostalgia driven cash grab.
The good folks at Digital Dreams Entertainment captured the soul of those old games and brought them to modern times with awesome details and great updated mechanics.
Keep in mind MFL is still in an alpha state, so I am going to keep this rather short. Plenty of changes are coming for this game but I am already in love with the Alpha as it is in its current state.
I suck at sports games. They have never been my thing and I usually avoid them like the plague. MFL is a different type of sports game, one with buzzsaws, acid pits, and land mines. All of those nasty tricks you loved back then are back with a fresh new coat of blood. Making a player humongous and stomping the enemy team, throwing a football grenade and watching a goresplosion, it’s there, its hilarious, and it’s as good as you remember it to be. It’s even better than you remember.
I decided while playing the Alpha to set up myself with a challenge. The online features aren’t in quite yet, but you can still play against the AI. I wanted to see if I could play this game like an actual football game and I was rather surprised by how well it played even without the nasty tricks. While team customization, and other modern sports game tidbits are still in the works, the barebones were there and work well. I found myself improving and eventually turned the dirty moves back on to see if it affected my gameplay. Not only did I find the nasty moves easier to avoid but I found myself playing smarter when actually using those plays as well.
There are currently thirteen teams in this build, and about a handful of arenas. Obviously there is a long road ahead for MFL but trust me when I say that the developer packed plenty of personality into its Alpha. The announcers are hilarious and there is plenty here even for a real sports fan to laugh at and enjoy. Retro fans are also going to see many familiar elements, such as hearing from the players after plays, where they talk massive shit about each other.
You feel the bone crunching satisfaction as you tackle, punch and body slam the opposing team. As the announcer jokingly reminds, “You are allowed to tackle the quarterback in this game folks!” MFL has plenty of balls, orcs, skeletons, and robots to fill out an Iron Maiden concert. All we need is Eddie.
It’s all there and its about damn time this game is getting the come back it deserves.
As of when this posts, MFL has already hit its Kickstarter goal, and is now looking at stretch goals from the community. I could go on and on about the fun I had playing the Alpha and sing its praises. I could keep you here regaling you with tales of guts and glory.
Instead I want you to go check out their Kickstarter and show them some love. This is a game I gladly give a recommendation on. If you are 90’s kid, or were lucky enough to play Sega Channel like me, you are not going to be disappointed.
If you pledge a dollar or more you can even check out the Alpha that I got my hands on. So what are you waiting for?! Go, now, go! Before I punt you into a lava pit!
