What can I say? This is this best football game I have ever played to this date.
To begin with, the sound is incredible. Think back to when Lawrence Taylor was on the field with the New York Giants. Can you recall the "sound" he made when his shoulder pads got embedded into some guys chest? With a series of grunts and cracks, tackling has never been this exciting. In addition to the awesome sound, the graphics are simply untouchable. Player animation is smooth and clean and the modeled stadiums are nearly identical to the NFL ones.
Even with superior sound and graphics, the playability is what makes NFL Game Day '97 so good. The "L2" (Advanced Control) options are a really cool addition to the game. Scenario: it's fourth and goal and you need a touch down to win. Do you pass to the outside or run it up the middle? While holding down the L2 button you can make your running back dive over the defensive line for the touchdown. The defense however is just as lethal. When diving at a ball carrier you can press the L2 button to execute a vicious tackle that stuns the runner, possibly causing a fumble.
Sony even threw in a couple of cool options to make the game even more enjoyable. You can sign free agents, draft and/or trade players, and my favorite: create your own players. Now you can have a chance at tackling Emmitt Smith or sacking the crap out of Steve Young. You can also start off in the Preseason just to see what each team has to offer, or go straight to the Super Bowl to skip the weak and challenge the best.
It's all here. You and seven others can huddle up, order pizza and buffalo wings and play NFL Game Day '97 all night. What do you think we've been doing?