TURN TO CHANNEL 3: ‘Mutant League Football’ made the sport fun (and evil) for non-‘Madden’ fans
It’s no secret to my friends and fellow gamers – I’m not a big fan of the Sega Genesis.
I never owned one as a kid, and only through friends did I get introduced to some of the games for it. Later, when I began collecting, I always went for those games I knew about, but never ventured out further than those tried-and-true classics, so my collection of Genesis titles is very slim.
I’m a diehard classic Nintendo fan, but there are times when even I must admit that a certain Genesis title catches my eye, as in the case of today’s Turn to Channel 3 subject, “Mutant League Football.” Even today, this is a sought-after Genesis title that just missed the mark of having a remake through the wonders of Kickstarter.
So, what makes “Mutant League Football” so appealing? Has it aged well? Well, let’s take the field with all those mutants, aliens, and other fierce creatures for some gridiron battle!
“Mutant League Football” (Sega Genesis)
Sound: 
“Mutant League Football” doesn’t bash you over the head with its soundtrack, but it does a great job of setting the stage for what’s to come. You have the opening tune as well as the music that plays as you’re selecting a play. What’s more notable and entertaining are the sound effects, from the hilarious sounds of the coaches as they bark out plays to the sounds of the bone-crunching hits, explosions, and dismantling of the referees. There’s not much there, but what’s there is enough to create a fun game on the soundtrack and sound effects alone.
Graphics:
There are definitely some outlandish characters in this game, but, considering what the name of the game is, they obviously fit well into the environments. You have skeletons, aliens, and all sorts of creatures, with the coaches being the most defined graphically, but it’s also worth noting how awesome the fields look, too. They’re not over-the-top, but what’s there is a nice twist on the more traditional fields of other football titles.
Gameplay:
“Mutant League Football” takes the engine from the Genesis “Madden” titles and turns it on its head with explosions, ripping apart the refs, and the possibility of falling off the field into an abyss. It takes something that’s familiar and adds a much-needed twist to it. Yes, the games can become pretty one-sided if you can figure out the scheme of things, but it doesn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of this game. If you love these kinds of characters but hate traditional football titles, then this is a great game for any gamer who likes things that think outside of the box.
Overall:
There are a lot of reasons you should track down a copy of this game, but perhaps none as pressing as the fact that they are getting more expensive to buy and more difficult to find. It would be easy to say that if you’re a diehard football fan that this is a game for you, but I think what gives this game such a cult following is its appeal to those that may not even watch football. There’s something satisfying and downright evil about taking down a ref that gives your team a bad call, and the sounds coming out of the mouths of the coaches are some really funny stuff, that’s for sure.
I hope you enjoyed this romp through “Mutant League Football.” Join us next time as we take a look at another classic as we Turn to Channel 3!
Note: All ratings for Turn to Channel 3 are based on a scale of 1-10.
