GRAVE YARDAGE

FAST LOOK

Activision's Grave Yardage represents what would have happened if Boris Karloff had been named commissioner of the NFL. Instead of brawny linemen, fleet-footed receivers, and crafty quarterbacks in the National Football League, you'll command a lineup of ghouls, ogres, zombies, gargoyles, and goblins in the Monster Football League.

The MFL plays on fields that are more hazardous than Astroturf. In addition to mud and weeds, land mines plague your players. If one of your grim grid warriors triggers an explosion, the demonic ref slaps your team with a penalty for littering the field with body parts.

The game resembles football, with a few gruesome twists. Touch-downs are called smashdowns, but crossing the goal line is not enough to win the game. You must "ace" your opponents on a regular basis by hacking, smashing, gouging, and eventually killing them. Hit the quarterback for a loss of snargs and you'll pick up more points.

Grave Yardage is an excellent arcade game, but features such as play calling and substitutions tend to slow down the pace. Other unnecessary parts of the game include the team construction, playbook design, and field design options. But, if you're bored with sports simulations that imitate the pros on television and you enjoy carnage more than a good clean hit, then Grave Yardage is the football game for you.

MICKEY McLEAN