The title refers to the most dramatic of do-or-ide situations, and this excellent sim certainly isn't lacking in excitement. The game is viewed from an elevated sideline position. Player sprites are small but nippy, with the screen flicking to follow the fast action.

Plays are selected by pushing a joystick direction or fire on a series of menus: formation, play and runner/receiver. You then get to control your quarterback (pressing fire to do an automatically aimed pass), followed by the ball-carrier.

This is where one of the game's strong points comes into play: your team-mates are excellent at blocking opposing tacklers - use them well, and you can go on lengthy runs Barry Sanders would be proud of.

Tactical depth includes the option to fake field goals and punts, do onside and sideline kicks, use of timeouts to stop the clock and player substitutions. Sadly, there's no league option, just two teams, but the computer's tricky to beat - and you can have even more fun against a friend.