After an ACL injury sidelined Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles for a majority of the 2015 season, the Port Arthur, Texas native is back on the gridiron hoping for a fresh start.
The same could be said for the four-time Pro Bowler’s recently relaunched arcade-style video game called Football Unleashed 17 Jamaal Charles (JC17). The iOS app is a fresh makeover of last year’s version and developed by England-based Distinctive Games, which focuses on creating mobile sports games.
“It’s been really fun and quite surreal to be honest. I love to find new ways to heighten my brand,” Charles said in a statement about having his own video game.
Added Nigel Little, Managing Director of Distinctive Games in a statement: “Football Unleashed 17 Jamaal Charles is an action packed arcade football game that delivers exciting gameplay and amazing visuals. As the follow up to Football Unleashed, we are incredibly excited to launch this game as it’s bigger and better than ever.
“We are delighted in our continued collaboration with such a talented and professional sports person (in Jamaal Charles). His determination and energy speaks for itself and is something we really captured in this game.”
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Football Unleashed 17 Jamaal Charles allows users to play 5-on-5 with no flags or penalties and includes other enhancements such as powerups and the ability to have an opponent abducted by aliens.
Through the 2.0 version of the app, Charles explained that he wanted to find another medium to connect with younger fans off the field, and the new iteration is a vehicle to do just that. Once he met with Distinctive Games and learned more about the company’s portfolio — which included creating a similar game for former San Francisco 49er linebacker Patrick Willis — Charles called it a “no brainer” about partnering with them.
“Of course, I’m a huge fan of games, which was another reason why this made so much sense,” added Charles in a statement. “I even have a “2 Minute Drill” Arcade game (think “Pop A Shot” but with football instead of basketball) in my house. I play Call of Duty, Destiny, Madden, 2K … and of course Football Unleashed with Jamaal Charles.”