First let me say, I was a Madden fan since it's inception. When it first appeared on Sega Genisis I was hooked. While everyone else was singing the praises of Tecmo Bowl and Joe Montana, I was a Madden diehard. That was until Dreamcast was launched. NFL2k changed football forever. Although it had some issues, nothing came close to it's fun or realism. Even when the PS2 Madden came out, I still found it subpar to Sega's effort. I ahve been waiting since 2k was released to find a Madden game that could bring me back to where I started. Now, after reading many previews and reviews I took the plunge and purchased Madden 2004. Have my prayers been answered? Gameplay: 8.5 There has been much discussion on what football game has the best player movements. Some like Maddens' heavy momentum based system, some like the fun and speed factor of Fever, while many like the combination that the 2K series has offered. Being that as it may, I found Maddens' gameplay too momentum heavy. Now, I did get the hang of it, so that is not an issue, but still find it a little too realistic. In fact, at times I think it's more realistic than reality itself. The one thing that I did like, and the main reason I purchased this year, was the Playmaker system included this year. I did really enjoy this part of the game. Having the ability to make numerous changes before the snap is a great addition, and one i think all the current football games should include. I found this to be really helpful when playing a human, especially online(OOps, no XBOX Live support). On offense, passing is tad bit hard. It takes some getting used to, but I do think that might have something to do with not playing the series much as of late. Running is pretty good, but following your blockers is not rewarded as much as it is in 2K(ESPN) or Fever. Defense was very frustrating. I really hate the AI of the DB's. They usually don't act as intuitive as they should. I think that D-Line play is up to par as well as LB play. One thing I think Madden needs to improve, that I think 2K has nailed, is when plays are repeated the offense or defense needs to adjust. I had a drive that started on my 5 yard line. I repeated the same play until I scored 95 yards later. That just doesn't happen. I even found Fever to do this better. I found many dislikes in the feel of the game, but the Playmaker system is pretty awesome. Graphics: 8 Anyone who thinks this is the best looking game is blind. Granted it's not 989 sports bad, but it doesn't touch what I've seen from ESPN or Fever( with the exception of those fat Fever lineman). I will not got into crazy detail here, but will say this is not the best looking football game. Commentary: 8 Has the commentary changed since Genisis? The commentary is not awful, but I thought after all these years I'd hear some new stuff. Now 2k and Fever both have their problems. I think the Madden commentary is on par with Fever, and behind 2k. Sound 9 This is strong point of Madden. Everything in the game sounds very realistic. As much as I like the sound of 2K, Madden does the sound just as well in some aspects. Extras: 9.5 This would be a 10 had they included the XBOX live compatibility. The franchise mode is unsurpassed. No one does it better. For myself, this really doesn't matter. Other than drafting and trading I don't fool around much in franchise. However, the tweakers will love this thing. It's like having a "RollerCoaster Tycoon" mini game in your football game. Great addition. Overall: 8.9 As much as I wanted to love Madden, I just don't. I believed the hype and followed the pied piper. Is the game good? Yes. Is it as great as some have praised? NO! If your a Madden faithful, the improvements that were made make the purchase worthwhile. If your just looking for a good football title, I'd say rent it. Wait for the other two games to be released and then make a decision. For me, Madden has failed to win me back, and I think that will continue to happen until XBOX2 or PS3 versions are made. Seeing that I have not played ESPN or Fever I can't say which is better, but I will be going back to play 2K3 until those games are released. If your into hype and sales figures, get Madden. If you want the best game, wait and see what the others are like first. Did I mention no XBOX Live? PS- I'm 33 and have been playing football games since Atari had X's, O's, and trackballs.
Gameplay: It's another Madden game that is always coming with great gameplay. It is fun just to play with friends and even against the AI, but that can be very easy at times. Even on the harder levels. The gameplay is de... Read Full Review
By Ds_Bloodlust | Review Date: Mar 02, 2006 | XBOX
This was a pretty fun football game. Not much to say about it but here goes. The graphics were really good. The controls were very good and my favorite out of all of my 3d sports games. The music selection was nice and i... Read Full Review
