I wasn't looking for a hobby when August 2004 came around. Well, not really. At least, I didn't think I was. I had spent the first half of this year working on an application for my employer's accounting department. I spent almost all of my free time for the better half of three months, this spring, working on various tasks for the project. When August came around, I wasn't even in the mind frame for having a hobby, ‘cause I wasn't even used to having free time. At the end of July, I and my coworkers had pretty much declare victory on the project that had consumed my free time for the first half of 2004. So when August came in, I was looking forward to the possibility of playing Madden 2005. You see, I haven’t played Madden for the last three years, but because of the previews I had been reading on Gamespot, I had decided that it was about time to try it out again. As August 9th approached, I began the chatter about my excitement over purchasing the game. Maybe I mentioned it to my wife so much that she just knew that I was going to buy the game, no matter what. Well, when the release day came, I began wavering on purchasing it. I do that every time I get close to actually buying games that cost more than $20. Well, my wife wasn’t having it. She didn’t want me to miss out on what she knew was going to be a good purchase and good times for me. She remembered how much fun I had playing the first PS2 version back when the PS2 was first released. Like I said, my wife wasn’t having it. She made me drive us out to EB Games when I got off from work so she could buy the game for me. Well, we went, I drove, she bought, and my life was changed from that very moment. I now have a hobby to fill the time that I used to spend coding my little heart out. And I’m very passionate about this hobby, too! I love this game. I love the depth to which EA has gone to craft a very immersive football experience. I specifically favor the depth to which one can call plays on both offense and defense. I also enjoy the online play, franchise mode, and the statistics which the game saves in you your profile. I’ve been playing the game for about a month now, and am still learning things that I can do with play calling. Play calling is my favorite feature. I just learned about packages, from Gamespot’s Madden 2005 game guide. What an awesome idea! They work similar to doing substitutions; only, you use packages at the play calling screen. The feature keeps you from having to pause the game in order to rearrange your depth chart or formation substitutions. I’ve played the game online about 4 times, now. The experience is a lot different than playing versus the CPU. I think playing online is an excellent extension of the game. Human players try things that you wont ever catch the CPU trying. Interestingly enough, I’ve picked up some tricks from the online world that have fed back into my regular playing style – which has ultimately improved my games in franchise mode. The graphics of the game are really great, but they don’t really impress me that much. I expect good graphics from any great game, now-a-days. I, personally, am not impressed with the soundtrack, either. I wish Xzibit was in the lineup. He has a voice that is just perfect for Madden. He was on the 2001 soundtrack lineup. Anyways, I think Madden 2005 is awesome. If you have been wondering whether you should pick it up, make sure that you just go ahead and take the plunge. Trust me, it is extremely worth it. The only thing you have to make sure of is that you have enough time to play the game. To really get your money’s worth, you’ll want to devote some time to playing it. Its not a game that you can “get through” in under a week.
I've played a number of the other Madden games over the past years, and despite their bells and whistles that come and go each year, this one is always the best. You have an actual defense in this version. One tha... Read Full Review
It is MAdden time again. Some of you may be hyped up and ready but some may be the same. But Madden 05 is something to check out. With new features,a updated roster, and more MAdden Cards this game you will leave you wn... Read Full Review
