Madden 2005 is the latest installment of the long running franchise that bears the name of former coach now commentator John Madden. A few things have been changed, but overall it is about 90% the same game as last year. I guess if it's not broken don't try to fix it. There are those that like Madden and there are those that hate Madden, and the main dislike about last year's game was that the Xbox version was not available for online play. This year it is.

The graphics are better than they were last year. The players are crisper and the animations are more realistic. One new feature is the "create-a-fan" where you can design a crazy fan. There are limitations to what you can do, but characteristics like a painted face, Mohawks and foam fingers are a few of the creative things you can do to your number one fan. Unfortunately you can create only one. They have even added to the realism of the cheerleaders. At halftime a group of them do a little dance routine to entertain the fans and they are much bigger and gigglier than last year.

The sound is the same as it ever was. It still has the rambling commentary of John Madden that, after a few games, starts repeating. Another new feature is the weekly radio show where you can listen to league rumblings such as great games, stats, and defensive trends. Every so often you'll get some "listener" calling in ranting about a team or a player. The only problem with this feature is that all the comments are pre-recorded and the names are added depending on the situation. It really doesn't add anything to the game play, but in franchise mode it can give you insight to different teams and players. I usually don't even bother listening to it because I would rather start another game.

The most drastic changes have been made to the in-game controls. Last year you could only move a whole group of defenders i.e. force all defensive backs into bump and run coverage. This year you have the choice of all or individuals. This adds to the strategy of the game during head to head and online play. You can also assign one of your safeties to double cover a single receiver without tipping off your opponent. EA has also added the "hit stick". This is a special feature that can turn a game around. If timed right, you can cream an opposing player possibly causing a fumble or dropped pass; miss-time it and your defender is on his back watching the other guy score.

EA has ramped up the awareness of the computer defense. They don't seem to be as easily burned and running the ball is much more of a challenge. In the settings menu there are different levels of difficulty: rookie, pro, all-pro, and madden. Each harder than the one below, but within each level you can adjust different attributes of that level. If all-pro is too hard you can go in a turn down just the computer's defense a little making the learning curve a little easier to handle. You still have the ability to play a single exhibition game or you can go into franchise mode and try to take your team to the top. In franchise mode they have expanded the intricacies of teams and players. If you don't win, players get unhappy. If players are unhappy, the team chemistry suffers. You can reward players that play hard by naming them team captain or if they are not performing up to standards you can trade or release them.

They have brought back the mini games and madden tokens. Mini games are player drills such as ground attack and precision passing where you can earn cards that can be used during game play. Madden tokens are another way to get these cards. There are dozens of accomplishments that can be earned in a game like sack the quarterback, make an interception, or recover a fumble. Depending on the difficulty level you get a set amount of tokens that then can be used to purchase a pack of ten cards.

This year's game is for people who like to play head to head against friends for bragging rights or for the franchise guru that only likes to play the computer. I like to play a franchise with one team, build them into a dynasty, win a few Super Bowls, and then change to a different team in the same division. This means that I have to play my original team twice the next year. Another way is to pick the weakest team in the league and see if you can take them to the top. You can do anything you like... you are the ruler of the NFL.

Oct 11, 2004 | 0 comments
Michael Land