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Madden
2004
Score: 9.2 / 10
The gridiron is again flooded with numerous
football games. Again, the same duo of EA Sports and Sega control the
high ground; while lower doen you’ll find the struggle of rookie titles
trying to earn themselves recognition. Recently we’ve the seen the rise
and fall of the Madden saga. For more then 10 years we’ve seen Madden
hit the shelves, always earning the most profit. To many gamers
surprise, after the release of Madden 2001, little addition has been
made to the following titles, merely updating the graphics and rosters
are the only additions. With Sega hot on their trail of being the best
football game, EA Sports felt how close they were, and decided it was
time to unleash something much, much, bigger. After playing the game for
quite some time, I can strongly say that this is the one title to buy
come this football season.
Madden is known for its in-depth and precise presentation of realistic
football. Year after year, Madden delivers the best graphics, and the
best gameplay. Though, with the franchises success, depth off the field
was missing quite a bit. Sure, you can
play through a season and make trades; but
shouldn’t there be something else? This year, Madden faced the problem,
and ultimately made the most in-depth football game ever created.
The new Owner Mode, which is simply a Franchise mode on steroids, adds
more depth then one could ever asked for. Inside owner mode, every
aspect of your team can be modified. From cup
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holders to jerseys, all can be modified. Want to relocate? No problem,
pick a city, and move. Not enough people in the stadium? Give them
something to cheer about by investing in television ads. If that doesn’t
work, you can always give them team bandanas, and other concessions to
increase revenue. For the first time, a player can actually immerse
themselves in the role of being an owner, and feel its wide range of
power. If you think the team spent all of their time creating a plethora
of just off field options, then you’ve obviously never heard the term
“play maker”.
“Play maker” is every players dream in one movement. A simple stroke up
or down can change your fate in a blink of an eye. For example, if you
back up to pass, but find your receiver standing there covered by three
defensive backs, which used to happen a lot in previous Madden games,
you can order him to move in any direction you choose. For the first
time ever, the player will actually move to the place you command, after
the play is in progress. As well as quarterbacks, running backs also
have the ability to utilize play maker. During a run, using the same
right analog control, you can select to have a blocker in front of you
change accordingly to your run, allowing you to break free through a
tight gap. Play maker is mostly used for the offense, but the defense
also has the ability to use play maker.
Before the snap, the offense might call an audible, reading your blitz
approach. Now lets say you still want to blitz your linebackers for
pressure, though still want your cornerbacks to play off a bit and stay
alert for the pass. Well, all of this can be done in only two strokes of
playmaker. The ability to shape shift your defensive is incredible, and
never before seen in any other football game. This option is seamlessly
integrated within the gameplay, and without it, the Madden series
could’ve been beaten by Sega.
As stated earlier, the Madden series relies on its graphics and flowing
gameplay effects to hold together all differing aspects. And in Madden
style, the game excels once again. The player faces and bodies are very
well done, allowing you to recognize players before there name even pops
up, or by their number. In previous Madden games, the faces were barely
distinguishable with their real life counterpart. The bodies of players
are also realistic and like their real life counterpart, though I have a
small complaint. There is only one player that might look slightly out
of sync with other player sizes, and that is Warren Sapp. Yes, we all
know of his great size and power, but within the game, you looks more
like a lumbering beast then a football lineman. His size is immediately
noticeable, and after a few laughs, you can return to your football
seriousness. It doesn’t degrade the game in any way, but is laughably in
proportion to the real Sapp.
Tackles and player movement is also greatly improved, creating flowing
sequences. Tackles and dives are also toned down from the previous
years, bringing gravity into play. If you’ve forgotten, the previous
Madden games would allow you to leap over great distances to make a
tackle. Fortunately, that problem has been fixed; making tackles more up
close and personal.
The sound is another aspect of Madden that keeps getting better and
better. While diving through the menus, in MTV style, music is played
from some recognizable artists such as: Joe Budden, Blink-182, Adema,
AFI, Nappy Roots, Thrice, and countless others. And if you’re not a big
fan of any of these artists, the option of turning off tracks is
accessible. The Xbox version also includes the ability to add your own
tracks to the game, which is a poor consolation to the lack of online
play for the Xbox, and doesn’t even compare to the ability of playing
online.
In terms of announcers, there is only one problem: John Madden himself.
I think many people find his “insightful” inquiries just a tad
bit…frustrating! His most hated lines are included within the game, and
his “timely” and “accurate” color commentary creates “great” “sound”.
Sorry for bashing the great leader so much, but it’s the truth. People
are getting tired of his commentary, and a replacement is needed. We’ve
heard “BOOM”, and his undesirable chuckle many times, and if it wasn’t
for Al Michaels, I’d turn off the announcer’s altogether. This is
strongly noticed during some quiet moments, such as challenges. For
example, if you challenge a call that you know and the replay shows is
incorrect, you’ll hear Madden in the back. If in the replay it shows a
player being pushed out of bounds, Madden will be rambling on about
something that has nothing to do with the play at hand. He might be
angrily talking about his knee touching the ground, or some other
irrelevant event. The worst part is to have the referee decide to let
the play stand, even though any real life ref would reverse the play in
a heart beat. As much as it is frustrating, the lack of Maddens voice
and arbitrary referee calls wouldn’t be the same.
Madden 2004 is one of the most in-depth and enjoyable football titles to
have ever hit the market, with the exception to Joe Montana 94. Sorry,
but that’s the greatest game of all time. If you’re a huge football fan
such as myself, or even casual sports gamer, this is the one title to
buy by years end. The amount of replay is simply amazing and never
before seen in previous football titles. Madden 2004 is a strong
statement by the EA Sports team that they aren’t merely sellouts, and
still have what it takes to create a great game.
