mADDEN nFL Great game (Madden NFL 2001 (PC))

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Product:	Madden NFL 2001 (PC)
Date:	18/04/01 (4 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great amount of depth

Disadvantages: computer passes too much

It's back for what seems it's four hundreadth year: Madden NFL for the latest games console. Having lit up the SNES, MegaDrive, N64 and Playstation in the past, this year it moves to Playstation 2 as well. Not bad for a game going for ten years.

However, I have to admit that this review is bgased on the Playstation 1 version. Both games play similarly and have similar options, but the graphics are superior on the PS2. That said, I only own an original Playstation so I hope this suffices!

The gameplay is more refined than ever, and the pixel rate and speed far better than any of the previous games. The commentary remains good but repetitive, with Pat Summerall and John Madden's comments refreshing at first, genuinely annoying by their fifth cycle. The detail on the players is quite remarkable - down to their helmets falling off after a big tackle and which wrist they wear tape on. It's pretty incredible. you can even choose your celebration when scoring a touchdown - a minor touch which is a real laugh.

Where the game comes into its own, however, is in Franchise mode. Here you take control of a team for not only a season, but a 30 year manegerial career. This means that you're in charge of trading, contracting and releasing players, with the threat of the sack hanging over you if you have a run of defeats. You even draft players in the post-season, just like in the States. It's challenging and very addictive; bad when you're a final year student.

The games only real weakness is the computer AI, which uses passing plays about twenty times more often than using rushing plays. It gets a little predictable after a while but does make for a tougher game on the harder settings. That minor quibble aside, Madden 2001 is a famntastic game. The longevity is truly amazing: you can even create a new team made up of another team's players so if the Raiders ever go back to LA, for example, you can change the
name, stadium, and kits while still having the correct players. The depth is quite incredible, and puts Madden 2001 alongside ISS Pro Evolution as one of the top two sports games of all time.

Summary: