Let me get the "Wow" factor out of the way. After seeing Madden 2005 being played in the store for the first time, I knew this was a must-have. And it has not disappointed.
The most obvious and one of the best improvements is the graphics. The new player models actually look like football players. From facemasks, sock styles, pads sticking out and body shapes, Madden looks for real -- a far escape from the slightly irregular and cartoon shapes players took on before.
I got excited seeing a brooding and muscled LaVar Arrington lay out Brad Johnson with a big hit, to promptly serve up a sack and forced fumble. More on that play later.
As usual, the stadiums looked superb and cover every little detail. Fireworks and new TD celebrations help accentuate the game.
Overall, Madden has a real cinematic feel to it. Catching coaches talking to players on the sideline, close ups of players after big plays, and scanning the crowds during the game to get their reaction adds a TV feel. An intriguing new feature is the story mode, and with the new "create-a-fan" mode, you can let your imagination run wild and get to see your creation in action. During the season, story lines play out, such as team morale, position battles and players' attitudes about playing times. These stories are tracked through national and local newspapers, as well as e-mail. The articles can go a long way to positively, or negatively, affect your team when they step out onto the field.
Also helping cover major headlines and give insight is sports radio host Tony Bruno, whose comments add a welcome flavor to navigating menus.
Owner mode is back, as a player controls every aspect of their team, from ticket prices to concessions and advertising. There is more depth and feedback provided to fully immense players in operating an NFL team.
The offensive game play gets a few enhancements to smooth it out. Hot routes, audibles and offensive playmaker return, with the addition of formation shifts that do not alter the play. Now you can spread out or bunch up receivers to get an added advantage.
The passing game is still crisp and smooth, with a short learning curve to get the basics, and the running game seems to be more fundamental and easier to play.
There are also new option routes, as wide receivers will "notice" coverages and adjust their routes accordingly to beat the called defense.
These slight but great changes improve an already good offense, but the real transformation is on the defensive side.
Never again will it be a cake walk to score touchdowns with the multitude of improvements on the "D."
One of the coolest new additions is the hit stick, which allows Big Hits. Remember LaVar taking out Brad Johnson? All it takes is a flick of the R3 button and WHAM -- your opponent is on his back counting stars. These hits look great, as do all the new tackle animations.
However, the hit stick is a double-edged sword. If timed correctly they deliver punishing hits, increase the chance of fumbles and get the crowd excited, but if you time or angle it wrong, you'll miss horribly and probably give up a long play, so don't try to be too flashy.
Along with the hit stick, the new defensive playmaker means you can basically tailor-make any defensive play to your liking. Using the R3 button can make a player blitz, zone or spy the QB instantly, helping add pressure or contain Michael Vick. You can also alter the "D" line and linebackers' rush and coverage as well as line up DB's right in front of their man, instead of staying in formation. You can lock players on opponents, such as your best corner on their best receiver all game to get an advantage.
With all of these weapons, a player might be overwhelmed. That is not the case as the learning curve on defense might take a while, but the implementations of these moves are the smoothest and easiest in gaming.
I got my hands on Madden 2005 for both PlayStation 2 and X-box. Both were equally impressive and looked great. The only flaw I saw, which occurred in both, were noticeably slow downs when re-plays were going to be shown on the selection menu. The X-box version does look slightly better, but I recommend the PS2 controller over the X-box's. In online play, both held up well with high-speed connections and offered great online game experiences.
I see no reason for Maddens' reign as best football game to end. The visual upgrades puts it back in contention with others on the market and the options and stories running through games helps make this edition very realistic. Throw in the new defensive playmaker with all its glory and you have the best game on the scene. All I have to say is just go get it and start knocking people's heads off.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
