Madden NFL 2004

"The best football game on Gamecube."

When I got my Gamecube, I went out and bought Madden and it has easily lived up to its expectations.
Here's the review:

Graphics: 9
The graphics are excellent. All of the uniform details are very well done and the stadiums are very vibrant. Small details like empty seats and scoreboards can be seen easily. The players are also detailed although small details like tattoos and facial features may not be all that realistic. Another small complaint is that the game occasionally slows down especially in Two Minute Drill. Presentation is nice as well. Overall, nice graphics by EA and Tiburon.

Controls: 9
EA beefed up controls by adding the heavily-hyped Playmaker Control. The control works well and allows things like changing routes and flipping plays without audibles. The rest of the controls are well done and have no real flaw. The only small complaint is that the lateral is not in this game, but it's not a biggie. When's the last time someone has done a lateral in the pros, anyway?

Gameplay: 10
EA did more than they had to in terms of boosting gameplay. For starters, the new Owner Mode allows you to own your own team and do such things as relocation, determining ticket prices, building a new stadium, etc. Next, the new EA Bio tracks your success in Madden and many other EA titles. More minor improvements like Accelerated Clock(for those who complain about their game being unrealistic), a new play-calling system, and more extra stuff top off this perfect playing experience that easily wins the GCN Super Bowl of football games.

Sound/Music: 8
This may be the only real flaw in this game. The commentary is definitely not as enjoyable as in other sports games. Michaels and Madden repeat comments and it usually gets annoying. Also, sadly Madden's comments are not as entertaining as NCAA Football's Lee Corso, but it will do. The sound effects are realistic and I do like the way that Steelers crowd chants ''Steelers! Steelers! Steelers!'' on third down. The music is nice, but the tracks do often repeat and the remix songs remind me way back to '01 days. The days when EA had only 3 tracks in the game. Overall, good sound, but EA needs to get commentary right for this to be a 9 or 10.

Overall: 9
There is only one clear choice for GCN's top football game(since Sega's football game is only on XBox and PS2). Madden lives up to its title as the number one football franchise and is the ultimate football fan game, no matter what console it's on.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/16/03