Madden NFL 2002

"Best Football Game, till 2003 anyways"

Yes, I do know that this game has been out for almost a year now. I have also owned it for about that long too. I have though, finally freed up some time to review the best football game ever made (That is, until Madden 2003 comes out)
It contains all 31 of the NFL teams (Like it should) and it also has the NFL Europe league teams, though good luck trying to win on All-Madden with them as they all severely stink compared to the NFL teams. Also, it contains the expansion Houston Texans, granted their roster isn't accurate nor are their uniforms, but they are based on the beginning of the 2001-2002 season so unless EA Sports can see into the future (Scary) and knew what their team would be, it's perfectly fine.

STORY:
There really isn't one unless you are in a season/franchise. You try to win the football game by any means possible. If you are in a season then you try to lead your team to a successful season and into the postseason, where they will try to get to the promised land (The Super Bowl) and win the Super Bowl. If you are in a franchise, then you get to do the same thing as a season yet at the end of it you deal with all the off-season parts of the NFL, the draft, free agency, retirements, all the way through 30 seasons. Also if you own NCAA College Football 2002, then you can transfer the graduating class onto Madden, and play with real college prospects (Like Joey Harrington)

SOUND: 9
The sounds off Madden 2002 aren't as bad as many people say they are. The menu music is repetitive since there aren't many different tunes. Many people are annoyed by Pat Summerall's and John Madden's play-by-play, but I find it very enjoyable. It is kinda fun to hear what John thinks about certain players and it makes the game seem like it is very realistic. Also, they will occasionally say something funny about a receiver who dropped the ball or a fumble or something of the sort.

GRAPHICS: 10
Madden 2002 has the best graphics of any sports game ever made IMO. The players all look incredibly realistic because of various reasons. All of the players have separate body sizes, so you will be able to tell the difference between say, Martin Gramatica (Kicker) and Warren Sapp (Defensive Tackle). Also, all of the players have their separate apparel, like how Cris Carter always wears his team's color of long sleeves, or how Keyshawn Johnson always wears white long sleeves, or how LaDainian Tomlinson or Ricky Williams wears a visor. It is all there so you can tell who the player is. Also, the players all have different faces, like if you knock off the helmet of a player you should be able to tell who the player is by looking at his face without too much trouble.

CONTROLS: 10
Not much really too say here, the controls in Madden games have always been terrific and Madden 2002 isn't any different. Madden 2002 also takes full advantage of the pressure sensitive buttons of the PS2. So the harder you press down a button (like to juke) the more he will juke or dive or whatever you're doing. The control pad and the left analog stick are to move by default. X is to sprint on offense and to change players on defense. Circle is to do a spin move on offense, and it is to sprint on defense. Square is to dive on offense, while it does the same on the defensive side of the ball also. Triangle is to leap into the air to intercept the ball on defense, while it is to hurdle over a fallen defender on offense. R1/L1 are to juke to their respective sides on offense, while on defense they are used to execute a swim move to try and get through the offensive line. R2/L2 is to stiff-arm on offense to the respective side, while on defense it is used to execute a spin move, which is used to get through the offensive line also.

CHALLENGE LEVEL:
You can alter the difficulty level to suit your playing needs. Say, if you are completely new to the game you should probably play on Rookie, yet if you are an experienced player like I am you could play on All-Madden with it's speed trick (All CPU players are faster than yours are). Also you can alter the sliders (The frequency/ability of the selected thing) to alter the game to your liking.

REPLAY VALUE: 10
Franchise mode alone gives the game a 10. It is incredibly fun and is a challenge to keep your team good over a 30 year span (Unless you go cheap...) Also there are Madden Cards to collect. Kind of like playing cards they have various effects, like some raise player stats, some bring back classic players (Like Barry Sanders) while some are cheats which can tip the scales in your favor. Also there are classic stadiums and teams as well as made-up teams and stadiums. Also there is the Two-Minute Drill, in which you try to score as many points you can in 2 minutes. A fun, quick way to play the game. Also there is a training mode and a practice mode where you can get ready to play the game or fine-tune your game plan.

FINISHING THOUGHTS:
Personally, Madden 2002 is probably my favorite PS2 game. It just has so much to do and is so fun to play that you just want to do it over and over again. It is on about the same level as NCAA College Football 2002, but I like Madden better because NCAA forgot the Griz (I-AA National Champs). If you are more into the college game, laterals/trick plays/the sort then I recommend getting that. If you like the professional game more which just is more fun to watch IMO, buy Madden. Either way, Madden still is the best IMO.

FINAL SCORE: 10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/30/02, Updated 06/30/02