Madden NFL 2003

"A great football experience, meeting every expectation"

What can I say? Madden 2003 is purely awesome!!! It definetely lived up to its name, and didn't dissapoint all of the Madden fans out there. To start off I will tell about the strong points of this game.
A very strong point to this game is its outstanding mini camp mode. I loved it and could play it for hours. Also, it gives you good practice if you are just starting this game. Did I mention how fun it is!!!!
Another strong point to Madden is the graphics. The players look so real that if another person walks into the room they might think that you're watching the real game! Sad to say Madden does fall a little short to the graphics on NFL 2K3, but you can't tell a huge difference. One thing is for sure, the graphics do not dissapoint.
There are many more strong points to this game but it would take a long time to go over them.
One very weak point to this game is its sound. First of all, the songs on Madden 2003 are not very good at all but what is to be expected of a football game. Second, commentary is not bad but there are a few pauses in between the words. Al Michaels is a good addition to the commentators since Pat Summerall could get annoying in Madden 2002.
The weather factor is okay, but sad to say NFL 2K3 has a better weather factor than what Madden does. In cold weather you can still see the different player's breath. Also, the challenge system has improved drastically from Madden 2002 and you can now challenge a wide variety of plays like whether or not a reciever made the catch inbounds.

GRAPHICS 910- The graphics make it look as if you are watching a real game before your very eyes. Once again, they are not quite as good as NFL 2K3's but not a big difference. There is a lot of detail added to the character and a lot of facial features.

SOUND 710- The sound isn't a big factor in sports games but I was still a little dissapointed by the music. None of the bands that play at the beginning of the game are very good. I would give the music a 3 probably if it weren't for the good commentary by Al Micheals and John Madden which made the game a lot more enjoyable to play.

CONTROLS 810- The controls in this game are great. They work very smoothly but they can be a little confusing at times. Overall the controls are very good.

GAMEPLAY 910- The gameplay is one of the best parts of Madden 2003. The franchise mode is one of the best modes of any football game ever!!! The mini camp mode also makes the game great. You could play the mini camp mode forever without getting bored or tired of it. There are so many reasons why that I could fill this page with but I won't because it would take forever.

FUN FACTOR 1010- This is one of the most fun games that I have ever played. I could spend hours creating players, creating playbooks, playing exhibition games, collecting Madden cards, winning super bowls on franchise mode, and playing mini camp mode forever.

OVERALL 910- If it weren't for the sound I would give this a perfect ten but it is good to know that if this game is so good, just wait until next year. I could rant on about how good Madden 2003 is but I would rather leave you with a challenge. Buy Madden 2003 and see how good it is for yourself, don't just listen to me.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/15/02, Updated 08/15/02