Madden NFL 2003

"Another Solid Effort from EA"

Graphics: 29/35
Graphically, the game is not up to the level of NFL 2K3, but the graphics have always been exceptional. Reflections from helmets are more prolific and the textures are much improved from last year.

The player models are sharp and the replay presentation is exceptional. There are about 2400+ polygons per player model and 1400+ animations in the game. The crowds are more colorful and the weather effects are implemented nicely. Still, the graphics haven't been much improved from Madden 2001, which is disappointing in some respects as NFL 2K3 has improved considerably in the visual field.

Gameplay: 31/35
The gameplay is faster, but more disciplined. Staying in the pocket is important during the pass and back dropping continually is a bad plan. The run game is exceptional and much improved.

The passing game is more difficult, but it can be made easier by playing under control and sticking in the pocket. There have been a number of changes. Injuries are more frequent. Some last only a few quarters or a few plays, while other injuries can take your players out for the length of a season. The difficulty levels are all intact ranging from the amazingly easy Rookie to the very difficult All-Madden. To make the game more difficult is the fact that EA made 4th down conversions much, much harder. John Madden cited that most players would try on 4th down and succeed. The plan worked, as it is much harder to convert on 4th down.

Setting your defense and offense up is very deep as well. New defensive plays include '46,' which is the closet thing to a 4-4 with 4 defensive linemen, 3 linebackers and 1 safety in a LB spot. Offensively, there are a number of effective plays.

Sound: 16/20
The sound from the crowd is pretty good. The crowd will cheer for big plays for the home team such as an interception returned for a TD or a long touchdown. The crowd will drop silent when the away team excels. The commentary is pretty sub-standard. John Madden's commentaries are repetitive and at times he does not speak at all. Al Michaels isn't much better then the dreadful Pat Summerall. He seems to force his voice and the commentary suffers for it.

Replay Value: 23/25
The replay value is immense. Playing 16 regular season games and potentially 3 more in the Superbowl. Though some players won't play a full season, a large number will, and the replay is exceptional. The offseason is excellent as well. The research for rookies is very deep. The ability to scout rookies at the combine and look at their 40-time, bench, shuttle & other drill times makes the NFL Draft much deeper.

There are also preseason games, which should be played to prepare yourself for the upcoming season if you are just starting to play Madden. With the user profile, you can track your career stats, as you can track them in your coach profile. In addition, each player has stat tracking year by year assessed by the 'select' button.

Deep features such as addressing the salary cap and getting under it is fun as well. Fines by voiding contracts are existent as well, and the replay value is immensely deep. You can restructure your team and the game is one of the best on the market. You will keep coming back to play games.

There is also a mini-camp mode where you travel to every NFL team's city and complete drills to acquire new Madden cards and trophies. There are some 328 Madden cards that can be acquired through exceptional play in the Madden Challenge.

Value/Tilt/Extras: 23/25
The game can last for a very long time and for sports fans, it can have more replay value than any other game. There are neat additions that have been established. For example, you can now use your franchise team in exhibition games and other game modes.

You can also create your own plays, players, playbooks and teams. The main drawback on the playbook is that it limits players to use only 81 plays, which is considerably less then the number of plays that other coaches have. Making plays is deep. You can create completely new routes. Creating your own player is pretty much the same as last year's game, but is good nevertheless. The creation of a new team is exceptional as well. You can set a new city and team with over 100 Icons to choose from. If you own NCAA Football 2003, you can import a rookie class from that game.

Final Score: 122/140
Gamefaqs score of 9 or 8.7
Final Comments: One of the deepest games on the market in any genre, it will last for hours. Its a very deep experience that can only be fully optimized by hardcore NFL fans.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/18/02, Updated 08/18/02