Madden NFL 2004

"The Pinnacle of Sports Games"

If you have played the Madden series as long as I have, you are very tired of Big John complaining that, on third down, the wide receiver's pattern took him short of the first down. With the advancements made by Sega Sports in recent years, EA had to raise the bar yet again, and raise it they did. Instead of settling for the first down, this game's depth and realism take at all the way to the Promised Land.

I'll start with why this year's installment is worth buying over last year's. EA Sports had not really tiunkered with Madden since 1999, when Franchise Mode was introduced. This game has the most change in it since the '99 game. Let me make myself clear: Madden NFL 2004 is not merely a rehashed version of last year's game with updated rosters.

To start, EA has added an owner mode. As the owner of a team, you control various aspects of your team's day-to-day operations, such as advertising, ticket sales, concessions, and parking. This owner mode, however, is not limited to the regular season. During the off-season, you must make sure to fill your coaching spots with coaches who provide certain boosts to your team's performance. You must pay these coaches proportionally to their skill. Another huge feature in the off-season in Owner Mode has to do with your stadium. On one hand, you can make minor improvements to the stadium your team already inhabits, such as adding cupholders or an arcade. If you are low on money, you can accept a corporate sponsorship for your stadium. In exchange for good play, the sponsor (who your stadium is now named after) will pay you in the millions. If, however, your money problems are so dire that operating in that stadium will not net enough of a profit to make you successful, you can tear your stadium down and build an entirely new custom stadium. And it goes farthr: you can even move your team to a new city! With all of this depth, why even play the games?

Playmaker control. That's why. EA did not only add an entirely new mode of simulation, the added Playmaker control for those who love playing the game. Using the right stick, you can direct receivers to seams in the field, direct blockers so as to gain more yardage, assign your primary reciever a unique hot route, and align your defense to play the opposing team's strength. This feature is simple yo use but very effective. Now on to the scores.

Graphics: This year's Madden stepped up the graphics another notch, including tattoos and dreadlocks on the appropriate players, while making player movement much more fluid. Graphics score: 9

Sound: The weakest part of the game. Ther commentary is lackluster at best. It is often repetitive, and is sometimes inaccurate. However, the wonderful field sounds and diverse soundtrack help make up for the bad commentary. Sound Score: 8

Gameplay: The gameplay this year is much more realistic than previous installments. Corners actually make plays, and throwing into double coverage truly is a risky proposition. Also, Madden NFL 2004 reflects the current trend in the NFL with a higher frequency of defensive TD's. Gameplay Score: 10

Replayability: Simply stated, the depth of owner mode makes this game playable until Madden NFL 2005 graces the shelves. Replayability Score: 10

Well there you have it. I would write more, but I want to get back to the game.

Have fun!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/14/03