Madden NFL 2004

"Vast Improvements...still lacking?"

Well...no, I don't really think it's lacking, but it isn't perfect.

Graphics: 8/10

The stadiums are incredible, with great attention to detail. The players, aside from fixing the midgetness and big heads, have no changed much. Pretty much, that's as far as graphics go in a sports game, so not much debate.

(Sidenote: Graphics would get at best a 7/10 if not for the stadiums)

Animation: 8.5*/10

EA's team has gone farther than even I expected. Some of the best break tackle animations that were mysteriously absent from last year's edition were added in, along with a few new gang tackles. The DB swats are great, with actual reference to the player's attributes. (If Champ Bailey tries to do a turn around swat while jumping 30+ inches in the air, he can do it...Daylon McCutcheon would miss the ball entirely, and probably fall down afterwards.)

(Sidenote: would be a 9/10, except that they actually added the ''Sharpie'' incident. Granted, I've only seen it once, and played a lot, but it still doesn't deserve to be in there)

Features: 10/10

Mini-camp just gets better, with added difficulty to the DL Trench Fight and LB Chase and Tackle. Integration into franchise mode, along with the new WR Catch Ball, adds to the fun.

Playmaker is very useful, if a little difficult to use properly. Blocking works very well with QBs and KR/PRs, but has little use in the normal running game. (Reverses can use it well) Pre-snap is decent online, when they can't see the giant ''PLAYMAKER'' logo at the bottom of the screen, but fairly useless head-to-head for pass. After the snap on passes, it can be used very well...if you have the time to use it. Rollout beforehand, or you will be sacked.

Owner Mode really does put the icing on the cake. Assets are accumulated (and lost) based on many factors, including attendance, fan support, etc. Advisors give you a good view at what, if any, changes you should be making. In the offseason, staffing changes occur, with the ability to hire unemployed coaches, along with hiring away coordinators from other teams for a promotion. The thing is, this really effects your team. Example: A Defensive Coordinator who is great with LBs will actually raise some of their stats. After that, stadium upgrades can be added, from a new sound system, to a medical facility, to help the recovery time of injured players. Finally, if Fan Support has been low, you have the ability to pack it up and move on. Occasionally, cities will actually make you offers, to move there in a certain number of years, and in exchange, you receive a large sum of money. This is a great idea, to prevent teams from moving to ''Smalltown, Nebraska'' just because they live there.

Gameplay: 9/10

This is the big one. I can find few flaws in this year's game, and they are marginal at best.

The diving is a little over-exaggerated at times, but it does depend on the situation. Only incredibly fast players can dive 4-5 yards, and not even all the time.

The pancake glitch has been fixed, so your O-Line is really much more dominant. During play, pancakes are actually recorded, so you don't have to sim half of the season just to prevent your offensive line from slipping in ratings.

The running game is smooth, with the ability to actually hit holes, now. Players make better decisions about blocking, and the Playmaker feature adds to the help, if you have the awareness to use it as well.

The DB AI is much improved, and the intensity of the backs seems raised, as well. No more long bombs all game. Harder hits by certain players often occur. (Sammy Knight, John Lynch, Kenoy Kennedy, to name a few)

The playbooks are great, with a ''Package System'' in there. This allows you to change, say, ''Split Backs'' to ''Split Backs - Dual HB'' by pressing the circle button, and it will place the #2 HB in the FB slot. You can make a ''Strong I - Jumbo Backfield'' and play two FBs. Many options are in.

New formations, such as ''Nickel - 335'' and ''46 Bear'' are in on defense, with other packages, too. Have Brian Urlacher? Want to use him in 3rd and long, but don't want manual substitutions? Press circle on the ''Dime'' formation, and bring up ''Dime - MLB'' to put him in.

Overall: I give Madden a 9.2/10. It's a great attempt to change the game, without eliminating the key elements that make it Madden NFL.

Now; you may notice I did not mention sound. This was an unfair category, because while the soundtrack for this game is greatly varied (Joe Budden, AFI, Adema, Outkast, etc.) and all very good, the announcing is sub-par for the majority of America. This is odd, because it's very realistic. Madden and Michaels never really have much to say worth hearing, even in real life. I often turn the commentary off in whatever game I play. (The Sega guys annoy me as much as these two.)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/17/03