Game of the Week [08/15/03]: Madden NFL 2004

Is it even necessary to explain why Madden is our Game of the Week?

It?s hard to believe that it?s even necessary to explain why Madden NFL 2004 qualifies as the Game of the Week. Hey, it?s Madden time! Just play, baby!

This franchise for America?s favorite sport has been scoring touchdowns since 1990, and if EA Sports propaganda is to be believed there are 28 million copies out in the world. Madden NFL 2004 is the best version yet.

The 2004 edition?s success is a tribute to Tiburon Software?s maniacal quest to recreate a competitive form of video pro football and to the degree they are able to translate John Madden?s NFL football insights into gameplay. But with all due respect to the Coach, this is a game that would score even without his name stamped on the package. NFL Football is chaos with a purpose. It is poetry in motion. It is uncontrolled rage focused. It is teamwork personified. Madden NFL 2004 does an outstanding job of capturing the essence in a videogame. Moreover, the game doesn?t rest on its laurels. This year the player animations during gameplay are almost eerily realistic; just focus on any individual player and watch how he moves throughout the course of the game.


Chaos with purpose. Poetry in motion. Uncontrolled rage focused.
This version also introduces yet another great gameplay innovation, Playmaker Control. The design boys at EA Tiburon have brought to life the long-dormant right analogy joystick to add yet another layer of offensive and defensive moves and strategies to your game. Use it to change receiver routes or defensive coverage prior to the snap of the ball, or, if you get cocky, try to make your quarterback direct receivers to open territory during a scramble or your running back call out blocks to pulling linemen.

If your football fantasies extend from the locker room to the boardroom, Madden NFL 2004 adds a brand new owners mode to Franchise Mode. Now not only can you be head coach, but head money-grubber, too. Hey, Jerry, want to boot Parcells as head of your 'Boys? No problemo. Think doubling the price of hot dogs and parking means a shopping spree in the free agent market? Go ahead, stick to the fans and see what happens! Of course, you're graded by profit and loss at the end of the season, but if things don't work out in Oakland you can always move to Los Angeles. Not only that but you play master architect, too, by literally building a new stadium from the ground up.

Online gameplay gets a boost, too. There?s much gnashing of teeth and pounding of controllers going on amongst Xbox Maddenites, but connected multiplayer action is only available for the PS2 version this season. That?s too bad because the addition of voice chat using a USB headset and a special effort to squelch cheating should make online tournaments better than ever.

It?s going to take you longer than the NFL season to explore and master all the capabilities of Madden NFL 2004. And the Arizona Cardinals will win the Super Bowl before you can exhaust all the fun.

Take me to the Madden NFL 2004 PS2 review
Take me to the Madden NFL 2004 Xbox review
Take me to the Madden NFL 2004 GameCube review

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