NFL Madden 2001

EA's John Madden NFL 2001 takes the PlayStation football field for the new season. This seasoned veteran has gameplay hotter than a Buffalo chicken wing!

For football fans who have played the PC version of the new Madden or previous Madden games for the Playstation, this year's Madden NFL 2001 experience will be a familiar one. There are some new elements, but this seasoned veteran doesn't stray far from the path of success.

Dear John
After a slightly goofy hip-hop-style introduction, the Madden 2001 player is greeted by a host of gameplay options. The menu navigation has been changed a bit to make it easier to sort through all the options, but there are so many it's still easy to get a bit lost in them. Right off the bat, you can pick from a huge selection of teams, including the current NFL franchises and Madden's personal team selections as well as all the Superbowl teams going all the way back to 1960.

The gameplay modes in Madden are a bit more varied than GameDay's. In addition to typical exhibition and season modes, you can create your own franchise, picking not only players, but the city you play in, stadium and field surface type, and even the uniform color and design. There is a draft, and you can create, trade, and sign players, though the computer won't agree to uneven trades. The Situation mode lets you relive classic football moments or create your own special situation. You can also unlock special goodies with Madden Cards, which you collect by performing specific tasks like completing the rookie Situation missions, or making it to the playoffs.

Play By Play
A huge number of plays (listed in playbooks by coach) in Madden make it the king of strategy. Even with the old school teams you can pick from playbooks that reflect the philosophy of the coaches of days past. The play selection is deep, but on defensive calls it's more difficult than GameDay to tell whether your players are playing man-to-man, zone, or bump and run, and you don't see the specific zone coverage at all. Luckily you can adjust your defensive coverage after you get to the line of scrimmage.

The graphics in Madden squeak by GameDay's by a narrow margin. Like GameDay, Madden looks a bit tired on the PlayStation. Madden's player models don't look as pixelated as GameDay's when viewed from further away, and the animations are excellent. Seeing the field is critical when playing quarterback, and there are plenty of camera angles to pick from in Madden. You can also create your own custom camera angles. The commentary (by Pat Summerall and John Madden) is excellent, and matches the good ambient crowd and player sounds.

The pace of gameplay is very well done. AI players make good plays away from the ball as well as man to man; the computer is particularly good at intercepting passes that aren't right on. As an opponent, the computer also does a good job of adjusting to your strategy. Madden's controls aren't as nimble as GameDay's, but they perform well. The often critical kicking game is decidedly tougher than GameDay's, with a power bar that is so unforgiving that even the computer flubs kicks. Don't plan on adding 3 points or nailing the endzone on a kickoff automatically.

Madden Matters
Madden NFL 2001 delivers a realistic and deep pro football experience for this season. With all the experience the Madden team has under its belt, this veteran simulation scores a TD in overtime to take the PlayStation title for this year.

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