
This Game Still Holds Its Own
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
While this game may be older, not a next-gen console release and not have the best graphics, it's still a model football game. This game should have set the mold for future releases, had the NFL decided to set a monopoly and signed exclusively with EA Sports to produce Madden as the only NFL title. What's great about this game is the way it keeps you playing. Not only can you build your franchise and play several seasons though, but you can build your "crib". Basically, you'll have a penthouse that you can decorate with team memorabilia that you unlock. You unlock the items by earning points based on your performance in the games you play. You'll also add furniture and mini-games - like darts - as you go. Another great thing about this game is that it really seemed to be the first game that would remember how you and other players tend to play. If you and your friends have profiles in the game, the CPU will remember the style you play. If you run more often than pass, run the same several plays on average, etc, the computer remembers this. In turn, if you want to practice against your friends without having to endure embarassment or heckling, you can play against their profile and the CPU will play almost exactly as they would. This leads to the next feature...while it's not the best, you can play celebrities profiles and teams. The celebrities have all-star teams, so it's definitely a challenge, but it does get annoying that they have to talk all the time after plays. Plus, when you beat the celebrities, you'll get their teams and other unlockables. So this seems like a lot, but there's more!
Like I said, the graphics might not be the best there is (especially compared to the next gen consoles), but they're pretty good. The gameplay is basically similar to anything released within the past few years. Perhaps, though, the best feature which I have yet to see anywhere else is the trophy room. You'll have a room where you'll display trophies you earn in game play. These trophies range from things such as a perfect season, NFC/AFC champ, super bowl champs...or position trophies like earning a set amount of yards as a running back or QB...or player trophies - for these, you'll have to accomplish a certain set of goals as a particular players. Some of these trophies you can earn with relative ease, others will keep you playing forever in an attempt to collect them all. If Madden followed the crib mode and trophy features, I'd bet it would be even more critically acclaimed then it already is.
Put this all together and you get a football game that, while a few years old, is still a great title...and could even be the best!
Review ID: 10000000001881527

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