football

After playing previous versions of the game on xbox, ps2, & ps1, I decided to purchase the new Madden 2004 and found some improvements on the 2003 version. The most obvious is the Owner Mode which can be fun, but for most gamers I would expect that it is too involved in the "non-game playing" aspects of the game and it takes too much time that you could actually spend playing football. Although I must say, it's a cool addition. The Franchise mode (with owner mode turned off) is very similar to 2003 but again improved as you get more stats to view and the layout of the mgmt & during-game charts look more like your standard football views from TV or the Web. You also get something new with Training Camp in the offseason where you can implement the mini-camp drills with players from your roster to boost their attributes.

The one thing to keep in mind though, the actual gameplay (vs the CPU, or another player) is nearly the same. To some extent scoring & making plays is more difficult, but that is probably to encourage use of the advanced gameplay features like "playmaker control" (which is cool but takes a while to master). Altogether, the game has improved in several small aspects, but remains a natural flowing, realistic footbal game with top-notch graphics & sound. Also, many of the game features like the Madden Cards are identical.

PROS:
- More team management features with Owner Mode.
- More and better organized stat views
- Advanced gameplay features while running, etc.
- Addition of Training Camp
- All things that made 2003 great are still there

CONS:
- Cannot use Owner Mode when you create-a-team
- Too many things unchanged (Madden Cards, Create-a-team logos, Minicamp drills, etc.)
- Misleading game preview item: Playbooks really haven't changed much.

I am a long-time Madden player, and this latest installment is great. As a true football fan (former player through high school, season ticket holder to local college and pro teams), this game is fun, but a bit TOO "video-gamey" to be fun. Now, let me qualify that. I am a player that does NOT get into the minutia-level complexities of Franchise and Owner functions. I didn't buy a football game to play "wannabe-MBA in Football Ownership-ology". I bought a football game to play NFL teams, recognize the players and hit some heads as I run/pass the ball down the field. In this aspect, Madden is still fun, but having rented both and compared them side-by-side for 5 days solid on break, ESPN has won me over, hands down, for being more lifelike (single person view rules for a break now and then) and, overall, more realistic and fun as a FOOTBALL GAME, not a franchise/league simulation game like Madden focuses. Finally, I think it's way too easy to achieve repeated interceptions and stripping of the ball in Madden compared to real percentages. When the Arizona Cardinals can pick off Payton Manning 6 times in a game and cause 4 fumbles on kickoff just because they got close to the receiver, that's a crock of (edited). If you're comfy with Madden and don't wanna try other things, stick with Madden. I did blindly until now because the other choices (Blitz, Fever, etc) all were even MORE "computer game-y" and less like real football. ESPN now owns the title of "Best Football Playing Game". Madden still holds the title of "Best NFL League Simulation Engine". Personally, I have a lot more fun running for touchdowns than I do worrying about salary caps and drafts...

So awesome. If you dont have it, its a MUST have. Out of all the other football games on XBOX, this game really shows em up. I love the mini-camp at the beginning of every franchise year. You can excell your players in every category. The Owner Mode lets you get a small feeling for leading your team to a super bowl. I have played NFL 2k3 and that game is no good. The players have frekin square helmets. Like i said, if you dont have madden 2004...GET IT. and get MADDEN 2005! o thats gonna be soooo awesome. later