Madden NFL 2005 – XB – Review

Oh, EA Sports . . . how do
you do it?  Each year you make us pro football fans excited about the next
Madden NFL game and each year we gladly surrender to its hype because we know we
won’t be disappointed.  This year Madden NFL 2005 is going up against its
biggest competitor, Sega’s ESPN NFL 2005 for a battle to win over fans of
the video gridiron.  As a sport gamer obsessed with both games, it’s time to see
which of the two really stands out as the very best. 

Past Madden games have
shown improvements in practically every aspect of the game and this year’s game
is no exception, although much of the additions hardly change Madden NFL’s near
perfect design.  Many of the game’s past weaknesses have been considerably
tweaked and its strengths, 2004’s Playmaker function is back, remain just as
good.  Madden 2005 looks like last year’s game but looks, as you’ll
quickly see for yourself, looks can be deceiving.  For starters, your opponents
respond to the situation at hand thanks to surprisingly intelligent AI and the
emphasis on strong defensive football.  Fear the D, the back of the box says. 
You better believe it.

One of Madden
2005’s biggest highlights is the Hit Stick, which changes the momentum of
the game with the simple movement of the right analog stick.  You’ll be trying
to use it a lot because it makes forcing a turnover, keeping track of the ball
carrier to lower the boom on him seem easier.  I say trying because if the angle
is off and your timing is poor, you’re in for a big disappointment.  Still, with
lots of practice you’ll come to appreciate the Hit Stick.  Another thing you’ll
come to appreciate is the Playmaker function and the ability to change plays on
the fly before the snap.  Hot routes allow you to quickly move players around
and point them to specific areas you want covered.  The combination of both
gives you full control over how you want to strategize each play.  It’s also so
wonderfully effective because it’s done right.

And speaking of defense,
thanks to the wonderfully intelligent opponent AI you’ll find that they can play
up the defense enough that you’ll constantly have to stay sharp.  In fact,
you’ll be keeping a close eye on actual key league players while going up
against the opposing team.  That Jamal Lewis is a running back powerhouse in
real life and much so in the game as well so it would be wise to keep a close
eye on him out on the field.  So, as you can see, long gone are the days of
computer-controlled players that can’t put together a decent rushing attack
against your defense if their life depended on it.

As for the game modes, all
the favorites are back but it’s the additions in Franchise mode that add more
depth this year.   You’ll find tournament mode and you’ll find a mode called
Mini-Camp filled to the brim with various fun mini-games used to strengthen your
weaknesses. There’s Two Minute Drill, a game mode that will place you in a very
intense situation.  You’ll even have a blast creating your own team, stadium,
uniforms and even your own fans.  Still it’s Franchise mode that sees
interesting new changes and additions.  While ESPN NFL 2K5 really hit
gold with their in-depth management features, Madden 2005 adds the little things
that make the franchise so much more personalized.  For example, the new
Storyline Central features a national and local newspapers highlighting moments
from your favorite team’s season as well as give you the latest on free agents
you might be interested in drafting.  You’ll also be dealing with your players
morale so say you’re playing as the Oakland Raiders and Curry is upset with the
way the entire team is performing, you’re likely to find him very interested in
the Dallas Cowboys. 

Luckily for us, EA Sports
has come to an agreement with Microsoft to support the Xbox Live service in this
year’s long list of EA’s sports titles.   This makes Madden 2005 the
first EA Sports game with an online multiplayer mode and boy-oh-boy it doesn’t
get any better than this.  Not only does it include online leagues but also it
offers tournaments and a perfectly smooth online play free from lag.  There are
plenty of quick modes to play and you can even keep track of your friends via
the neat EA Sports Ticker (that also offers scores of real games).  EA Sports is
also debuting their Premium Pass that will basically separate the casual player
from the more serious and dedicated armchair quarterback that won’t attempt to
cheat or drop out of the game without a moments notice if, say, a girl from
Southern California (we’ll call her Angelina) is winning the game by 32 points. 
This is everything we’ve ever asked for in an online multiplayer mode.

Graphically speaking,
Madden 2005 doesn’t change much in terms of bringing us an attractive game
with good-looking player models and nicely detailed stadiums filled with
hundreds of fans going wild.  Yet, at risk of sounding nitpicky when it comes to
eye-candy, this isn’t enough.  The ESPN game adds more personality to
players and everything from their uniforms to faces look a lot more detailed. 
Even without the ESPN broadcasting feel, Madden could have been just as dazzling
but it still is decent enough for a game that no longer has any of the awful
clipping issues of past Madden games. 

As for the sound, the game
features a nice mixture of hip-hop (Z-Trip) and alternative rock bands (Hoobastank
and Green Day to name a few) that comes up in the new EA Sports Radio station. 
Yes, there’s a radio station complete with its own talk show hosted by sports
aficionado Tony Bruno that’s sometimes hilarious (some of the callers are
downright wacky) and often insightful (aside from some great trivia tidbits,
Bruno comments on current situations).  This feature is definitely going to be
well liked by fans, although many will wish the talk show would be a bit more
personalized and geared towards the team you just happen to be playing.  Still,
hopefully something like that could be found next year.  As for the commentary,
Al Michaels and Madden himself cover the game well enough but it’s really not as
good as the coverage heard in ESPN’s game.

Madden NFL 2005
is still very much at the top of its game
and fans will certainly find a lot to love this year.  As it stands, only
ESPN NFL 2K5 has the goods to take the crown from Madden (the tasty gameplay
slider, the televised presentation style and an excellent price tag have a lot
to do with it).  Yet with plenty of improvements as well as the addition of new
features and game modes–including Xbox Live support, yay–you have yourself a
football game that’s still very much the leader of the pack.  Madden fans, you
won’t be disappointed. 

Gameplay: 9.0
Improvements have been made and the
majority of them are centered around defense but with so many new additions and
extra features, 2005 turns out to be Madden’s best year yet. 

Graphics: 8.2
Still a wonderfully detailed game
with all the trimmings, this year’s game looks a lot like last year’s game.  It
also isn’t as dazzling or as presentable as ESPN NFL 2K5.  Still, Madden
won’t disappoint in the visuals department.

Sound: 7.8
The area that could have used more
work is it’s inability to really showcase atmosphere, but the game certainly
makes up for it with the super cool tunes (e.g. Chevelle and New Found Glory),
the often hilarious Tony Bruno radio show and okay commentary.

Difficulty: Medium
The AI has gotten smart enough that
you’ll be taken aback by strong offensive and defensive football.  Sure you can
pull a fast one on them by using Playmaker to switch plays on the fly or turn
the tables on a strong defense but this year’s game makes you really work so
expect to be nicely challenged.

Concept: 9.5
While not abandoning the features we
love, the new features give the 2005 game even more depth.  The Create-A-Team
feature now includes creating your own fans to where you want your press box in
your stadium.  And while you thought it was awesome when EA Sports announced its
lineup of games will now feature Xbox Live support, wait until the Premium Pass
service makes its debut.

Multiplayer: 10
Madden fans have been waiting for
this since the Xbox Live was finally launched awhile back but our prayers have
been answered.  Yes, Madden 2005 can be played online and yes it’s so
good that football fans will find themselves somehow glued to their chairs.  In
fact, I’m still stuck to mine.  See what you do to me, EA Sports?

Overall: 9.5
Madden NFL 2005
doesn’t really take this game to a whole new
level but it does slightly rise above the amazing ESPN NFL 2K5.  Fans of
the franchise will find plenty to love about this year’s game and with Xbox Live
multiplayer goodness, you can’t go wrong.