Why settle for cheap thrills? ‘Madden’ is still No. 1
“Madden NFL 2005”
•••• (out of four).
Format: Xbox, also available for PlayStation 2, GameCube, Windows and Game Boy Advance.
Rating: E (Everyone).
$49.99, www.easports.com/ games/madden2005/home.jsp.
Sure, “ESPN 2K5” is cheap. You could probably find a rusty Ford Pinto really cheap, too, but that doesn’t mean you’d want to drive it, especially if you could have a Jaguar for a few bucks more. Sometimes, you have to open your wallet and plunk down a little more cash to get quality.
“ESPN 2K5” is a fine game for $20. I’ll happily laud Sega for its aggressive play calling when it comes to marketing its gridiron sim. But “Madden 2005” is simply the better game of football – period.
Why? Tradition. And rock-solid game play that your poor man’s battle of X’s and O’s just can’t equal.
Last year’s “Madden” was fast, dynamic and loaded with offensive firepower. Maybe too much so, as games ended with crazy-high scores.
That offensive gravy train is coming to a screeching halt in “2005.” Sure, you have all of the flexible weaponry you had in last year’s model (the playmaker controls, hot routes, audibles, etc.). But this season, the defense has been given tools to counter the offensive tomfoolery.
The real highlight in the defense’s upgraded arsenal is the hit stick. By flicking the right thumbstick at just the right moment, a defender will unleash a thunderous wallop upon the ballcarrier, often separating the poor schmo from the pigskin in a visceral rush that sends shivers up your spine.
While “Madden” earns its titles with gameplay, it doesn’t skimp on the extras, either. Not only will you worry about scoring more points than the opposition, you’ll also need to watch your team’s morale. A crybaby wideout on your team apparently can really be a downer for team chemistry.
The off-the-field tales play out in Storyline Central, a collection of news stories from around the league wrapped up in a slick radio show and in the pages of mocked up national and hometown newspapers.
Then there’s the online play, new this year to Xbox Live. Even you have to admit that “ESPN 2K5” has a clunky online interface. And where “ESPN” stumbles, “Madden” shines: voice chat sessions, online lobbies, a real-time scoreboard ticker, mini-games and – coming soon – online leagues, not to mention the silky-smooth showdowns from across the globe.
I am willing to concede that “Madden 2005” is not perfect. You can’t challenge close calls in online games (grumble) and the fair play rules required in ranked games can be a little stifling. And the chunky player models are beginning to look as old and wrinkled as Madden himself.
But even though it sells for $30 more than the competition, “Madden 2005” will hoist the trophy again this year. Better luck next year, wanna-be.
– Ryan Huschka, Knight Ridder