Bustin' Out For a Big Gain: Madden 2004

Ahh, football. Today I can once again claim a love for football, as my beloved Buffalo Bills have shown that, at the very least, they can beat the Cincinnati Bengals. Sure, it took them a final-drive fourth down conversion and an overtime period--but at least they won.

As I'm high on football, why not review a game I've been playing constantly since I got it for my birthday back in August? That's right, it's the latest entry in John Madden's ever-present line of football games, Madden 2004 for the Playstation 2. This is where I must provide you with a disclaimer: I have not owned a Madden game since '94, and I have not seriously played one since '99, save for some one-game instances of me getting blown out at friends' houses. While I love video game football, it's never too high on the priority list, as A) If I'm going to get one sports game, it's usually gonna be hockey, and B) I gravitate toward games my wife likes to watch me play. Football games are not games my wife enjoys. She'd much rather I be busting out some phat rhymes with Parappa the Rapper or laughing uncontrollably at the convoluted storyline that dominates Metal Gear Solid 2. But I digress. All those factors aside, I was due for a football game, dammit, and I finally got one.

I'm sure my wife regrets it, but thank you honey!

Madden 2004 is everything I could have expected in a football game, and more. At risk of rambling in too many directions at once, I'll divide everything else here up into the typical video game categories.

Graphics

Boffo. Exactly what I would expect out of a football game on the Playstation 2. I can make out the facial features of players and coaches(!), long, stupid hairdos go flying in the wind (you listening, Ricky Williams?), hands actually bat at balls for fumbles in play. The graphics here aren't photorealistic--cartoony-realistic would be a better description. The colors are all exaggerated, and you never forget you're playing a video game, but there are no visible "flaws"--no clipping, no inexplicable instances of players running through other players, no flicker. That's nice, because if there's one thing I like in a sports game, it's consistency, and in a lot of cases, a bad graphic presentation can spill over into the gameplay. That never happens here, and I appreciate that. Plus, getting a look at Bills coach Gregg Williams' sullen mug shaking his head every time I lose gives me enough of a laugh to motivate me to play another game.

Sound

The sound contains my only gripe in the game, and that's the play-by-play. I sometimes wonder why games continue to do play-by-play, as there's really no way to keep from repeating phrases and color commentary from game to game. It gets pretty annoying, unless you use it as a drinking game (i.e. OK, every time Madden says "90 percent of the game is half mental", do a shot). The other in-game sounds are pretty keen, though, with menacing hits given the appropriate CRUNCH and the roar of the crowd increasing or decreasing depending on the home team's performance. All nice touches that add to the mood. The music's pretty nifty as well, with selections from Outkast, AFI, The Roots, and Killer Mike as highlights. My favorite selection? "Back In the Mudd", from Bubba Sparxx--that quick rock beat has one fantastic hook to go along with it.

Gameplay

Ah, yes, the important part. This game plays like a dream. You just know when you let go of a pass that it's going to be intercepted or caught, as the case may be (in my case it's almost invariably the former). Running is straightforward as ever, but it takes some finesse and skillful use of your blockers to bust out for anything bigger than 10-15 yards. Defense is done about as well as it could be, with nifty controls for diving hits and a "flailing arm" button to try and force fumbles. Play calling is easy and straightforward, conveniently color coded so you know whether you're calling a run or a pass. You can even do things like look at the design of the play when you're lined up on the field before the ball is snapped--very helpful for a novice such as myself.

Madden 2004 boasts "Playmaker Control", and in practice, use of the Playmaker features are hit and miss. On the good side, pre-snap audibles are rendered extremely easy, as you can, with the touch of one button, change the direction of a play or the placement of the defensive backs. On the "not quite so useful" side, it can also be used to point out blockers as you're trying to run a play, or to direct a receiver to get open if you're trying to pass. This is a neat idea in theory, but when you're running around trying to avoid getting tackled by 300 pound linemen, the last thing your thumbs want to do is reach over to the right analog stick to point out an oncoming blocker. As I get more used to the game, this feature might prove handy, but right now I'm still trying to get used to the basics, and more often than not just trip myself up getting fancy with the Playmaker stuff.

Gameplay isn't just restricted to in-game, either. New to Madden 2004 is Owner Mode, where you can take full control over all decisions your team makes. And I do mean all decisions--ticket prices, hot dog prices, merchandise prices...hell, you can even sell the team or move it to another city. Ever just had the feeling that the Arizona Cardinals belonged in Toronto? Now you can do it! It's fantastic! Free agents can be signed if you can afford their contract demands, players can be traded, players can be dropped, players can be developed in training camp. Electronic Arts did a good job with their free-agents, including such high-profile "retired" guys like Deion Sanders and Terrell Davis in the list. You can even make yourself a player. There's no end to what you can do with this game, and the great thing is, the level of involvement will only be as great as what you're willing to put in--you don't have to use any of these extra features if all you want is some good old fashioned video football.

There's online play, too, though I can't really comment on that since I don't have the adapter.

Everything Else

The replay value in Madden 2004 is tremendous. Performing certain achievements allow you to do one of two things: 1) Unlock "Madden Cards", or 2) Gain tokens to buy "packs" of Madden Cards. Obtaining a Madden Card allows the user to use cheats, unlock "historic" teams, or give certain players attribute bonuses for a limited team. Imagine my ecstacy in unlocking the Buffalo Bills of 1991, along with the ability to use Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith (when he was good). The achievements necessary to gain these tokens and cards range from mind-numbingly easy (4 tokens for an interception!) to really rather difficult (still don't know how it's possible to beat some of those camp drills on the All-Madden skill level). Between the thrill of obtaining cards (and thus making it just a touch easier for your team to win) and the intrigue of Owner Mode, Madden 2004 could make even the jaded football fan a complete addict.

Obviously, I'm really pretty thrilled with Madden 2004, and it never ceases to amaze me just how far a sports game can come in a relatively short time. I'm completely, hopelessly addicted to the game, and I don't see myself coming off that addiction for a long time. Some might see that as unhealthy, but for this gamer, well, that's a very good thing.

Recommended.