Madden NFL 2005

Wanna know the best way to figure out the importance of a new feature in a sports game? Just go back and play an earlier version. If you don��t miss that given feature in the older game, then it��s just a nice touch��good to have, probably, but by no means essential. If you do miss it, though��well, then you know it��s time to upgrade.

In Madden NFL 2004, Playmaker control substantially upped your ability to play with controlled spontaneity, making any Madden before it a noticeably different play experience. So does Madden NFL 2005 feature anything so significant that it changes the way you play the game? Well...not really.

If anything qualifies, it��s the hit stick. Delivering a crushing blow is a great use for the right analog stick, and you��ll use it a lot. Actually, you might use it too much��it soon became my all-purpose tackle button. Truth be told, though, I��ve hit equally as hard with a dive tackle...which is actually riskier to use. Still, when you return a fumble on a kickoff play for a TD because of the hit stick, it feels pretty freakin�� good.

That said, I did that twice in my first seven games. Should that happen? And on the other side, you can get belted hard, as well��in those same seven games, the too-hard process of calling a fair catch caused Derrick Mason to fumble five times, resulting in five TDs. One I can buy. Two? Maybe. But five?!

Madden 2005��s upgraded look definitely improves its visual splendor, and it��s about time the weather started changing throughout a game. But ultimately, it��s all just a really nice touch��you only really even notice the enhancements in replays and cut-scenes, not while you actually play.

The new Storyline Central in franchise mode adds the welcome, if not entirely necessary, Tony Bruno radio show. I��m incredibly impressed by how much work went into all this, and��except for some callers who sound like amateur voice actors reading lines and the fact that every player is (understandably) referred to as ��this guy����it really does have the feel of a radio show. It��s nice background for all your player adjustments and whatnot.

Speaking of which, I could do without all the inner turmoil caused by unhappy players. Unlike the similar mechanic used in MVP Baseball 2004 (a much more individual-focused game by nature), you pretty much have to change your own style of play as a gamer to satisfy certain guys who may think they��re not getting the ball enough. And that just isn��t very fun.

But that��s not to say Madden isn��t as fun as ever. It��s still great, great football, and all the new stuff makes it the best one yet. I��m just not so sure it��s worth 50 bucks if you already have last year��s edition.

TDs Very welcome new features (hit stick, Storyline Central, and better graphics), arguably the best football game ever made

FUMBLES Nothing is so innovative that it revolutionizes gameplay

Pub. EA Sports Dev. EA Tiburon ESRB Everyone MSRP $49.99

Better Defense?

EA has emphasized heavily how much better defense is this time around. Yes, it is better��but only in the sense that you can now use the hit stick and that you have the ability to call defensive hot routes (something maybe 5 percent of us will learn to do effectively). I can��t say that either really affected my actual performance on defense much, though��Madden remains mostly about offense. But then again, isn��t that what most people want?

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine.