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RATING: (weak) 1 2 3 4 5 (awesome) (No Rating Assigned)
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IN BRIEF
Pros: Good interactivity, stellar graphics. Cons: Predictable. Difficult to control receivers at times. In a nutshell: A football game that's got everything you would expect and hope for, which is a good thing. *ESRB rating: E (Everyone) |
FACTS
Game Title: Madden NFL 2001 Platform: Playstation 2 Developer: EA Sports Publisher: EA Sports Accessories supported: Multitap, Steering Wheel, GamePad Release Date: October 24, 2000 Price: $49.99 |
THE REVIEW by Steven Kent for Gamers Today
HAIL MARY! LOOK OUT FOR THE BOMB! MADDEN SCORES!Madden NFL 2001 is predictable and can be summed up simply: Same Madden game controls and appealing graphics. In this case, however, oh thank heaven for predictability!
Anybody who has ever played a football video game has come to rely on Madden's control and the playbook. But, when the Madden franchise strays, as it did with the first Nintendo 64 game, the results are chaotic.
If you're looking for new, dramatic, and non-superficial in Madden NFL 2001 for PlayStation 2, you're looking at the wrong platform. The Nintendo 64 and PlayStation versions have a new "two-minute drill" feature, which allows up to 10 people to compete in an all-out scramble for a fast high score. The best that Electronic Arts could muster for PlayStation 2 was legendary teams that could only be accessed by completing daunting tasks.
The truth is that few people will want an all-new Madden on PlayStation 2. Instead, they want a Madden with high-resolution graphics, broadcast quality graphics and realistic images of the players. Madden 2001 comes very close to satisfying these wants: Some players actually resemble the human counterparts, even down to their uniforms. Making "accurate depictions" of athletes used to mean getting the correct numbers on their jerseys. Now it means dressing the athletes with visors, wristbands, and elbow pads. However, the faces are not entirely human looking with those flat eyes. Fortunately, the bodies are more realistic: Running, falling and colliding like miniscule tidal waves.
In the preview version, a few of my past complaints about Madden still reined true. There were times when I felt as if my receivers were caught in a gravitational field. They caught the ball and ran one way while I directed them in another. My slight complaints aside, Madden NFL 2001 for PlayStation 2 is a sensational football game with sensible controls, good interactivity, and stellar graphics.
How does it stack up against Sega Sports' NFL2K1 for Dreamcast? Most people like the look of Madden 2001, but I prefer the slightly defused look of NFL2K1. It doesn't offer the high-resolution, but this works in its advantage because it conceals the warts. On play control scheme, both games are so similar that it's difficult to prefer one to the other. The games' simple controls are manageable, but the nuances make it difficult to master. Also, both games contain more plays than most players will ever bother learning. NFL2K1 features a superb multi-player online option, but Madden may offer a similar option once the PlayStation 2 modem/hard drive is made available.
Both versions of these games are visually appealing, smart, and powerful. Until EA releases the final version of Madden NFL 2001, there's little evidence that one game is better than the other. Regardless, for those who own a PlayStation 2 or a Dreamcast this is football's best year yet.
*For a complete explanation of ESRB ratings, check out the official ESRB Web site.
