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Good...but not perfect.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 13 / 14
Date: February 08, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Madden 2002 is a very good football game that falls just a little short of five stars. I like the game an awful lot and have played a great deal (over 100 games (15 minute quarters of course) so far and will play a lot more) but there are some flaws. In no particular order...

The graphics in Madden are really nothing special. They aren't terrible and the player animations during the game are nice, but the backdrops are dull and all too often you see players walk right through each other in the after play animations.

Not nearly enough work was put into the experience of playing defense. Madden has a very nice training mode for offensive plays which really carefully explains everything from blocking assignments to reading pass coverage. There is also a sometimes nifty "Ask Madden" feature in offensive playcalling in which the game will reccomend offensive plays when prompted and even provide some reasoning for the choice but there is no such feature for defense. You are pretty much on your own when it comes to calling plays on defense beyond the vague reccomendation in the EAsy play mode that you run 4-3 against the run and Nickel or Dime against the pass. But that doesn't help explain the subtle differences between and 4-3 "Thunder" and a 4-3 "Lightning". Which is better against short yardage running plays? Which is better against play action or screens? You can get some ideas from looking at the small diagram of the play, but on the whole there is a lot lacking in defensive play calling.

It is far too easy to run the football. Running blindly won't work; but if you pay attention to the way the play is diagramed and follow your blocks, it isn't hard to rush for 250 yards on 20 to 30 carries in every game against the hardest difficulty setting (All Madden) with all the defensive AI settings cranked up as high as they go. In contrast it is far too hard to pass the ball. You really must read the defense and go through progressions (just throwing to your primary reciever or throwing to the same reciever over and over will not work) and that's quite fun, but recievers will drop balls way, way too often no matter how softly (or how hard) you throw the ball. And if your reciever does not have the coverage beat by at least two steps the pass will be tipped or intercepted about half the time as defensive backs controlled by the computer seem to be blessed with superhuman closing speed.

Another minor annoyance is the announcing. Madden and Summerall are clear and conversational, but a lot of their comments are very out of place. For example, five minutes into the first quarter you get the ball for the first time down a field goal and you run the ball for your first play. Summerall will announce, shocked "These guys still think they have time to establish the run!" And Madden, the sage, will respond, "When you're down like this, it's time to put your faith in your quarterback." Um, yeah.

Finally, it is very hard to play fair, realistic football. The first three difficulty levels are so easy once you get the basic controls down that it is no trouble at all to win by anywhere from five to ten touchdowns...and that's no fun. The only level that can challenge you at all is All Madden and it does that by openly cheating. The opposing defensive line will slice through your pass protection like a battle axe through butter without ever having to blitz, their receivers never drop balls (and, indeed, their defensive line has better hands than your best receiver), the computer's pass protection is near perfect unless you blitz with two extra men. You will be penalized two or three times as often as the other team (and after about half of your big plays). I think this could be fixed up some by forcing the computer to play fair (instead of cheating in the most blatant of ways) but then also teaching it how to play against the run a little better so you can't just run them over every game.

Despite what it may sound like so far in the review, I really do think Madden 2002 is a fantastic game. I really like the momentum based physics system and the game does a better job than any other of capturing the *feel* of real football (with the exception of the poor AI run defense). The game comes with a ton of options in all its formats. In its franchise mode you can create players, draft players, sign free agents, trade, progress players from poorly rated rookies to top notch stars over a few seasons, etc. In season mode you can even edit the attribues of existing players (something I found necessary to make some of the players better match their real life counterparts (Mike Vick running slower than most fullbacks was just wrong, for example)). This is actually a really neat option as it allows you to play the game you're in the mood for. If you want a real high scorer, go in an jack up both teams offenses. If you want a real low scorer, go in and pump up the defenses, etc. There is a robust practice modes (although you can't practice with created or edited teams, which is annoying). There is also a nice situation mode and a mini-game: the 2 minute drill (go in with any team against any team and see how many points you can score in 2 minutes). Another nice feature are the Madden Cards. You can earn challenge points for scoring in the 2 minute drill or for completing "challenges" in a regular game (i.e. throw for 300 yds, etc.) and use these points to buy packs of cheat cards that open up hidden teams and stadiums, boost current players and bring old ones out of retirement, or change other game conditions.

In summary, if you like football games, go ahead and get this one. You'll have a lot of fun with it (especially against friends) but don't expect perfection. I hope I haven't turned anyone off of the game with some of my rants, but I also hope someone from EA Sports reads this and makes the appropriate adjustments.

Same old EA, Same old Madden

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 10 / 12
Date: October 04, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Madden 2002 doesn't look to raise the bar significantly past last year's version, while rivals NFL Fever 2002 and NFL 2K2 look to be a lot less arcadey and more fluid. I guess if you're a Madden fan, this is for you. But if you want a solid game of football and don't mind learning a new game, I'd go for NFL Fever 2002 or NFL 2K2.

Real Football

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: December 20, 2001
Author: Amazon User

It seems there is a big argument going around about which football title is the one to own. Being a fan of both NFL Fever and Madden, I must say it all comes down to you the individual. I personally, enjoy Madden more and here is why.

Madden is pure football simulation. The game plays much slower unlike the arcade like feeling of NFL Fever. Where I think you would want to choose Madden over NFL Fever is for the franchise mode. This is where Madden separates its self. Franchise mode takes you from the field to the back office back to the field. It gives you a chance to run a team for 30 seasons making you sign free agents, resign players, negotiate contracts, draft players and then have to sign them, while staying within the salary cap. In the meanwhile players will retire and their abilities will change year over year based on their previous seasons stats. Add the ego players get while negotiating contracts and it's an endless challenge. This feature alone is what puts Madden over the top for me.

For gamers who just want to hit the power button and take on the computer or buddy one on one, then the Madden vs. NFL Fever can go on forever and both would be right considering that the graphics are sensational for each game. So for fans that just want to play you can go either way and won't be disappointed. But for fans that want and endless experience of running the show then seeing how it plays out on the feel, Madden is the only choice!

CANT STOP PLAYING

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: December 06, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I was very impressed with the recent editions of Madden 2001 for PS1 and 2 and now 2002 for PS2 and xbox. I played the game on both systems and it was almost the same game. However you really could notice the more pixels xbox added when gaming on a big TV. Im running a 36in TV and the picture looks sharper with more detail than ps2 version. But the game play is just as awesome on both systems.

As for comments about not using the white and black buttons on your xbox controller "What kind of offence do you run?" these buttons are heavly used in your passing game with all formations. However at first I didn't like these odd placed buttons but after perfecting my passing game I really started to see the advantage of using the black and white buttons.

Overall Madden gets 4 out 5 stars for giving realistic football options like drafting rookies, resigning players after contract are up,(Give them the money or they won't stay with your team) salary cap stops you from making a pro bowl team for use during the season.

This game lacks the fifith star because of flaws like no "forward progress" weather or not you cross the first down after the catch if your tackled back before the line you will lose yards so running a curl pass or short screen pass to pick up first downs isn't very easy. And finally pass rushing isn't very easy. But even with these flaws this game is still the number 1 football game ever no matter what system you have with countless hours of game play.

Is it live, or is it a computer game?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: February 16, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I live in New England, so my football cheering has always been done for the New England Patriots. This means that I've had a lot of experience with the agony of defeat, and a recent thrill of victory. The Madden NFL 2002 lets me relive all of that with amazing graphics and superb gameplay.

The XBox version of Madden 2002 is similar to the PS2 version, but they've kicked it up a notch. The graphics are even more stellar - now you get scratched helmets and dirty uniforms. The players are still as sharp on their feet, and the movements of your crew is super smooth. I've had people walk in the room and think a real game was on before they realized it was us playing.

Sure, you can complain about the inane chatter of Pat and John. Do you really listen to what they're saying? That's all background noise, like the cheers of the fan and the meaningless "I talked to the coach" reporting that starts each game. It adds to the feeling of the game, but it isn't the game's core.

It's funny to see other reviews, because some people say the passing is super easy and the running is hard, while others say that the running game is easy and the passing game is hard. It all comes down to your own particular game style, the teams you choose and how you tend to use the players. Again, that's where the game shines. You can super-customize it to be challenging for you, no matter how you like to play. You really do get drawn into it, feeling like you are out there on the field.

The true test is when you watch a real football game after playing this for weeks, and you start to think of the real game as a video game :) When you reach that level, you know you're hooked!

Madden, NFL Fever or NFL 2K2?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 26, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This was the decision I was faced with after getting my Xbox. I knew I wanted one football game, but I had no clue which one to get. After doing some major research about all three games, this is my condensed, concise summary of which one you should get.

Unfortunately, info and reviews on NFL 2k2 were quite limited since it doesn't come out until late January. However, 2k1 & 2 were pretty popular on other consoles and 2k2 will definitely have its fan-base. 2k2 for the Xbox definitely parallels Microsoft's NFL Fever. Both of these games are very arcade-based, whereas Madden is simulation-based. For example, Fever and 2k2 would be more concerned with how quick-responding a player is, whereas Madden may take longer because it is calculating accurate movements based around player attributes. Your halfback, who weighs thirty pounds more than your fullback, is going to run much slower than your fullback in a simulation-based game than an arcade-based game, and you may get frustrated when your tight-end can't reach that pass in time. However, on the flipside, your best players will probably rack up unrealistic stats in an arcade-based game. Do you care that your cornerback may get five interceptions in one game?

I would prefer Madden. The competition is gaining ground but Madden still seems like the champ. It has been around the longest and has great extras such as momentum meters and enhanced player creation. I also love sports stats (the game summary at the end) and would find Madden much more realistic. All three games are very good at the "type" of game they offer. The decision really comes back to you as a gamer. Which do you want?

Addictive

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: November 13, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Madden 2002 is an awesome football game! You will be amazed at the graphics on this game. One of the cool things about Madden 2002 is the training camp mode that teaches you how to do every play! Madden 2002 is a great game to try.

forget about playstation 2

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 15
Date: November 04, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Oh my God! i played this game at the mall at a game store and let me tell you the graphics are so real and the gameplay is better then nba 2k1 and all other football games. you know how slow motion nba 2k2 is. well this one isn't! it's pretty fast and furious. and the sounds are amazing. when i was playing it i couldn't believe my eyes. forget playstation 2. xbox is gonna be the best system out there in two weeks. this game felt so real when i played it.if i were you, i'll wait for the x box to come out on nov. 15 and go buy it!

IS MADDEN, COME ON

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: October 04, 2001
Author: Amazon User

IF YOU LIKE MADDEN ON ANY OTHER SYSTEM YOU WILL LOVE IT ON THESE SYSTEM BECAUSE IT THE SAME THING WITH BETTER GRAPHICS AND NEWER ROSTER

Definately a Must Buy

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 03, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I'm not usually a big sports game fan on any system, but this game made a believer out of me, between the great graphics and the easy gameplay it can end up burning hours of time. Although the layout of the xbox controller makes control a bit differant at first, it becomes easier with time. The guys at EA Sports went over and above with this game. The Madden cards are also a neat feature allowing you to unlock past teams and also give certain players powerups during the game. If you have Xbox you should purchase this game, you won't be dissappointed.

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