Madden NFL 2003 - PS2

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Also for: PC, Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation
Viewed: 3D Third-person, floating camera Genre:
Sport: Football - American
Media: DVD Arcade origin:No
Developer: EA Tiburon Soft. Co.: Electronic Arts
Publishers: Electronic Arts (GB)
Released: 4 Oct 2002 (GB)
Ratings: 3+
Accessories: Memory Card, Analogue Control Compatible: all buttons
Connectivity: Network Adaptor (Ethernet) compatible
Features: Vibration Function Compatible, Multitap adaptable

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Summary

For quite a while now, John Madden has been widely regarded as the king of NFL, as far as games are concerned anyway. Now, 13 years since it was first introduced, Madden NFL brings all the modes, features and depth with which it's synonymous to pretty much the whole range of home consoles. And what kind of release would fail to include the PS2?

With a primary focus on in-game graphics and gameplay, this latest incarnation of the series claims to be the best looking, sounding and playing football game ever. Not wanting to break the annual cycle of improvement, let's just say that it is. Just a selection of the new visual overhauls include new signature player animations, new cut-scenes with high-poly cheerleaders and additional emotion-based bench scenes, more than 300 realistic player faces, and a more cinematic approach to camera positions.

Underneath the sexy new visuals, however, the usual, familiar gameplay mechanics are still to be found, albeit with a few updates themselves. A faster and more realistic game presides, with players following through, making hits on players without the ball and generally presenting a more finely tuned passing game.

The audio department has not been overlooked either. The great John Madden himself, along with fellow Monday Night Football star Al Michaels, takes care of the commentary via a new audio engine, which delivers appropriate commentary based on current game situations and player/team statistics.

For all intents and purposes this is a John Madden Football game. It was the first really popular NFL experience all those years ago and is still considered by many to be the definitive American Football sim. As with most of EA's sports games, it receives a yearly makeover and continues to improve - which is nice.