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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
ESPN 2004 vs. Madden 2004, September 10, 2003
By A Customer
Sega/ESPN vs. EA/Madden, the ultimate debate. Madden's got better graphics, better extras, and better stats. Not to mention you can build your own stadium and even set the price the fans pay for a burger. As a guy who bought his first EA game in 1990, it actually pains me to say it but, ESPN is just the better game. Why? If only EA had spent as much time on the game play as it did at the concession stand. Sega spent their time making a game that has tighter controls, a better running game, and a easier play calling interface then EA's latest installment. Admittedly, it would be nice if you could save mid-game like Madden (a feature that is way overdue) and the first person view is a gimmick, but Sega/ESPN just makes a more playable, enjoyable, and fair game. I say fair because EA's shot at solid IA is the computer picking a run defense if you are going to run and a pass defense if you are going to pass. Despite the down or yardage to go, the computer chooses the right set, in advance, EVERY time. Trust me, if you run on 3rd and 20 out of the shotgun, the computer will play the 4-3. That kind of "cheating" makes Madden VERY frustrating, along with it's nonexistant running game and completely inaccurate kicking system. As far as extras go, ESPN does have fan celebrations including painted fat guys. Sure they are gross but they are also cool and add to the fun of a solid ESPN title. Sorry EA, maybe next year. Bottom line if you want to sell burgers, buy Madden. If you want to play football, choose ESPN.
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14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Slightly Improved, August 20, 2003
By A Customer
After playing previous versions of the game on xbox, ps2, & ps1, I decided to purchase the new Madden 2004 and found some improvements on the 2003 version. The most obvious is the Owner Mode which can be fun, but for most gamers I would expect that it is too involved in the "non-game playing" aspects of the game and it takes too much time that you could actually spend playing football. Although I must say, it's a cool addition. The Franchise mode (with owner mode turned off) is very similar to 2003 but again improved as you get more stats to view and the layout of the mgmt & during-game charts look more like your standard football views from TV or the Web. You also get something new with Training Camp in the offseason where you can implement the mini-camp drills with players from your roster to boost their attributes. The one thing to keep in mind though, the actual gameplay (vs the CPU, or another player) is nearly the same. To some extent scoring & making plays is more difficult, but that is probably to encourage use of the advanced gameplay features like "playmaker control" (which is cool but takes a while to master). Altogether, the game has improved in several small aspects, but remains a natural flowing, realistic footbal game with top-notch graphics & sound. Also, many of the game features like the Madden Cards are identical. PROS:
- More team management features with Owner Mode.
- More and better organized stat views
- Advanced gameplay features while running, etc.
- Addition of Training Camp
- All things that made 2003 great are still there CONS:
- Cannot use Owner Mode when you create-a-team
- Too many things unchanged (Madden Cards, Create-a-team logos, Minicamp drills, etc.)
- Misleading game preview item: Playbooks really haven't changed much.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
The A.I. is on steroids, March 11, 2004
I have always been a big fan of the series and I love the mini camp drills, i think thats a brilliant idea. The ability to set concession prices, hats, etc. is also a clever addition. The graphics are solid, though still need tweaking but I feel as if I am playing Madden 2004 Blitz. I am sick and tired of the computers magical ability to erase any deficit in the 4th quarter. Mind you, I have been playing football games, including Madden, for years. I have had the Cardinals come back to beat me in the 4th quarter, erasing a 24 point lead. This quarter from hell included, 1. a blocked punt, 2. a punt returned for a td, 3. 2 fumbles by my rb (Ahman green) who was running great until this dreadful quarter. 4. a td return for a td 5. and a game winning 90 yard drive by the cardinals. Sure this can happen once, twice, whatever. But when I constantly lose 4th quarter leads over and over again, it annoys me. I love games that are hard but this computer assistance borders on the surreal and it is enough for me to spoil an otherwise terrific game. One last gripe, too much room for the QB to run. This is not NCAA. I think this was done to appease Mike Vick fans and I guess I can understand and live with that.
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