Madden NFL 2004
by EA Sports
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Video Game Reviews of Madden NFL 2004
Customer Review: Far too complex &, yes, unrealistic!!!
Summary: 1 Stars
Several other reviewers have hit the nail on the head with their assessment of this game, but I'l paraphrase based on the sick feeling in my stomach that I just tossed $39 into the sewer:1. The CPU cheats. This is becoming an EA trademark. It is jaw-dropping to think that Marvin Harrison will drop 6 consecutive passes during a 4th quarter drive, only to be beaten by the "unstoppable" William Green & Tim Couch combo (??). This doesn't just happen in football, mind you. MVP Baseball 2003 simply will not let a player lead by more than two runs in any baseball game for more than one inning. I've had Pedro Martinez give uo four consecutive home runs on three different occasions (again, EA, it just doesn't happen in real life, even if he is "grooving" the ball down the middle - but enough about baseball). That's not AI - that's cheating, and there is a difference.
2. I've found the Madden controls becoming more loose and complicated over the years. Like others, I have a life and can't play this game for six hours+ per day to master the fine art of a screen pass (which is what it seems like it will take). Simple is better in many cases; I can't wait for the folks at EA to learn this...
3. Franchise mode is deep, yes, but who really cares about concession costs & stadium entrances. Let's focus on the players, shall we?
4. I may be in the minority here, but frankly, I'm getting tired of hearing John Madden. Don't get me wrong, he is entertaining and knowledgable on TV, but the EA shtick is getting stale...
With no real PC competition, the options are limited; but if it is truly about FUN, then where is NFL Challenge?
Customer Review: Jonathan is Right, Andrew is Wrong
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this title and took it deep into ownership mode like Jonathan did and I found he is right about all of his complaints and that Andrew is in fact correct about the rule, but Jonathan is correct in the game's incosistent execution of the rule. For Andrew to be right, the game has to get it right everytime and it is short of that goal. In fact, Jonathan may have been too kind in his review. Please read the reviews from "grchecki" and "A gamer" from Pittsburgh, PA, if you really want to know the ugly side about this game. When it comes to stopping the clock, why do instant replays have to count against your forty second clock? I am aware that you can turn them off, but it is cool to see the replays and tempting to leave them on espically when your team makes a good play. I just don't think that should count against the forty second clock. It just isn't the same accessing the the instant replay feature yourself.
Speaking of Instant Replay, has anyone else noticed that when you attend an NFL game a questionable call is shown on the Jumbo-Tron over and over again no doubt aiding a coaches decision to reveiew the call on the field. Why is it that in Madden Football when you access instant replay you cannot review the play?
The one thing that really burns me about this game is the relocation of franchises. I moved the Indianapolis Colts to Los Angeles and found that Jonathan was right. This flaw makes the relocation of franchises pointless.
This game is less than a month old and already needs a major overhaul. Jonathan's review, "grchecki" review, and "A Gamer" from Pittsburgh, PA, will fill you in on the rest. Avoid Andrew Walsh's review. As far as I'm concerned he wrote two lines about something he was wrong about and then took an opportunity to promote this game while obvioulsy not playing it enough to know what the h!ll he's talking about. Put your money back in your wallet and wait for 2005.
Customer Review: CPU cheating,yet again
Summary: 3 Stars
Madden 2004 delivers superb graphics and strong commentary as well as an extremely in depth owner mode. Yet, this game is not even worth 10 dollars to a serious player? Why, you're asking? Because of the age old problem of so called CPU Cheating, which is basically when the computer makes improbably things occur. First example, in All Pro Mode, I will be constantly winning games til late in the 4th quarter and I'll have the CPU on the ropes, ball in their territory. Then from nowhere my halfback fumbles, and its returned for a touchdown. If not my halfback, then certainly a magical interception will occur , it will also be returned for 7 points. I have turned down CPU interceptions and defensive awareness from Ai options to about 40 but this problem still persists. My RB is Priest Holmes, who is 93, and Marc Bulger, who is 95 (its 3 yrs in the future in owner mode). Neither of these players should have problems like this, but it constantly occurs, costing me over half the games that are sure fire wins!!!! Secondly, when you simulate, if a player is on the bench for two years and was previously rated 90, he will drop as low as 60, even if he is in his twenties!! I have contacted EA recently and am waiting to hear back from them, please think very long and hard before spending money on this game. I personally think paying 30 dollars so you can buy a game that will make you rip your hair out is not worth it. If you must have a football title, there are other options!Customer Review: Best Madden, Ever
Summary: 5 Stars
Madden is at it's best in Madden 2004. When i first bought Madden 2003, i thought i could save the $40 next year and just update the rosters online. But i couldn't. When i heard about Madden 2004, i was amazed. They still have the Mini-Camps, which i found very entertaining, but they added a new Owner Mode which i think is awesome, the same contract negotiation, and better system for trading players. The graphics in 2004 seem better than in 2003 and with more detail. This time, i think i'm not gonna buy 2005 because 2004 has everything i need unless 2005 makes something drastic. Bottom Line, Madden 2004 is the best sports game ever.Customer Review: does EA make games for people who aren't professionals???
Summary: 1 Stars
this game is LAME. See... some of us don't play video games 24-7... we have this thing called a JOB and a LIFE. I think this game is designed for people who are 27, still live with their parents, and sit in the basement playing video games and eating doritos. Let me tell you, this games just stinks.The manual is the thickest manual that has come with a madden game that i can recall...
First off, there are entirely too many buttons to press just to get basic functions in this game. Depending on your controller, you could have a possible 8 buttons to press to just pass the ball! On top of that, the buttons then switch to a possible 6 things you could do once you catch the ball... IF you catch the ball. More on that later...
This game plays like crud. I have Pentium 4 1.8 Ghz processor, 512 Megs of ram, and 32 megs of Video ram in my laptop. I also use a controller exactly like the PS2, and this game could not be less responsive. On kick returns, you could hit one of the 6 possible buttons to try to avoid being hit, and by the time your player does whatever you're trying to do, he's being crushed by half of the opposing team. Of course, when you kick the ball to the computer, they usually return it for a TD. I've used different teams... used a superior team and played against a weaker team and always got the same results... sluggish gameplay with poor reactions.
I've been playing Madden games since they were coming out for the Sega Genesis and have always loved them... but i feel that the guys who build them must be NFL Pro Bowl players because it's almost impossible to connect on a simple out route pass, much less a more complex pattern. You could throw the ball to your WR with nobody within 15 yards, and it'll be picked off by the other team! Some guys jump higher then their own height to make these miricale interceptions. I'm sorry, but i used the Madden Millenium team vs. the Carolina Panthers and was picked off 6 times in the first half alone. There's no way that's a realistic scenerio...
The defense is simply awful. Again, using the same teams, on defense using nickel coverage with an under package, the panthers were still able to move the ball effortlessly to their TE on short routes... both in and out. Use of a 3-4 package had poor results as well... no defense. Changing your defensive audibles is very hard to do also. I think you'd have better luck walking to the moon then mastering this simple procedure. Again... 8 possible audibles... and you have to remember them all... easy enough right?
Don't even get me started on the fumbles... it's like a fumble circus with this game! I had players with all kinds of skill ratings fumble all over the place. For a game that puts ricky williams on its commercials as a "Playmaker", he fumbled for me 4 times in one game against the Texans. Good call on your spokesperson EA!
There are so many plays in this game, i gave up trying to figure out what they all do... trust me, it's overwhelming. Also, don't even think about using the "Ask Madden" feature... you're better off asking your 2 year old nephew how to get to 1st and 10 in this game.
If you decide to play a franchise game, you have to do EVERYTHING. Negotiating with players is entirely to comnplicated... including deciding on signing bonuses and standard pay. When you draft players in the NFL Draft, you can't see the ratings of the players that you draft until after you SIGN THEM. You might get stuck paying a RB 5 million a year for 4 years and his rating is a 50 out of 100. This hurts if you decide to play a franchise with the salary cap turned on... but then again, you could turn it off... but then doesn't that negate the REALISTIC PLAY that EA pretends to pride itself on?
Here's another great feature about this game. When you install it with the basic features and standard files, it takes up about a GIG on your hard drive. It comes with 2 CD's and takes forever to install.
This game does have some sweet visuals and the graphics are very sharp, there's no denying it. The close ups and replays are a lot of fun to watch. However, i didn't pay a large chunk of cash to WATCH this game. You can create your own team, have a fantasy draft, set drink and hot dog prices at your games, decide where the entrance is for your team into the stadum, hire a coacing staff, FIRE a coaching staff, see pie charts and graphics on how your team plays vs. the 3-4 vs. the 4-3, decide what color your team numbers will be, trade draft picks for players, create your own team logos in photoshop and import them, pick your team's location, choose the weather you'll play in, decide who you're going to play in pre-season... see, there's just entirely too much crammed into this game... and most people i know usually sell or trade in their madden games at the end of the football season.
If you have a PhD in slacking, and have all the time in the world to learn how to play a video game, then this is the game for you. However, if you're looking for a game that's actually FUN (like i always thought video games were supposed to be), then you should look elsewhere. It's too hard, too complicated, too many buttons, slowwwwww gameplay, too many "features"...
Time for EA to hit the showers... putting Mike Vick on the box isn't going to sell this game. The actual ability for people to be able to PHYSICALLY PLAY THE GAME will make if FUN.
This game is as much fun as filling in for the tackling dummy.