Madden challenge? I've got a challenge for you...

Madden challenge? I've got a challenge for you...

Taken From Gamerfeed:

Madden challenge? I've got a challenge for you.

Oh Madden games...how I loathe thee. The "eh" graphics, the spastic crowds that repeat the same animation no matter what's going on, the horrendous commentary, the curse that ruins or stalls the careers of the athletes who grace your covers and the arrogance of EA Sports and your millions of fans who swear to your greatness, and let's not forget the unrealistic game play. Time spent chillin' in the pocket searching for open receivers seems like a lifetime. In fact, as soon as the center snaps the ball you have enough time to meet a nice young lady, get married, reproduce, remove the training wheels from your kids' bikes, send them off to college, celebrate your 50th anniversary, and have just enough time left over before your children put you in a nursing home, but before that your strongest son looks upon your old frame with warm and loving eyes and says, "Hey pop! I see you're still holding onto that old pigskin. Lemme give it a toss for you." You give up the ball, pat him on the back and watch him chuck a 99-yard throw for a touchdown. This, my dear readers is the essence of John Madden Football, and I'm baffled as to why so many of you put up with a game that's bread and butter theory of success is the "Barbie with a new hat" philosophy. What's worse, EA runs commercials, at nauseum mind you, on G4 advertising its Madden Challenge, the nationwide competition where gamers vie to compete for $50,000 and the title of "King Madden" (I made the title name up by the way). The players take it seriously too, and I suppose they should. Fifty thousand dollars is a nice piece of lettuce, and the bragging rights are pretty cool too...

If you're content with being the champion of an inferior game.

I know that stings. Puts a chink in the armor that's your pride, doesn't it? However, all of the above was too hard for yours truly to ignore while playing Madden 2004 at a family party Saturday night, where, after spending almost a month playing Sega's ESPN Football, I felt like I'd taken a giant leap backward. My brother and I were in a shootout, chucking balls down field and running them into our respective end zones for scores. In fact, I'm not sure why Madden even includes the option to punt, because the arcadey nature of the game makes fourth and long seem like second and short and I just don't get it. Why does this game get near perfect scores from fans and reviewers every year? Is it the hype? Is it the game play? Don't the controls change depending on whether you're playing offense or defense? Is this actually fun? Be honest. Don't lie.

Bottom line is Sega trounced EA this year. ESPN Football is a league better than Madden in every respect. In fact, I think ESPN Football is the GREATEST football game EVER made (although I'd give a respectful nod to Tecmo Bowl). When you get burned in ESPN you get BURNT, likely because you screwed up, but Madden makes me look like a superstar. I still can't beat my brother worth a damn, but the final scores are ridiculous, easily dipping into the fifties and beyond each time we play, and while I'm listening to John Madden drone on about everything unimportant and watch the crowd jump up and down after I'm sacked for a loss (and this is in my arena!), the great disappointment that fills me thinking that THIS is what the majority of America considers to be the BE ALL END ALL of console football easily surpasses the heart ache I experienced when my mother forbid an SNES in our home when I was mini Buff. It just doesn't make any sense.

I suppose there's some sense to it. So many of you are used to the way the game plays you wouldn't dare abandon it to learn an alien control scheme, and after all, it is the number one best selling football franchise, something EA reminds us of with the emblems on the covers of the Madden games (which I still think makes EA Sports look as scared as Shaggy after a ghost pops up while he's eating a sandwich). Madden's also a household name, though I'd much rather listen to him call a real game than repeat the same and redundant phrases over and over.

You can, of course, email me and give me your thoughts on which game is better. I was never a fan of console wars (just...buy...them...all!) but I LOVE game wars, regardless of how juvenile. Series Vs. Series! Grrr...and growl...and snarf, snarf! So here's my ESPN CHALLENGE. Listening Madden fans? Go pick up ESPN, play it for a solid week, and by play I mean A LOT, and go back to your Madden with a straight face. Embrace it as you did when you first purchased it. If you convert let me know. If you think ESPN is a pile let me know. If you think I'm all-wrong and missing out on the joys of Madden, you let me know. While you're at it I'm going to chill in my Crib and play air hockey. That's a pretty addictive game all by itself, but consider yourself challenged! Change can be a good thing and your cheese has been moved! So whatcha gonna do about it?

chris.buffa@gamerfeed.com

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Madden challenge? I've got a challenge for you...

:D :D :D :D :D :cheers :cheers :cheers :cheers :bow :bow :bow :bow :bow

He and I share the same opinion!
 
Madden challenge? I've got a challenge for you...

Heh... The thing is, Madden is just rehash after rehash. Oh.. Mini-camp mode in Madden 2003? Nothing more than a Virtua Tennis rip-off adapted to football. Playmaker control in 2004? Just call a Hot Route before the snap! Madden 2002? All it is is Madden 2001 with a SLIGHT graphical update and Two-Minute Drill (which was omitted from the Pos2 version of 2001, when it was in the PSX version of 2001 :huh: :huh ). Although, I will admit, my friends and I are total Two Minutes Drill addicts (plus it;s a real quick game).

Every year, VC and Sega unleash something HUGE in the game:

2K: Series HUGE debut on the Dreamcast. 'Nuff said

2K1: Online play.

2K2: Completely revamped passing and running engine, plus new animations

2K3: Probably the'yre "off-year" for something huge. Although it not being on DC is a big thing to me :(

2K4: First-Person Football.

Madden 2001: Great graphics, with zombie-like players (look at faces)

Madden 2002: Same game as 2001, only SLIGHT upgrade in graphics, and Two-Minute Drill

Madden 2003: Online Play. Sound all fine and dandy until.... you can only play until 2004 comes out. You need to buy 2004 in order to continue playing online. UTTER BULLSHIT!

Madden 2004: Playmaker control. Uh... just call a goddamn Hot Rpute before the play, flip the play before selecting, or.. gasp.. YOU CAN ALWAYS CALL AN AUDIBLE!

Madden is the same damn game EVERY year. Madden 2003 was the last straw for me (I broke close to 20 tackles on ONE run, when the defense CLEARLY had me tackled a few times. :huh :huh: )

I'm tempted to play some 2K right now. :hehehe:
 
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