Madden NFL Football 2005
All that Madden goodness, in a very little package
Tags: Madden NFL Football 2005 Categories: GBA Reviews, Reviews
Posted by Andrew on Dec 6th, 2004
| Title | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Madden NFL Football 2005 (title page) | 1 - 2 | ||
| Developer | Publisher | Genre | Online |
| Sports | No | ||
 |
For new DS players, the starting lineup seemed to be just the touch of the iceberg, but with Mario, and two EA games, it had good support if nothing else. Madden 2005 for the DS is the only sports game available on the system, which means that all early evidence reads: The DS is going to be great for platformers and shooters (Metriod does look great).
That’s not to say that Madden isn’t a decent game, its just the worst looking game on the system. It is impossible not to notice just how blockish the players look, all the same size and all badly pixilated. How can the same system that pumps out Metroid and Mario DS give the same graphics? Basically, if you have played Madden 97, then you have seen what this game looks like. The inability to differentiate the players, other than the detailed name on the back, and the fact that all players are the same size means that pass rush and running are annoying at best.
 |
Once you get past the graphics however, the game plays smooth – for a portable football game. In fact, it is probably the smoothest and best done game play of any EA portable title. That means a lot, since game play is the most important factor in a sports title. The controls run smoothly, you have the option of doing anything you could on the PS2 or Game Cube, and the passing is above average. The problem still comes from the same size players, and the lack of difference in speed. The game is almost like a cross of the old John Elway Football of the bygone NES days and the modern Madden 2005.
Thanks to the dual speakers on the Nintendo DS, the sound pumps out nice and crisp. Unfortunately, the sound production is less than adequate for a football game. While the licensed tracks which play during the menu screens is great, the sound effects and commentary go down hill from there. While the sound effects mimic that of a real football game, everything sounds recycled over and over again. Once you hear someone get tackled, there’s nothing new to hear. The commentary isn’t as diverse as it could be. Al Michaels makes extraordinarily generic play calls such as… “Touchdown!” while John Madden’s normally informative analysis of the game is drab and boring. Almost like a real Monday Night Football game!
 |
There is mixed reaction to the use of the dual screen. While you can use it to select plays, other than that, the stylus will not see the light of day while you play the game. Once the play is called, the screen switches to an overhead view with X’s and O’s denoting offensive and defensive players. Should you see something you don’t like before the play, you can select a hot route by tapping the screen, hitting the corresponding receiver’s button, and then selecting the route you’d like him to run. If you want to scrap the play entirely, you can audible and then look at which audibles you can call. It’s nice to have a visual guide instead of trying to remember what button will call a certain play. Once the ball is snapped, you can actually pass the ball by tapping the receiver’s icon with the stylus, but the screen is more useful if you use it to see which receiver is getting open, as it’s tough to avoid the rush when you are staring at the receiver. Running plays don’t really involve the second screen much, though you can see where the pursuit is coming from if you break a long run.
 |
The other thing the game does well, at least from a visual standpoint, is the instant replay. Using the touch screen, you can rotate the camera around the field, zoom in and out, and control the speed of the replay. The game will do automatic replays from time to time, but you can really do some impressive camera sweeps when you use the stylus on your own replays, but it’s up to you to provide an “NFL Films” style narrative to your highlights.
Part of me is seriously disappointed by this game, but I also see the promise. I love EA’s sports titles, but if this is going to be the cap of what the DS is capable of, then I will have to look to other systems for my sports needs. If you aren’t a sports fanatic, there is enough here, especially the fact that you can play multiplayer, that it will appeal to you.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
|
+ Sound is decent + Gameplay is smooth + Decent AI |
6.9 |
| What Doesn't | |
|
- GRAPHICS ARE ATROCIOUS - Limited commentary - Needs to involve the stylus better |
|
| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| You know, I whine and I moan in the review, but I still play the game whenever I get the chance. Of course, it is football, and there is never a bad time for football (well, except for Halo 2) | |
[ Post the first comment | View related posts ]
Tags: Madden NFL Football 2005
Posted by Andrew on Dec 6th, 2004 and is filed under GBA Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
