|
|
Madden 2000 by far is the best football game or best sports game in general that I have ever played. From the graphics to the AI to the gameplay and sound and the many features and options in the game, Madden 2000 rocks from top to bottom. The game has everything a football fan hopes and dreams of owning for years. Graphically, the game looks beautiful even though I am playing the Playstation version, the game still look so damm good. It is crisp and that’s what I like about it. Last year, the problem with Madden 99 was you can’t pass the ball really well. Often, you either get tipped or incomplete passes due to inconsistency in the passing system. And last year, the sound was teRRIBLE...and especially because of the horrendous passing system, I finally have no choice but throw down my controller and quit the game. The only fun part about Madden 99 is the running game and that’s basically it. This year they have fixed the passing system...and it LOOKS SUPERB! Now receivers make much more effort to catch the ball. They will run and turn the corner much more realistic now; they’ll fight, come back, and dive for the ball. They even try to catch the ball before running out of bound. This year they have created as good a passing system as the running game of last year. Now I enjoy passing just as much as I enjoy running. And the computer defense AI has always been SUPERB! In fact, this year, the defense AI play even smarter. I like the fact that passing screen passes or short passes to a RB in the flat is not as successful as usual. And the offensive AI has been boosted up as well. Unlike last year, computer offense is much more aggressive this year in term of passing and running the ball. Now it is not uncommon to see a RB gaining over a 100-yard per game. EA certainly response to the complains about last year version and have fixed many things in the game. The annoying too-often-pass-tipping is gone. This means you can now pass in dropping 3-step back without worrying about defense tipping the ball. They now have Pat Summerall talking constantly the whole length and John Madden occasionally making his assessment about the players...VERY NICE feature, I love it! Some people say John is a little too quiet...I really don’t think so. I think what’s in there is good enough. Pat does most of the talking in the game anyway. They talk even during instant replay and in pre-snap situations. They also added a pre-snap camera that rotates as your players walk to the scrimmage...really cool. Now you can customize the camera angle from pre-snap to normal to passing camera...you can do it all. Talk about customization, this year you can customize just about anything and everything. You can change the AI offense and defense aggressiveness, AI running-passing ratio, run blocking effectiveness, QB accuracy, etc.. They added a clock acceleration which make the clock goes faster. I play on Madden level in 13 min quarter w/ clock acceleration on. I think this gives me the most accurate statistics though some may think other wise. I emphasized last year about the realism and atmosphere part of the game. EA certainly listen and added mostly what was suggested but still missing out a little of this and that, more on that later. They have added little touches that make the game look real. For example, defensive players now do taunting after making big plays. And offensive players showing their frustration side after incomplete passes or RB feeling disgusted after getting stomped for negative yardage. They have net behind the goalposts, players running back and forth from sideline to huddle giving illusion that substitutions being made. And they added a whole lot more different type of players animations...the animations of player getting tackle and falling in certain directions is as realistic as it is convincing. The physics of players falling will make even Einstein himself proud. There’s an animation of receiver catching a pass in an awkward position and fall on his back...NICE! This year they added gang tackling which is something I have wished to see. But they left out other things on my wishlist such as team celebration, dynamic weather effects (sunny...then cloudy then rainy), starting lineup intro and stuffs to hype up the game. In fact, I think EA ought to scratch out the old boring intro scenes before every game, and recreate a totally different one. One that would hype up the game...take a look at FOX and NBC as the examples, you started out w/ camera panning around the stadium with crowd cheering and Pat talking more often about the team. The pre-game intro is so bored, I usually skip it and get into the meat of the game (What coin toss? forget it, it's boring). Of course, like every other games, Madden 2000 game has its own flaws. But what is there is minor. The crowd in Madden 2000 is still not as active or as convincing as I want it to be. What I mean is that...they cheer loud in big plays but then they die down all TOO QUICKLY. This is so generic and unreal. When I scored a TD, I expect the crowd to get loud, which they did, but then I expect them to continue getting louder throughout the length leading into the kickoff. But they subsided all too quickly. EA need to rewrite a better code for the crowd noise because I don’t like the fact that I have to constantly have to raise my arms urgent the crowd to get into the game every time. Also, please add more variety in the crowd noise or better yet, add specific chants. Hearing the same generic background noise is very annoying (the game actually freeze up in the crowd noise when I scored a TD and going to instant replay). As for controller, one minor gripe I have with the controller: you can’t turn the corner while speed bursting. What’s up with that? For example, while catching a pass across the field I am running laterally pressing the speed burst button...but then I want to turn the corner, and the only way to do that is to release the speed burst button. That’s sucked! Why can’t I speed burst and turn up the field at the same time? WHY? This will slow down my player and result in being tackled. This has nothing to do with momentum...this is control flaw. I doubt N64 version will have the same problem though. Maybe only on Playstation because of the system technicality. Another flaw with Madden 2000 is the AI decision making. They’re within field goal range, yet they let the clock runs out as halftime approach. This is the SAME AI problem with Madden 99 and EA have not fixed this. In any how, I just found out that this AI problem will not happen if you switch the AI offense setting to "aggressive." Also being down 17-0, AI opted to go for 2-point conversion after they scored a TD. What’s up with that? I would think 90% of the time in real NFL, team would not go for 2-point conversion in this situation. And sometimes AI faking a field goal when they should have kicked a field goal is ridiculous. So overall, AI decision making is still a little shaky here and there and EA need to clean this up for the 2001 version on PSX 2. Can’t wait by the way! Beside the die-down-too-quick crowd or not much variety in crowd noise and the minor gripes of AI decision making, this game is a dream. I especially like playing in a thunder storm game with rain pouring down. You can hear the sound of the thunder in the background and the effect of dynamic lightning is very convincing. My sis thought it was raining outside...hehe! YOU WILL BELIEVE! KnEEL aND boW thEE cUZ I aM RaYDEN...gOD Of tHUNDER!! I just wish every game I am playing in is a thundering game. This is what I mean when I say atmosphere, we need atmosphere in the game. EA...take notice, this is what I mean by atmosphere. It totally immerses you in the game w/ the sound of thunder. Now, the solution to make a normal day-light game as atmospheric as the thundering game is the make the crowd cheer louder constantly and give them specific chant throughout. Also, for the next version of Madden, you got to have starting lineup before every game and have Pat introduces them and showing photos just like the TV games. I guess this feature will not be possible on the outdated PSX system huh? Hey no problem, that’s why I am waiting for PSX 2. Also, for next version, I like to be able to have my RB dive over the defense line. Remember those 3rd or 4th and short in the 1 yard goal line? Yeah, I like to have the ability to plunge over them. EA must have this move in the game for next version because “it’s in the game.” Ok, beside atmosphere, let’s get into the franchise mode. Franchise mode this year is a little more advanced and much user-friendly. I like the fact that now you can categorize and view players according to the position instead of looking for the position. So if I want to see who’s the best QB in the draft I may do so by going to the QB category. Also, there’s a progress screen that shows how much your players improve from one year to the next...VERY NICE! You can now play up to 30 seasons in Franchise and you can trade up to 3 players w/ combination of players and draft picks. Check this out...I played about 2 games in my 1 year as the Jets and simmed all the rest of the games. However, I didn't make the playoffs. Not a big deal...at least I didn't get fired. My record was 8-8. I proceeded to make several moves during the off-season. I trade Testiverdi (sorry I can't spell his name) and my TE (I believed) for RANDY MOSS..YEAH BABY!! Now I have Randy Moss and Keyshawn Johnson on the field at the same time...WOW! Then my next move was i think I traded Curtis Martin for TE Mark Churmra from Green Bay. Now I have Churmra, Moss, and Keyshawn Johnson. But, I still need a QB. Ok...no problem, I traded my FB what ever his name is...he's pretty good though, had an overall rating of 84 or something like that. Anyway, I traded him and Brian Cox to Pittsburgh for Kordell Stewart. Now I have Stewart, Moss, Johnson, and Churmra...WOW WOW WOW!! Also, my team already have Terry Allen as the feature runnning back...so I am happy with him as my RB. As you can see I didn't give up much...and I got a hell of a offensive power now. And my defense has always been superb!!My Initial Impression of Madden 2000 (PSX version)
Anyway here’s my score:
Graphics: 9.0/10 (taking PSX to
the max)
Gameplay: 10/10 (...only get better
from year to year.)
Sound: 9.0/10 (it’s getting better)
AI: 9.5/10 (decision making is
a little suspect)
Control: 9.0/10 (a little sluggish
when it comes to speed burst and changing direction)
Features: 12.5/10 (way too much
man...)
Fun Factor: 11/10 (oops...I have
to add interest...soRRY!)
Overall: 10/10 (YOU GOT TO HAVE
IT!)
P.S. GO BUY IT IF YOU DON’T
HAVE IT!
IF YOU’RE A SIM DIE HARD FOOTBALL
FAN...WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE MONEY...WHAT
ARE YOU STARING AT MAN...?
IF YOU OWN A DREAMCAST, JUST REMEMBER...MADDEN
ROCKS AND NFL2K NOT!
IF YOU MISS ME...TELL ME ABOUT
IT BABY HEHE!!
GO NINERS!
