Madden NFL 2001 (Nintendo 64) review " In my mind EA Sports Madden is the best of the football games. It's straight-out hardcore football. It is also reasonable, that you can win with either the Cardinals or the Colts, skill is evident, but upsets are possible. This is personally my favorite sports game period and here is why. "

In my mind EA Sports Madden is the best of the football games. It's straight-out hardcore football. It is also reasonable, that you can win with either the Cardinals or the Colts, skill is evident, but upsets are possible. This is personally my favorite sports game period and here is why.

GRAPHICS (15/20): These are good graphics for a football game. The snow looks real on the snowy weather, and when you play as one of the special teams, they look exactly as what they should. Nothing to spectacular, but it definitely gives the football game a look to it.

SOUND (5/10): There is interesting music between plays, like there would be at real NFL games. You also here the grunts when hits are applied, and the scream of agony for injuries. Yet this all goes downhill when Madden and Summeral announce. Madden uses the same repetitive lines over and over until you want to smash the game to shut him up, and Summeral sometimes points out the obvious. If only Madden had good announcers.

GAMEPLAY (46/50): There are multiple modes of gameplay. You can play an exhibition game with up to three friends, you can play through a season or playoffs, you can set up a situation, or you can play franchise mode. Exhibition you are able to set up any Madden Cards you want to, and then play smash-mouth football. Madden Cards are cheat options you earn by pulling off certain feets like and 80 yard run. Some improve player abilities, while others are new stadiums and teams. With Season mode you can take any team you want through a regulation season, and create players for that team. The situation mode is where you pick two teams, how much time if left, the scores, and the amount of timeouts, and you try to get your team to hold a lead, or more likely make an amazing comeback. Finally there is what most of my time is on, the Franchise Mode. You either get to have a fantasy draft (which I usually do), or take the normal team and go through over 20 different season. This includes players retiring and rookie drafts. Your players skills will go up and down according to their skill level the past season and age. This is personally my favorite part of Madden 2001. Now the controls are all easy to maintain, particuraly in the passing mode. Like real football you may overthrow your Wide Reciever, underthrow him, or hit him on the perfect pass. The only control problem are that it is hard to get an effective run, and you will frequently be stopped, and it is extremely easy to sack the opposing QB.
All in all the Gameplay is what make this my favorite sports game.

REPLAYABILITY (14/15): As I said, Franchise mode goes up passed 20 entertaining seasons. I controlled the Colts through this, and never regretted a minute of this. There is also good multiplayer, so this is one game you won't throw out until you get Madden 2002.

DIFFICULTY (4/5): The difficulty is based on what you put it on. The only problem is I went 16-0 in a season under All-Madden, so at time the game is still too easy. But you will find that even though it may be easy, you still end up losing.

OVERALL (84/100): The Graphics and Sound are fine, but nothing spectacular enough to make this game a ninety. The franchise mode is what makes this a mosthave. I love this game, and I would reccomend that if you have a Nintendo 64 buy Madden 2002 (I haven't yet), but this is another spectacular game, in a spectacular series.

Community review by ratking (Date unavailable) A bio for this contributor is currently unavailable, but check back soon to see if that changes. If you are the author of this review, you can update your bio from the Settings page.