The most important football series in videogaming is undoubtedly John Madden Football.  It set the standard and established a look and feel that most successful football titles continue to borrow. Starting as a PC title, the game really wowed gamers when it moved to the Sega Genesis back in the 16-bit days.  Since then, it’s remained a solid franchise with a few bumps along the way in the transition to the 32-bit era.  Perhaps taking those problems from the mid-90s to heart, EA Sports has come together and developed a worthy update to the game for Sony’s brand-new PlayStation 2 that ranks among the best in the series.

EA has obviously put a lot of work into the graphics for the PS2 version of Madden.  The character models and stadiums are incredibly detailed.  The player models are a little squat, and their eyes look positively creepy, but these are non-issues during actual gameplay.  On the whole, the animation is excellent and fluid, but there seem to be a few situations where the right animations simply aren’t available.  When you run into a teammate, you’ll often stand perfectly straight.  On a fumble, your players will often bend over like they’re picking up a bag of groceries.  These odd animations will really shatter the illusion that you’re watching a live game that the rest of the game works so hard to create.  Some plays, though, look absolutely perfect, which is a real testament to the quality of animation in the game.  With a bit more variety, the animation would be about perfect.

John Madden and Pat Summerall again lend their voice talents to the game and their sparse and repetitive commentary really stands as proof that commentary in sports games has come a long way in the last few years.  Summerall offers the same deadpan delivery he does in the real broadcast booth, although in real broadcasts, he sometimes shows a little enthusiasm - something that’s painfully absent from his commentary in this game.  The actual sounds of the game, on the other hand, are excellently captured and executed.  A large variety of sounds, from dull crunches to sharp pops are all there.  In contrast to the lame commentary, the game sounds are wonderful.

While it’s an attractive game, where Madden really shines is in all its little extras that make the one player experience long lasting and worthwhile.  As always, the game comes armed with a robust and well-executed franchise mode.  The franchise mode -- as well as the game’s unique Madden Card system -- makes for a title that will continue to entertain for a long while.   For those unfamiliar with Madden Cards, here’s how it works:  Each time you perform a given task in a game (such as having a 100 yard rushing game or recording three tackles with one player), you earn tokens.  The harder the challenge, the more you earn.  Once you’ve made 100 tokens, you can buy a pack of Madden Cards. I’ve found simply collecting the cards to be rather addictive, but if that’s not enough for you, the cards can give a specific player enhanced abilities for a single play, quarter or half; unlock new stadiums and players; or give players NFL Blitz style cheats.  Anyone who’s ever been obsessed with trading cards will likely obsess over this neat feature, trying their darndest to buy packs of cards to finish off their Madden Card collections.  The game also features a boatload of teams - current NFL teams, a selection of historic NFL teams going back to 1957, all-time teams (All Chiefs, for example), and NFL Europe teams.  Also included are a bunch of throwback jerseys - not a complete selection, but a fairly comprehensive number of uniforms.  Disappointingly, the lovely powder blue Chargers uniforms that the team wore as a third jersey a few years back is not available.

On the field, Madden plays as convincingly as it looks - usually it’s a very genuine football experience. Players tend to act and react like they would in real life.  The control may seem mushy to some -- a side effect of having a control system based mainly on momentum -- but once you learn to adapt and stop expecting to turn on a dime, you’ll be OK.  The momentum system makes for some incredibly lifelike plays, particularly on the ground.   But momentum can cause frustration in some situations --  like returning punts -- as it takes a moment for your returner to take off, meaning he’ll eat the ball more often than not.  Other controls give you unprecedented control over what’s happening on field. Before the snap on offence and defense you’ve got a number of choices that help you play your best game.  Hot routes and coverage audibles help you compensate when you see something you just don’t like in your opponent’s formation.  The expected stable of player moves are here, including jukes, stiff arms, pump fakes and so on.

Plays flow fairly realistically, although deep passing seems to be a bit on the easy side. In multiplayer particularly, the deep ball seems too effective, even when it’s expected.  On a related note, mounting a successful pass rush is also a bit difficult for human controlled teams, with pass protection that’s nothing short of stellar unless the blitz is on.  On the other hand, short passing is fairly challenging, as defenders are usually in position to make a play on the ball.  My other complaint with the passing game is that receivers tend to break off their patterns a bit early, and when they do, they just stand around for a moment like they’re confused.  After the brief confusion, though, they do move for open field in an intelligent manner.  All in all, the passing game is good, but it could use a bit of work. The running game, on the other hand, is just about perfect.  Running backs often have to negotiate tight gaps to make positive yardage, but learning to exploit those gaps is a rewarding experience and implemented exceedingly well.  A successful run not only gives you a good feeling inside, it’s also a visual treat because it looks so authentic.

Madden NFL 2001 provides a fun overall experience, with a very rewarding single player experience. And if the game isn’t playing like you want it, EA’s even provided some customization options to adjust computer tendencies and capabilities. Still, the game’s slightly slow pace and sim-like features, especially the momentum-based control, may hamper its appeal to players who aren’t big football fans. For a football game that’s easier to pick up and play, gamers may want to look elsewhere.  For an exacting effort at a football sim, Madden’s an excellent choice.  If you’re a football fan who has a PlayStation 2 but not Madden, one question: Why the heck not?