Madden NFL 2002

Madden NFL 2002's release was not shy of controversy. With nearly two decades' worth of development time on the console and a highly polished gameplay engine, the latest edition of the sports simulation series offers a better package than any previous Madden title. This year's installment of the series boasts a completely overhauled graphics engine, a create-a-player mode, the return of a franchise mode, and, of course, the latest Madden game. But what are the big features that will make it in the game that are most impressive? Read on to find out.

For those who haven't been following this year's installment, Madden NFL 2002 features real-life NFL teams, which cover the entire league from every NFL team. The actual teams can be chosen from several different teams--from the Orange Bowl team to the Los Angeles Rams, depending on the mode you choose. Some rosters are made up of both the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers, while others will be made up of just about any team found in the league, such as the Miami Dolphins or the Atlanta Falcons.

If you ever played a Madden game on a small screen, you had to deal with Madden's complex and sometimes incredibly frustrating menus. Now, with the release of Madden NFL 2002 for the GameCube, you can directly control every aspect of your television on the go, without needing to enter menus. This game is also the first game in the series to let you watch the play in real time, which is a big deal, considering the last game had you manually selecting play actions to determine what happened and what went where. You can control how the game is played by pausing the game, which gives you the ability to make decisions on the fly and even lets you interrupt the game if you so choose. In addition, the game will feature an Xbox-specific ESPN Football Feature that lets you participate in player upgrades, such as expanded scouting reports.

The game also features a brand-new college football feature, called EA Sports X-Factor, which lets you further customize your player's attributes and stats. You can choose from two different profiles, so you can create a balanced player and let him or her become the leader of the team. Additionally, you can customize your team's personality, such as on the fly. You can also take part in team and friendlies games to see which players are smart on the field.

As far as graphics go, ESPN NFL Football 2002 features impressive visual upgrades. The stadiums are pretty detailed and feature a decent amount of detail. However, the game isn't quite up to the standard we've seen in previous EA Sports games. While the player models and environments do a fine job of showing off the game's huge roster, some elements, such as the crowd, lack the polish that had been present in previous ESPN games, which are set to make the game more exciting. You'll find more than 100 new players on the roster, which includes quarterbacks, cheerleaders, and, of course, ESPN stars. There are a host of gameplay tweaks and tweaks to the core game that will affect everything from the variety of control schemes and playbooks. For example, the passing game will now feature quick passing and hit stick controls. As far as control goes, the passing game will feature a more traditional passing setup, but the passing game will also feature a mechanic that will let you change direction on the fly by pointing the receiver in any direction you wish. For example, if you use the stick to catch the ball, you'll be able to "pull back" by pushing the stick left or right and will have a greater chance of making an catch. In addition, new animations for the quarterbacks will play out based on how often you catch the ball and will look to make sure you're getting the most out of your players' abilities.

New passing mechanics and an updated targeting system are just a small handful of the many refinements that have been made to ESPN NFL 2K5.

ESPN NFL 2K5 features a vast amount of on-field detail.

The presentation in ESPN NFL 2K5 is an eye-catching feat. The game uses a modified version of the ESPN NFL 2K3 engine, which features no fewer than 36 different on-field animations. This year's game features more than 30 different plays, including all-new collision animations that play out in real time. New animations are also being added, such as halftime and quarter-and-quarter transitions, where you can run plays and score goals with the ball in the air. Crowds, on the other hand, will now be more often than not booing, hollering, or booing. The developers have also managed to pack a greater number of offensive and defensive plays, with both runs and passes for the run and pass. Though the team has been beefing up the offensive side of things this year, we weren't able to get a good look at a few plays during our demo.