I believe that we have become a little spoiled with the Madden series coming out with big improvements for the past few years and this one was only a small upgrade from last years version. Listen folks...this is a great game. It's not leaps and bounds better than the previous couple of years but it's better and is still a damn good game. The Franchise mode is great, create a player is still fun, create a franchise is still annoying in that you get made up players instead of the players on the team you replace but you can just start out with the team you want to replace and then relocate them in the first offseason....that solves that problem. The rookie scouting is slightly improved and the draft is fun. I just wish you could trade future draft picks.

Yes the Tony Bruno show and the newspapers leave much to be desired but they are a nice feature and they have to leave some room for improvement. As soon as they make a perfect game...they'll put themselves out of jobs.

I bought this game before last season and am still happy with it. I will skip a year and buy the 2007 version so there are sure to be enough changes that it's worth it for more than just a roster update.

Bottom line...you shouldn't buy Madden every year, the improvements are small but they are improvements and the games are getting better as the years go by and anyone who says that 2004 is better than 2005 is on crack.

Showtime out

Madden has two things going for it: It has a more role-playing game feel with its interaction between players and the team owner in franhise mode, and through the weekly sports pages simulated each week. And the second thing? It's gameplay is more "arcade style" making it easier for button-mashers who can't make the cut on ESPN NFL 2K5.

My proof? Simple, I played ESPN 2K5 for a few weeks and then switched back to Madden and beat it like it owed me money. I faked every punt and threw touchdowns with my kicker as QB! After four games of crappy plays that couldn't miss I traded it in. Try it. NFL Street is more real.

Plus, EA Sports is looking more like an evil empire these days, since buying all gaming rights to the NFL for the next 5 years. This means more arcade style goofiness in their sports games for FIVE YEARS. And let's not forget the graphics that make every player, no matter what position, look like the Staypuft Marshmallow man.

Before you get all mad, understand this; I have been a Madden fan since the first game came out on Sega Genesis in 1992. Remember that one? You could run Buffalo Bills' Thurman Thomas on the pitch-out and be unstoppable. But face it, EA has gotten lazy. It recently came out that they treat their employees like "s" so it's no wonder they rammed this through QC and put it out. And I don't see things getting better now that they'll have NO competition for NFL games for the next 5 years. Think about that.

If you want a cool football sim, I strongly recommend ESPN NFL 2K5. It outdoes Madden in realism, graphics, franchise mode, music, play calling, voice acting and customization. Unless EA corrects it's mistakes, I'm going to wait until ESPN's Football Legends.

Gameplay 93% A-
Franchise 79% c+
create a fan 59% F
Stadium Upgrades 71% C-
Commentary 82% B-
Talk Show 89% B+

I realy reccomend this game and for $29.95 its a giveawaway!!!!

Madden NFL 2005 is a quite good game. Everyone else and the kitchen sink has gone over the various improvements, so I will not list them. The graphics are great, but can be a bit... iffy at times. Franchise Mode is where many of the improvements have been made, and yours truly have already taken the Bengals to three Super Bowls... unfortunately, I have only won one of them.

***REVIEW HALFTIME***

About my Bengals...

This season, they have went 8-8, the same result as the previous season. Before that was twelve years of substandard play, and people saying...

"The NFL is good when the Bengals are bad"
"Bengals? Who cares?!"*
*Check my previous reviews for my thoughts on that horrible phrase.
"The Bengals will never, ever be good"
"I grew up watching the Bengals on TV, so I know all about pain"

... and many others. The fact of the matter is that before the twelve years of... rampant losing, they were a pretty decent franchise, putting winning teams on the field (save for the 1987 season, but that's for another day). They even went to two Super Bowls. TWO SUPER BOWLS! Unfortunately, they lost both of them to the same opponent (the 49ers).

***END OF REVIEW HALFTIME***

Only one gripe about Madden, though: It seems a bit too easy to win! That's what I thought before upping the difficulty and adjusting the A.I. Those who say that it's too easy to beat the game should do what I had done.

Oh, one more thing: you can edit rosters. That's what I did to my Bengals when I started Franchise Mode. They were such a Patriots-esque robot super-team...

Anyways, that's my review. I do hope you find it helpful, and if you don't, then to hell with you.

First off, i am over thirteen but i didnt want to sign up, so dont blow off my review.

Madden is very fun and its Francise mode has alot of depth, however the graphics and simulation aren't really that great.
At least they were great until ESPN showed me how great the graphics and simulation can get. EA Sports Radio is cool, and i guess it makes up for ESPN having Sportscenter. ESPN's sortscenter feature is cool, but it get really boring after the first 3 times watching it. The Email inbox on ESPN is also worthless it just informs you on trades how your team preformed, draft prospects etc. but you will find you dont give a crap. Creating teams in Madden is actually kinda cool, at least far better than ESPN. There is alot more options as to what you want your jerseys to look like, what logo, etc. ESPN is just the logo, choice of already created stadiums, and you can name your team. With ESPN you cant even decide what color your jerseys are going to be. ESPN's Crib isnt really that bad, once you start filling it up with stuff, like the trivia machine and air hockey, but if your like me and dont really work that hard to earn "Crib Credits" then the Crib is just worthless. And the Crib Phone is just stupid. Madden is a great game altogether and does have better gameplay than ESPN.

Maddens +'s and -'s:
+Very fun
+In depth Franchise/Owner Mode
+Has the ability to use draft classes from NCAA Footbal
+Actually has real commentators (not a new feature)
+Overall a great game, but dont spend $50 when ESPN is only $20
+Creating teams is far better than Madden

-People are finally noticing the glitches and horribleness, Maddens graphics can bring.
-Commentating gets annoying
-Too pricey when compared to ESPN
-Running is hard and very inconsistent

ESPN's +'s and -'s
+Post and halftime shows (not the interviews)
+ESPN 25th anniversary mode(not exactly entertaining but adds to the features this game can offer)
+VIP system
+The Crib (if you work hard enough)
+Only $20
+Great ESPN style simulation
+You can learn running very quickly.
+When learned Running is realisticly consistent, depending on the running back.

-Sportscenter gets boring
-Crib Phone is pointless
-Creating teams just sucks
-Soundtrack
-E-mails (in franchise mode)
- Not very in depth franchise mode

Final Analysis: considering its features ESPN at least deserves a chance at contending with Madden especially with its great price.

man i love this game i already played 5 days on it and i got it in augest.. there is the hit stick which is new every thing is good
overall 5555555555555555555555555555555555555/5

on principle alone i have to boycott madden...it's a shame because i have always enjoyed madden...but when a company like EA gets its first taste of competition (in the form of espn nfl 2k5)and decides that rather than improve thier product they'll take the (not so) cheap and easy way out, it shows how afraid they really are of sega. i am speaking of EA buying the exclusive rights to nfl for the next 5 years, ironically EA has owned the exclusive rights to fifa for years and yet "winning eleven" is a much better game....so i have no doubt that with the money ea is saving sega by not having to get a license "espn football 2k6" will be a phenomenal title....so ea can stick its tail between its legs and rehash there football game over and over but other companies know that competition benefits everyone...
so other than that this game is great i enjoy it almost as much as "espn nfl 2k5" for years i have been buying both but now i won't have to buy a madden game until 2010.
unless this slave driver lawsuit cost them enough that they have to renig on there purchase...we can only hope because i always look forward to my two football games

If you love football, like I do, you'll like this game. If you're looking for another great video game to add to your collection, look elsewhere.

The Positives:

The game is easy to play. I was able to master passing and rushing fairly quickly. They also included "mini-games" in which you have to complete specific skills in a limited amount of time. For example, there's one mini-game in which you have to avoid a sack and throw the ball to a specified target. There's another mini-game in which you have to kick field goals from different spots on the field. If you win the gold trophy, you get a Madden Card, which you can use during a real game to get an advantage over your opponent. If you're new to playing sports games, I highly recommend that you play these mini-games first to hone your skills.

Franchise Mode is also fun. You get to completely rebuild your favorite team, using all of the players who are currently active in the NFL. You can trade for draft picks or players. You can build your own player and your own fan. You can create new plays and you can choose a real playbook from any other coach in the NFL. Each team's default playbook matches their real-life playbook.

The Negatives:

The AI is flawed to say the least. Don't even bother playing in Rookie mode, because you'll never be challenged. Even Pro mode is pretty easy.

One flaw that really bothers me is the Coach's Challenge. The computer will win EVERY Coach's Challenge it attempts. Meanwhile, you must decide whether or not to challenge a call without the benefit of checking the instant replay feature first. This is bad, no real coach ever wins every challenge of a call for an entire season.

Another problem is the kicking game. The computer almost always makes long field goals, no matter what the kicker's rating is. Even the best kickers don't make many from 55 yards, yet the computer has no problem.

The commentary from Madden and Al Michaels gets old real fast. The first thing I do is turn the commentary volume all the way down so I don't have to listen to it. Same with the music.

Overall, I'm okay with this game because I received it as a gift. I'd be a little disappointed with it if I had paid the full price of $50.

After playing this game I started thinking what happened to the Madden games? All of the extra stuff they added this year was a waste why do I need Email and Some annoying sports radio personallity spitting out a bunch of jibberish that has nothing to do with what is going on in my season. I think they have gone to far and need to concentrate more on gameplay than all of the extra crap the surrounds it. I'm ready to play Tecmo Super Bowl because that is what it felt like I was playing with all the 75+ yd passing plays I had.

This game is simply dreadful. Reading from past reviews I am thankful I am not the only one who beleives this. AI is horrible! The computer side can come out of a 24-0 shutout with 3:00 minutes left in the fouth quarter. I mean, come on, it is impossible! The same game is great for the Nintendo DS, but not for the consoles at all. Try and buy ESPN NFL 2K5!!

Over the years Madden has proved itself as probably the best football franchise out there, but with the new wave and unbeatable prices of the 2K series, Madden has discovered some competition, (I just found out however, that Madden has made a 300 million dollar deal with the NFL so no one else can use player's names and NFL liscenses except for Madden, so no more NFL 2K.) Now I'll get to the review...
Graphics: Very impressive, A+, you can see the wrinkles in player's jerseys and grass stains.
Sound: I personally don't like the music at the title menu but the crowd sounds nice and hits and player's grumbles are all very good quality. The commentary gets tiresome after a while, where you find yourself lip-syncing to Madden and Al Micheals.
Gameplay: Still the good old madden gameplay, nothing has really changed here, but the hit-stick and playmaker features are nice touches. Also the new create-a-fan is a really nice surprise.

As for the flaws you'll find yourself yelling at the screen because of pass interference nearly ever pass play and the refs never call it, and again, the commentary really gets on your nerves after a while.

Overall Madden is still a great football game but I recently played NFL 2K5 and was blown away by it so I would go with that if your debating betweent he two.

the real review folks for madden 2005 ive lived off the money ive made betting on madden for over a decade its the best football game every year but in trying to keep ahead of espn and its great nfl2k5 that has been gaining on madden each year ea sacraficed the important things for one the graphics look basically the same as 2004 but are jerky and not as fluid when they run the trot kinda like the first year of nfl2k this actually effects gameplay out patterns dont feel real as they used too and they changed the running game were youll be lucky to get 80 yards on a good day with priest homes the replays are made to look like grainy projection film and only appear now while your play window is up meaning everything feels crowded the create a fan is pretty dumb and doesnt add much to the game the hitstick is useless as u should be able to control if u make a massive hit anyway overall its still the top nfl game but to run all these new modes it took a slight hit in the graphics animation department andthus isntas fluid as 2004 and the menus music etc all are a step down too maybe thats why ea just paid 500million for exclusive rights to make nfl football games they knew espn nfl 2k5 was gaining on them and they were going backwards 2k5 has much better graphics running game and innovation with 1st person view and the crib madden barely beat 2k5 this year owell im gonna play both and hope they stop ea from smothering its competitors so we can have good competition we dont need 1 company only being allowed to make sportsgames

Madden is ok which in its case is bad Madden is usally AMAZING i heard.In story mode or frachise you can be the owner of 32 diffrent teams why u would but hey.You can beat the game six times before you have to switch to another team and if u are like me and like to use your created team and only your created team that sucks it really sucks also because u have to start all over with another wack ass team.

In Franchise Mode its bullsh*t that there aren't no cheerleaders i mean my team looks so gay since we have no cheerleaders at Halftime.

The cool thing i like in madden is that u can create your own stadium but i rather use the real ones since they look better and in franchise mode it brings in more money since there bigger.

The create-a-fan is ok but it suck u can't use it for created teams.
And the modify uniform is o-k but the colors look dirty i mean they don't look clear

I SAY NFL 2K5 IS THE BETTER GAME AND MADDEN IS JUST OK BUT FOR 54.00 IT SHOULD BE ALEAST GOOD

First of all this kills ESPN and all the others . This is a great game but the reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the franchise mode. Its terrible . Unless you like to have owner mode . Id would be great without owner mode . But the graphics are awesome and everythang else! The Live play is awesome, log in, and boom you have a match, compared to espn where it takes 30minutes . great game!

Madden games are always the best sports games. My roommates and I used to have tournaments all the time because it's just so much fun. Madden 2005 adds to the series in a very cool way.

First off, I know you could do it before, but the live feature here is very well done. Being able to take your playing on line is very entertaining, and the xbox does it better than the PS2 anyday, despite charging for the service.

The graphics of this game are not that much better than the 2004 graphics, but I think they are successfully maxing out the graphics capabilities of this generation of video game consoles which is nice to see. The sound is entertaining, Madden's commentaries are as humorous as ever after playing a ton of games, and the soundtrack is fine. Again, I think they make Vick too powerful, he's not the greatest player of all time, despite whatever the EA guys think, but the game is fun and you'll definitely enjoy it if you buy it.

So you're trying to decide which game to buy, 2k5 or madden. It used to be a no brainer and it still is a no brainer. But this time it's 2k5. But why?! Well, here's my take: Madden is a video game, 2k5 is a simulation. For example, do a spin move in madden and you'll see the guy move from side to side about 1/4 the width of the field. Sure, it makes running plays possible now, but my gosh, it sure reminds me of the old 8-bit nintendo baseball game I used to have. Truth be told, not a lot of progress has been made in the simulation game of football. Sega's 2k5 is a better pick in my opinion.

I would like to say if this game had a scale of 10 stars it deserves it. The enhancements are far better on XBOX than Ps2. The only thing I could find wrong is when you play franchise mode on week #2 the players don't have the #40 sticker on their helmet's honoring the late Pat Tillman, God Bless Him!!!!!!!. EA I think could have put that little extra detail. Other than That an excellent game.

I love Madden, I wait for it every year and it usually lives up to its name. This year's version, although I only played 12 games thus far, is no exception. Instead of saying the same things some of the other guys have, I just like to focus on the few things that I think need improvement:
1) AI pass defense. As a Rams fan, this is usually the only team that I play with. However, I also know that our pass defense is not the greatest. But somehow, in my first 12 games, all my DBs have at least 4 picks, some at 8! Thats is CRAZY! However, T. Holt is able to make 5 catches for 250 yards every game!!
2) Running game. It is impossible to run consistently. Marshall Faulk is rated 94 and I am averaging 3.5 YPC.
3) Challengs. Every time the CPU challenges a call, it gets reversed.
All in all its a great game, with some new twists, but these small problems need to be addressed on the next version.

I've played just about every iteration of Madden since the original back in the Sega Genesis days, and it sure has changed! It remains the premier football game, although ESPN 2K5 is seriously challenging it this year, and not just for its low price tag. So how does Madden 2005 hold up?

GRAPHICS: Very nice. As with most sports games, I tend to use a far-away camera angle (better perspective), so I don't tend to care too much about the graphics. That said, the bump-mapping, textures and lighting effects are well done, and it's hard to fault Madden's visual execution.

SOUND: Good, but like always, nothing special. The commentary is yet again recycled; "Boom, he got developed!" anyone? The hits and game sounds are good, but they do the job, nothing more.

CONTROL/GAMEPLAY: This is where Madden shines, but also where it comes up short. The control is tight, the running game is more realistic than in years past, and the new tackling animations are getting better every year (ie: Halfback lunging forward for an extra foot or two when tackled, etc). The thing that annoys me is that the basic controls when running (juke, spin, stiffarm) basically haven't changed IN YEARS. The juke works ok, but the spin is easily the most useless move ever. Tacklers somehow always anticipate your spin, and in the rare occasions that you can get it off, you will waste so much time and momentum performing the spin (a canned animation, by the by) that it's usually better to juke or move out of the way by hand. The big improvement this year is the defensive AI; the computer adjusts better than in years past, though do not expect any miracles. An advanced player will still be able to whup the AI with a few games of practice under their belts.

The kick return game is harder as well, but not in a good way. Whereas most users could return most kicks for 30-40 yards last year, this year even a top returner you'll only get 20-25 on kickoffs and you're lucky to get 10 on punt returns. Realistic, but frustrating since your team's blocking usually stinks.

The computer is still guilty of the age-old miracle, come-from-behind-cheat. Last night I was shutting out the Cardinals 42-0 in the 4th quarter, having allowed only 75 yards of total offense. This was before the CPU decided to go into invulnerable mode, completing 10 passes in a row and scoring in a matter of seconds. Come on EA Sports, this isn't good AI, it's cheap! Other sore spots: the CPU linebackers still have trampoline legs and are able to deflect of pick off a pass some 15 feet in the air, the CPU corners are still able to keep up, stride-for-stride, with a 99 rated wideout (regardless of THEIR speed ratings), and the defensive secondary can generally turn on a dime. I had one play where I threw to a crossing Jeremy Shockey, full speed, yet the linebacker who was GOING THE OTHER WAY turned, sprinted some 10 yards in a second and got to the ball before Shockey (who was, again, going full speed in the right direction!). Incredible.

OVERALL: Flaws aside, this is a very fun game. My main gripe is that EA seems to be resting on their laurels, and there aren't any real innovations in this game. The "Hit stick" is fun but somewhat gimmicky, and the addition of online play is big for those who like that (I don't, I prefer a live opponent next to me, or the CPU). The addition of team morale has exactly zero impact. The newspaper and radio elements are fun, but take too long to load and are ultimately boring after the second time you see them. Come on EA, do something special next year!

A month ago, I found myself in a dilemma. I could not decide to whether to buy Espn 2k5 or Madden 2005. I had bought the last three madden games, and all of them were great, especially 2004. However, I had read a lot of reviews for Espn about how the graphics were amazing, how real it is, etc. etc. Another turn-on was the $20 price tag. I read reviews that Madden wasn't really any different than its predecessors. So, I bought ESPN. Let me tell you right now, I wasted 20 dollars. ESPN 2K5 is an absolutely terrible game saved by its graphics and price. The franchise mode isn't deep at all, things you thought would be cool(pre,half,and postgame shows with Chris Berman)were just stupid, and horrible unnecessary features like The Crib and The Player of The Game Interview with the sloth like Suzy Kolber are simply unbearable. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!! Madden on the other hand, is great. The Hit Stick is just as revolutionary as the Playmaker control was, the great Storyline Central Mode, The incredibly DEEP franchise. It's great. Follow my advice, get MAdden 2005.

I'm not going to cover what's already been covered several times in other reviews. But I will say that to make this game complete you really need NCAA Football 2005. Why? After you finish a season in Madden 2005 the Xbox generates names and stats automatically. Wouldn't it be more realistic if those stats were earned? Buy NCAA Football 2005, play a season, import the roster and draft players with real stats at the end of a season on Madden 2005. Repeate after every season you play. Now of course I realize that none of this is real, but I just somehow feel better drafting players that earn their stats instead of letting the Xbox create them. In NCAA Football 2005 your players start nameless, but when you recruit after the season your new players will have names. When they complete their college career, you can change their names. What I did is I took my senior class and drafted some of them -- I couldn't get all I wanted -- and named them Richie Cunningham, Ralph Malph, Arthur Fonzerilli, and Potsie Webber. That way when I see them on the field the backs of their jerseys will have a name instead of FB#5. ESPN NFL 2K5 can't compete with this game. I feel sorry for all your suckers that bought that stinker and think you are stupid for denying that Madden 2005 is better.

After the debocle of NCAA on the XBOX, the lag, the slowdown, the bugs online, I was worried about Madden faltering, but alas, E.A. fixed all the bugs and Madden plays superbly and no bugs online or offline, either way you play, you're going to love it! Now, the big question?

Madden or ESPN? I'll tell you straight up front, there is no right or wrong here, both games are fabulous. I think if it was a choice between one or the other, I would go with ESPN this year. The ESPN presentation is second to none and it just feels more like a real NFL game and the graphics are astonishing. And for 20 bucks, it's hard to look the other way. But if you're a Madden junkie, I already know your answer, you'll spend the extra money and go for Madden. Just know that Madden still feels like Madden it's not a drastic change from 2004 and to be honest, the graphics still look the same as 2004. The graphics seriously need updated, the commentary is quite bland and I wanted more from E.A. But with the addition of XBOX Live this year, it's really hard to look the other way, it's still a gridiron monster.

Over time as I have played this game, I had to add this to my review. XBOX Live Play is buggy. Thanks to cheaters or (Cheesers) as many describe them as, the reality of online play makes for real gamers to doubt E.A. once again, especially with the problems NCAA 2005 had. The bugs are as follows, there are still unreal plays, money plays, constant blocked punts, and the "fatigue" factor has been turned off because of cheaters. E.A. turned the fatigue factor off to counter act people from overusing the "offensive line shift" which was tearing down defenses if used constantly. But all other bugs are still intact and no patch or corrections have been made or addressed by E.A. The big one is the cheese play to guarantee a blocked punt or Field Goal. If the cheater knows how to do it, you can basically block a field goal or punt at anytime. This of course takes away the realism and fun factor for someone who just wants to play an honest game. Keep this in mind, if you got this game for online play, you're going to run into these issues, if you don't play online, disregard this review.

This is the last time I buy Madden for the Xbox. Every year the programmers make numerous errors. Last year Eric Johnson of the Raiders had the picture of the Johnson on the 49ers. This year several of the Raiders have the wrong position and you are unable to change the players position even in francise mode. Since when has Tyler Brayton played linebacker even in the Raiders new 3-4 defense he still plays defensive end. Adam Treu does not play guard but at least you can change his position to center. Also Doug Gabriel who was on the 2004 game is suddenly absent. Chris Hetherington and Brad Badger are missing. I wonder why most of the players position are locked in. This is a mistake especially if the player has the wrong position. Also previous Madden games always freeze up when your playing and I have had my punter come out and punt on first down at the other teams goal line this can be very annoying.

It seems EA will never fix their obvious AI problems. Yet each year they add more gimmicks without fixing one of the main problems in their football game.

I haven't bought Madden since Madden 03, and I will not buy another Madden title until they fix the AI problems. I am sick of having CPU's sub par running backs breaking 5 and 6 tackles on 3rd and 6 just so they can get a first down. QBs breaking tackles from LBs who outweight them by 100 pounds. How about the CPU always allowing your CB's to be out of position when the CPU passes the ball, and on top of that, they slow the CB down to give the receiver a better chance to catch the ball! Sub par receivers making leaping one handed catches in tight coverage while getting hit. Passes going through defenders' bodies, helmets, hands, legs, arms etc. to end up in the receiver's hands. Balls changing direction in mid air just so the receiver can catch it. The CPU intentionally making tacklers dive in the opposite direction you expect them to, turning a would be minimal 2 or 3 yard gain into a maddening 20 yard gain. Your defenders all seem to be conntected by a string so if you go in and dive to make a sack and miss (and most of the time you will miss or the QB will miracously break the tackle), your defender who is guarding the intended receiver, will automatically dive too if you switch to him, resulting in a BS 50+ yard TD pass. The CPU automatically moving your linemen across the line on 3rd and 10, to give the offense a free 5 yard and then the CPU gets exactly 5 yards on the next play. CPU QB's getting off perfect passes while having a LB inches from taking him down.

If your offense you have to deal with your all star 95+ rated receivers dropping wide open passes. All star QBs throwing balls out of bounds. All star RB's fumbling at the worse possible time. You lineman are moved across the line by the CPU and you get flagged for a false start. Your linemen miss obvious blocks so big gains are rare in a close game. Your QB automatically tucks the ball and takes a sack if a defender is 10 feet away, while the CPU QB can get a perfect pass off while he's being sacked almost. Psychic defense that almost always know what play your going to run. Refs almost always get in the way of your receiver when you absolutely need to convert a 3rd down.

And who can forget the infamous comeback AI? No lead is safe. Even if your up by 20+ points at the half, your better off running the clock out starting in the 3rd quarter because the AI will do any and everything to get the lead and screw you; that includes your offense fumbling the ball, receivers dropping wide open passes, refs constantly calling clipping and holding on you after you get a good punt return or big gain. Refs calling you for face mask penalties or pass interference after you stop the CPU on third down so the CPU can get a free first down, bad calls in the final two minutes of the game so you can't challenge.

On special teams I have seen where I was lined up for the game winning field goal and I see my play clock is about to run out, so I call a timeout with 2 seconds left on the clock. The screen signals that I called a timeout, but a few moments after I call a timeout, the ref throws a flag AFTER the timeout was called. and I get pushed back five yards. Talk about a LATE whistle. Another occasion the CPU punted to me, and the ball CLEARLY went out of bounds at the 35 yard line. It was way beyond the side line and in fact nearly to the end of the thick white line; however the ball bounced back in bounds and the CPU downed it at the 21 yard line. I was so shocked, that I saved the replay. No matter what this CPU does to screw me, they always do one better everytime I play the game.

I have experienced these things and more in Madden. More so on defense. while these problems certainly don't happen in every game, it happens on average every other game. Sometimes the CPU will cheat on every single down making it impossible to win. Most of the time however, I can usually still win in spite of the cheating, it is still very frustrating when the CPU can constantly pull 60, 70 and 80 YD TD passes out their a$$ just so the game will be close. This ruins the experience of an otherwise fun game. I still play 2003, because I want to at least get my money's worth and play all 30 seasons while drafting college players from NCAA 2003. After that, I will never even think about purchasing or playing another Madden or NCAA title again.

For me, gone are the days that I rush out and buy the current year's sports title. It is usually the same game as the previous one. However, if you absolutely want a football title this year, get ESPN, and while it has its problems too, it is certainly a much better deal being only 20 bucks versus 50 bucks for Madden.

Since the folks at EA are shaking in the fear of a little competition from ESPN, they have decided to purchase the NFL liscense exclusively for themselves so no other companies can make NFL games. Because of this I suppose I won't be buying any football titles for the next 5 years. Even IF EA fixed their obvious game problems during these 5 years, I STILL wouldn't buy Madden or NCAA ever again. I don't even know if I will buy another EA game period. I am sorry I just can't support any company that buys their way out of competition. So long EA!

This game is a whole lotta fun. The Franchise Mode is a lot more realistic. You can trade draft picks and with the owner mode, you create the prices, advertising, and one fan appreciation day per year. Also, you can listen to the radio show that actually tells what happened that week and earn money for your stadium to buy improvements later on. You can propose trades and your guys improve or get worse a little bit every 4-5 weeks, depending on the player's performance. But the D-Stick is overrated. It's nothing more than a stronger tackle. If you miss the tackle, you trip and get burned. The replays are cooler but the commentary is the same pretty much and they say the same things a lot. The kicking is a little harder but the new camera angle gives the receiving end a good chance to find a "hole" to get great yardage on the return. The create-a-fan feature has the unique masks and foam fingers for each team. My favorite drill in mini-camp, the ground attack, is now available for playing against opponents in mini-games. The defense can now score points in the two minute drill. But, the regular multiplayer exhibition mode has lost its touch with all the new features for single player mode. One good thing about it is the new plays. The game is worth the $50 for serious and normal football fans. And one last thing, the soundtrack is great! It's better than some movie soundtracks. It has artists like Hoobastank, Green Day, New Found Glory, and much more. Part of soundtrack is available for download at iTunes.

Madden 2005 was being advertised as probably the best in the Madden series, but at least to me first time around, it didn't fully live up to the hype. problem is, my madden 2004 got stuck in my XBOx, so i decided to guy Madden 2005 so i can add the new rookies, like Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers, and i love it!!!

because of the competition from ESPN NFL 2K5, Madden dropped it's price to $30, which they should keep from now on.

here are some of my pros and cons for Madden 2005..

CONS
-for one, some players looked like steriod monsters. some don't even have necks!!! they went to much on pad detail, but you can change that by lowering pad height and width sliders.

-they got rid of the situation mode, which i loved.

-excluding Super Bowl, all game ending celebrations are STILL the same. 3 years and running.

-loading takes to much time. everytime you want to see a newspaper or read an email, the loading eats you up. Madden 2004 for the most part was smooth, but here all the new stuff lags behind and you have to wait to read every single paper or change menus.

PROS
-weather. i loved what they did here. games can go from snowing in the first quarter with dark clouds all around to bright and sunny by the 4th. you see storm clouds pass by and you get a good sense of time change in the game.

-Draft trades. now, teams will swap picks during the draft, which makes you have to draft better franchise wise. also includes announcer and draft ticker.

-player switch. now you can during franchise move players around. take a 4th or 5th WR and move him to TE during the year. good moves.

-pressure kicks. NHL 2003 had the gamebreaker mode in breakaways, but Madden 2005 has kicker pressure mode which is intense. you don't hear the crowd, and your control starts to give off a heart beat for the pressure kick. makes the kick much more interesting.

-smoother animations. before, a player would automatically get up and when it would cut to a close up of the player, all of a sudden he's barely getting up. now the animations are smoother.

-better tackling. some of the tackling in this game is awsome, especially the hit stick where you can knock out guys and force fumbles.

-better animations and screen shots. the sidelines are now filled with players, and there are some nice screen shots showing the coach talking to the offense or defense, or showing players on the losing side with their heads lowered. also shows fan closeups, my favorite being where the two guys bump chests, and one of them gets dropped to the ground.

-better TD celebrations!!!!!!! my favorite is when a WR scores a TD and chunks the ball towards the end zone wall. shows real emotion and gets you fired up. also, if a team is getting beat real bad and you score, he'll just hand off the ball to the ref instead of throwing the ball or something like that. real class act. ;)

-Super Bowl celebration is AWSOME!!! coach gets the gatorade bath, confeti flys, fireworks, hoist the coach, it's awsome. losing team just sits in disgustment on the bench, can you blame them?

OVERALL
(old review)
i thought Madden 2005 was good, but i'll save $50 and stick with 2004. for me, the only real thing i would take from 2005 to add to 2004 is the Super Bowl celebration. Madden 2005 is good, but it's not great. 2004 was great.

(new)
i love the price drop to $30. makes the game a bit more affordable to most people. i love the animations, the cut away scenes, the td celebrations, weather, just about everything about this game is good.

it does have it flaws, but overall, it's awsome, and a big improvement from Madden 2004. the defense in the game is good, and i love the music and radio talk show that Tony Bruno does with real players and coaches.

overall, i recommened Madden 2005, i love it, and will be keeping it around for a long time.

Madden 2005 is a lot more fun then Espn and seems as if more time went into it's production. With it's quality It could sell for $60 bucks and be better than ESPN 2k5. I have them both and ESPN feels cheep, the game font is wack but the presentation is unbelievable, I say rent them both the buy...Madden.

(...) i bought madden cuz it is always good. but after playin them both i realized madden was worse and it should have been cheaper. it is pretty much the same as last year. all that is new is franchise mode and it is now online.
the positives- the graphics r the slightest bit better than last year. i really love the new hit stick on defense.it is fun 2 use and it is pretty easy. also they improved their kicking. it used 2 be you just press a and the meter goes up and you oress it again. now it is a little easier 2 stop at the right time and u have 2 stop it at a certain point when the meter comes back down. it also shows u how well you did.

the negatives- IT IS TOO EASY! on rookie i beat the computer by 48. on pro i beat them by 40 and even on all madden i beat them by at least 10. also, it has like the same features as last year.i mean sure its now online and they have a franchise mode, but they were bound 2 make it sometime, and we all new it.i also disliked playing defense. it is easy. i do like the hit stick though.u just hold a button 2 go fast at a guy. even if you take away the guy who is supposed 2 covering the reciever, there r still 3 guys around him when the ball is in the air.

summary- it is a fun game, but if u want madden 2005, buy madden 2004. it is cheaper and they r the same game.

well i bought nfl 2k5 (...). i bought madden cuz it is always good. but after playin them both i realized madden was worse and it should have been cheaper. it is pretty much the same as last year. all that is new is franchise mode and it is now online.
the positives- the graphics r the slightest bit better than last year. i really love the new hit stick on defense.it is fun 2 use and it is pretty easy. also they improved their kicking. it used 2 be you just press a and the meter goes up and you oress it again. now it is a little easier 2 stop at the right time and u have 2 stop it at a certain point when the meter comes back down. it also shows u how well you did.

the negatives- IT IS TOO EASY! on rookie i beat the computer by 48. on pro i beat them by 40 and even on all madden i beat them by at least 10. also, it has like the same features as last year.i mean sure its now online and they have a franchise mode, but they were bound 2 make it sometime, and we all new it.i also disliked playing defense. it is easy. i do like the hit stick though.u just hold a button 2 go fast at a guy. even if you take away the guy who is supposed 2 covering the reciever, there r still 3 guys around him when the ball is in the air.

summary- it is a fun game, but if u want madden 2005, buy madden 2004. it is cheaper and they r the same game.

I purchased this game with great expectations, but was extremely disappointed. I have only had the game a week, and it irritates me the amount of things wrong with this game. There are some positives though, such as the minicamps, create-a..., and good graphics. Unfortunately, the negatives outweigh them. I play with the Philadelphia Eagles, and on one play Simoneau intercepted a pass. Following the INT., the broadcaster said "Simoneau just couldn't find anyone, and gave it away". Also, when a receiver for the opposing team breaks lose, I'll get very close to him in a sprint, then for NO REASON turn around and run backwards!!! I would be down by 4 points and the broadcaster will say "The Eagles! are down by a touchdown.". For $50, everyone should get their money's worth, but it seems as though this should be found in the $5 bin at EBGames. Very disappointed, and plan to NOT purchase anymore Madden titles.

I played Madden 2005 for about an hour and felt like I was playing Madden 2004. The only changes made to the game were the new owner modes, minigames, play moral, etc. Game play was bad. When players are running around after the play, they look like ballerinas. All the players move together. Graphics could have been a lot better. Players backs are too big, and hand movements are just plain bad. Players features are just way to boxy. Rent the game and save your money.....Another guy who fell for the hype.

I was expecting more changes in this years version of Madden 2005 from the last years version of madden 2004. If you have Madden 2004 there is no need to buy 2005. They really didn't make that many changes to the game. I think ESPN2k5 is off the chain and it blows Madden 2005 out of the water.

I went out last Friday to pick up Madden 2005 just to make sure I knew what I was talking about. I suffered all day Friday figuring out how to play the game and ended up trading it in and reserving my copy of Fable.

I enjoyed the extras on Madden quite a bit. The minicamps, tutorials, drills, practices, offseason, create-a-fan and all of those extra little bits were far superior than ESPN. The problem is I'm not playing this game for the extras, I expect good gameplay and that's where Madden falls short of ESPN. My biggest complaint (and you can see this on the QB drills before you even get into a game) is when you drop back to pass, the camera stays right in place and if you have a receiver running a quick out on either side of the field, you're going to be throwing to him blind. That has been my biggest complaint about Madden since its inception. Even with the camera mode set to "widescreen" you still can't see the far left or right receivers...BIG PROBLEM. The in-game graphics are inferior to ESPN as well, athough ESPNs renditions of Chris Berman, Suzy Kolber and player interviews are rediculously low-quality, the actual on-field graphics are better. Madden put a lot of time and effort into adding new things you can do on both offense and defense in the middle of the game and this, while noteworthy is (in my opinion) more of a distraction than it's worth. ESPN's "hot-blitzing" is much more simple to grasp than Madden and I still don't use it that much.

If you want a game that plays well (albeit, not without faults), ESPN has a much better overall on-field feel to it and is consequently much more comfortable to play. If you want to buy a game that everyone else has just because it's the "#1 Selling Franchise" or to be able to be "Online King" of an ageing and overrated franchise then go ahead and waste $50 on Madden. The only reason Madden is the "#1 Selling Franchise" anyway is because you people keep buying for the name "Madden", not because it's "better". There has yet to be a perfect football game made and unless Sega decides to somehow put something similar to Maddens "extras" with ESPN presentation and gameplay, we'll have to wait at least another couple of years for it to happen.

I for one am happy I only lost $15 with the trade-in value for Fable and I don't see ever purchasing another Madden title.

HOW IN THE WORLD COULD YOU COMPARE THIS GAME TO 2K5. UNLESS YOU LIKE PLAYERS WALKING AROUND WITH THEIR BUTTS POKED OUT (some may like that), BUY MADDEN. JUST ABOUT ALL FOOTBALL GAMES ARE THE SAME NOWADAYS, BUT MADDEN ALWAYS BRINGS THE REALISM WITH THE GROWING HIP-HOP FLAVOR OF TODAY'S GAMER. THE REVAMPED FRANCHISE MODE IS OUTSTANDING. IT REALLY GOES IN DEPT ALONG WITH THE STORYLINE MODE. BOTH OF THESE MODES WILL HAVE YOU BUSY FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY PLAY A GAME. OH AND THE HIT STICK IS JUST SOMETHING ADDED FOR THOSE OF US WHO LOVE TO LEVEL A PLAYER, WITH THE HOMETOWN CROWDS LOVING EVERY BIT OF YOUR HIT. 2K5 LOOKS GREAT PLAYS ALRIGHT BUT THE PLAYBOOK REALLY NEEDS SOME WORK. MADDEN LUVERS WILL REALLY THANK EA SPORTS FOR THIS TITLE. BUT IF IT FLOATS YOUR BOAT SPEND $70 DOLLARS AND BUY BOTH. I'M STICKIN TO MADDEN.