A fine game by any standards: fun to just pick up and start playing. Be forwarned, however: this game will cause you to lose hours of your life as you immerse yourself in football for hours on end. The play is simple enough with adequate controls and simple play calling. If you are unsure of what is available to call, there is an "Ask Madden" feature which is quite useful for a novice football gamer.

The franchise mode is another animal entirely: offering you complete control of the prices of foam fingers and beer, and how much your star cornerback gets paid (or if he gets dropped).

Sometimes, as you continue to play the game repeatedly, the announcers can become a bit irritating as they foul up a call or repeat themselves. This, of course, is an inevitability with any sports game. I highly recommend this game for anyone who enjoys football or sports games...