Madden NFL 2002 Preview
Football season is nearly here, and so is the latest iteration of the venerable Madden series.
For more than a decade now, the Madden series of football simulations has defined sports gaming. Many sports gamers have grown up with this jewel in the EA Sports crown, which made its debut in 1989 on the Apple II computer as John Madden Football. Fans have eagerly followed the line of titles ever since, playing versions of the game on such disparate systems as the Commodore 64, Sega Genesis, Sony PlayStation, and, of course, today's modern PC. It has achieved near-legendary status, thanks to the national obsession that is the NFL and a level of programming quality that remains second to none...despite the grousing of a few hard-core types.
Adding to the mystique--not to mention the millions of sales--is Madden NFL 2002. The most recent edition in the series to be released for the PC is due to arrive on store shelves during the last week of the month. It's coming with all the glitz and gloss we've grown to expect from an EA Sports game, along with a wealth of added gameplay options. Recent builds make it clear that the overall experience has been greatly enhanced since last year's rather lackluster effort, which was panned by a few critics for AI miscues and wonky multiplayer support.
Sound good? It should, though some will undoubtedly be put out by the fact that this year's edition of Madden for the PC looks and plays a lot like last year's edition of Madden for the PlayStation 2. The two games are virtual twins, in fact. EA Sports reps at this past spring's Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles made no bones about the way that the "new" PC title reuses many of the elements that went into the PlayStation 2 football extravaganza that received so many accolades last winter. Sony addicts will be able to tell this from even the most cursory glance at the game.
Yet this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Critics and consumers universally lauded the PlayStation 2 version of Madden 2001 as better than its PC counterpart in almost every way, so at least computer owners are getting a title that is superior to what they played last year. Some even went so far as to call it the best football game ever made. While you might be justified in making a few gripes concerning the game being a port, you can't complain about this sterling lineage.
Dedicated computer gamers coming to Madden 2002 without experiencing its PlayStation 2 forerunner will find many improvements, both overt and subtle. Fitting into the former category is the new graphics engine. Last year's PC game engine has been completely replaced with the more powerful technology that powered the console version of the game. This might not have been absolutely necessary, considering the undeniable beauty of Madden 2001 on the PC, though few will make an issue of this since the new visuals are absolutely stunning. The NFL is showcased here with the detail and grandeur previously provided only by the good people at NFL Films.
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