You can feel it, can’t
you? The smell of freshly mowed turf, the clashing of cymbals from a marching
band and the smell of hamburgers cooking on a portable grill in a parking lot
filled with fans just waiting to catch a glimpse of their gridiron heroes. Ah,
football season, it feels like hope as we turn an eye towards our favorite team
and cheer them on. It’s hard to capture this genuine feel but somehow EA’s
Madden NFL franchise manages to do it by giving us a game that is just too much
fun to want to put down. So grab your favorite beverage and let’s talk
Madden NFL 2005 on the Game Boy Advance.
From the moment the game’s
main menu screen pops up, you’ll be amazed to see how much the GBA version is
sticking to the console version. While you can’t expect the little handheld to
play exactly like the big boys, it’s surprising to see what a good job it does
in matching the quality and presentation. Madden NFL 2005 pushes the
GBA to its limits and so, having said that, we’re looking at a football game
with a lot to offer fans of the series. The game offers Season, an exhibition
mode, Practice, Situation and Two Minute Drill. To top it all off all the teams
are present and so are all your favorite players. There’s also Madden
Challenges to complete for neat rewards you can use during the game. So are you
ready for some football? Oh man, yes.
Season mode, expanded to
fit the new season, offers a single NFL season complete with free-agent signing,
trades and an in-depth stat tracking system. You can take your favorite team
and shape it up to be a dominant presence by making careful managerial
decisions. Situation mode allows you to customize the parameters of the game to
create your own scenarios to play through. In Two Minute Drill mode you’re
given a limited amount of time in a very close game. Yet it’s all about the
football and Madden NFL 2005 plays like a dream.
Thanks to a lot of
tweaking, this year’s game possesses some pretty intelligent AI opponents.
You’ll notice some tight defensive plays coming from the opposing team and this
will really make you question your every move and come up with plays that fit
the strength of the other team. While taking the role of the Oakland Raiders, I
had to be constantly on my toes as I attempted to take on the New England
Patriots. If you’ve been a loyal Madden fan you’ll know that this is a leap in
the right direction compared to Madden NFL 2003 (the New York Jets
pounding the Dallas Cowboys felt like a pro football team going up against a
local Junior High football team).
This year also sees a cool
reward system that comes with completing Madden Challenges. Completing a
challenge can be as simple as punting the ball fifty yards or a bit harder like
sacking the opposing team’s Quarterback. Completing them earns you tokens you
can use to unlock Madden Cards and other useful features. The game also plays
excellently with two players thanks to GBA Link Cable support so this is
definitely the type of game you’ll want to share with a friend.
Graphically speaking,
Madden NFL 2005 looks good for a Game Boy Advance game that’s attempting to
give us a nice shot of the field and player positions. The framerate does
become a tad unsteady at certain points but it’s not bad considering the fact
that we’re looking at a nicely detailed game that will have you keeping track of
all your player’s movements. And check out the main menu screen . . . it
perfectly mimics the console version and making this one a pretty
impressive-looking game.
As for the sound, you’ll
find some great sound effects of players really clashing on the field and, for
the most part, it does a great job of sounding like some hard hitting tackles.
Even the sound of the crowed collectively cheering is pretty decent. You’ll
even hear from Madden himself . . . although the whopping two quotes are
recycled repeatedly. We love you Madden but hearing you say “Hey, where’d that
truck come from?” for the fortieth time make us want to turn the volume down.
The Madden franchise has
dominated the football market on the Game Boy Advance for quite some time and
after playing the game you’ll know exactly why. Madden NFL 2005 is
destined to be a favorite among football fans looking for an excellent portable
version. Sure it’s not as true or complete as the console version but with so
much going for it this one won’t disappoint in the very least.
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#Reviewer’s |
Gameplay: 8.5
Playing a complete season with the
option to make trades, sign players and call the plays the way you see fit makes
this a pretty impressive portable experience that might not be as fulfilling as
the big boys version but still does a great job of representing the game. The
new engine feels right and the controls are just a tad tighter so expect the
action to flow nicely. As for the game modes, Situation mode will keep armchair
football fans very busy.
Graphics: 8.2
For those that miss the old school
graphics of the Sega Genesis football classics, Madden NFL 2005 on the
GBA will bring tears to your eyes. You’ll easily make out your players’
positions on the field and keep track of their every move so don’t expect to be
squinting your eyes looking for your Quarterback. Even the main menu screen
will impress you.
Sound: 7.8
More than decent sound effects make
up for the two Madden sound bytes that are repeated so often you’ll wish he
never said anything at all. But then again hearing the ref during the game or
the cool opening tune by a band called Earshot in the main menu makes it worth
putting up with the repetitious quotes.
Difficulty: Medium
You’ll notice some very interesting
changes in the opposing team’s AI . . . they’re a lot smarter this year. Gone
are the baffling defensive plays. Gone are the times you’ll say: Why did they
run offside when they could have easily slipped through my defense? This alone
makes the game all the more challenging so expect to really consider each play.
Concept: 8.5
Having released two ho-hum Madden
games, Madden NFL 2005 sports much better gameplay engine as well as game
modes that are really worthwhile game modes. On top of that there are the
Madden Challenges that are always fun to try to complete. My Madden also keeps
track of all your records, manages your roster and rates your Madden Cards.
Multiplayer: 9.0
While the single player game will
certainly keep you well challenged, there’s nothing like playing against a real
person who can give you a run for your money. This game was made for two players
(using a GBA Link Cable, of course) and with all the NFL teams available this is
just what the doctor ordered.
Overall: 8.5
Madden NFL 2005
on the GBA will rekindle our love for the
franchise and, while it doesn’t give us the ultimate football experience we’re
dying for, it certainly does offer plenty of gaming goodness. Sports fans will
definitely love this year’s version so pick this one up right away.
