Player collision detection seems to get just a bit better every year, and that trend continues here, as it's becoming harder and harder to find clipping issues, even when watching plays in slow motion.
MADDEN 2004 PC CONTROLLER PRO
There are some true graphical additions, such as advanced shadows, but the real visual treats are little touches like the sideline players not being cardboard cutouts (in fact, you can knock over coaches on the sidelines), or the infield dirt at Pro Player being replaced after the end of the baseball season. If nothing else, the new owner options offer so many new toys to tinker with that Madden 2004 could be the only game you need for the next few months.Īside from the menu overhaul, Madden 2004 looks only slightly prettier than last year's version. All of this is playable over a 30-year span, so you can attempt to build a dynasty from scratch, drafting new players, see them through their careers, and in some cases hire them as coaches after they retire.
You can hire and fire an entire coaching staff, monitor fan approval ratings, manage expenses and make decisions accordingly.
You can take control of a team, move to a new city, build a new stadium, set ticket prices, and choose what concessions to sell. One of the biggest additions to Madden 2004 is the aforementioned Owner mode, which can best be described as Madden meets SimCity. Some of the player ratings are suspect, and the overall ratings for all the NFL teams range from 78 to 88, which means you could easily find yourself playing the Bengals or Cowboys when you reach the playoffs, which most NFL fans will probably find a bit of a stretch.Ĭover boy Michael Vick gives a Saint the stiff-arm. Madden 2004 also seems to take the concept of parity a bit too far. (I won't even tell you how hard "All-Madden" is.) The good news is you can go in and tweak things using a set of AI sliders, but it still would have been nice to have one more pre-set difficulty setting somewhere in between these two. On "All-Pro," however, my completion rate drops to about 20% and I'm lucky if I get a yard per carry using motion, blockers and every other trick at my disposal. I've yet to lose a game on "Pro," with a running average of over 4 yards a carry and an insane QB completion rate of over 80%. If there's any major gripe I have with Madden 2004 on the field, it's the huge gap between the difficulty modes. I'll admit I haven't quite fully gotten the hang of it yet - I have enough trouble getting Ricky Williams to hit his holes, let alone control a blocker at the same time - but just the fact that the ability exists is a nice bonus for hardcore fans to play with. Using the right analog stick, you can flip plays before the snap, guide blockers around, or even lead receivers around the field while scrambling around.
MADDEN 2004 PC CONTROLLER TV
Reading defenses and putting players in motion is key to success in both the running and passing games, as is using blockers correctly and employing hot routes to change plays before the snap.Īlong those lines, new to Madden 2004 is the "Playmaker" option, which you may have seen touted endlessly in EA's new TV spots. On passing plays, it actually makes sense to step up in the pocket to throw instead of scrambling back 30 yards and firing downfield.
MADDEN 2004 PC CONTROLLER SERIES
On the field, some minor tweaks take the Madden series a few steps closer to a simulation of real NFL football.
The entire interface has been given a facelift and looks much cleaner than last year (although navigation is essentially the same). The Mini-Camp drills return from last year, and when combined with Franchise mode can help bump up a few players' stats as a bonus. With added depth to the on-field action and expanded management options, Madden 2004 is a game worth picking up regardless of whether you're a rookie to the series or a diehard veteran.Īll of the standard modes have returned - you can load up a quick game to play against the CPU or a buddy, play through multiple seasons in Franchise mode, or make a playoff run in Tournament mode. Regardless of whether you've entertained notions of being an owner or not, it's hard to go wrong with the latest installment of the Madden series. The team's not too hot at the moment, but the beer's cheap, and with the right moves, I figure we'll be a serious playoff contender within 2 or 3 years. While the state of California is busy wondering if the Terminator might be running things come October, I've taken matters into my own hands, bought a franchise and brought it to Southern California, courtesy of Madden NFL 2004. NFL football has returned to Los Angeles.
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