JUST when you think it can't get any better, they go and do it again.
They make it better. Just like they've been doing for the past 15 years.
Yep, that's right, EA Sports has somehow managed to take the highest-selling football franchise of all time and find a bunch of ways to make the hits harder, the fans louder, the players meaner and the action tougher.
By now any real NFL football fan knows we're talking about the game that defines all football video games. The one and only Madden 2005.
When it hit store shelves last week, the diehards were sweating to get their little hands on it. And with good reason.
Considering the high standard EA has set out for itself with past offerings, the pressure to deliver something new is pretty heavy. Without making any major overhauls, EA Sports has managed to pack a lot more features into an already excellent football experience.
DEFENSIVE SIDE REVAMPED
While offense was the name of the game in 2004 (and most other years), EA has finally given defences their due by revamping the defensive side.
It starts with the addition of a right analog "hit stick" that allows you to guide a tackler in on the ball carrier for an explosive hit. It can result in a devastating turnover when used correctly. But if your timing is off by even a fraction of a second, go mark six points on the board for the bad guys.
The makeover didn't stop there though.
Gamers can now change their highlighted players' assignments on the fly, prior to the snap. Send a blitz, drop into QB spy or flip to a flat zone if you don't like the match-ups.
Gamers can also make defensive adjustments involving whole units, shifting safeties, blitzing linebackers and having the line crash in.
The game hasn't lost its offensive flair (for those of you who like to rack up the yards), but goes a long way to levelling the playing field between offense and defence.
On the actual gridiron, the physics have been improved, with more fluid player movements, better looking player models and more realistic jukes, dives, jumps and slides.
If just playing football isn't enough for you, you can also manage a franchise through 30 seasons.
But in addition to managing salaries, awarding bonuses and drafting players, you'll have restricted free agents, franchise players and team captains to worry about.
There will be hold-outs, and players will sulk, affecting their on-field performance, if they don't like the playing time or the direction the team is heading.
The roster screen highlights key position battles while a weekly game plan that outlines what you need to get down against your next opponent is available with the schedule.
You'll even get emails on your PDA about important issues affecting your team.
Check the local and national newspapers to see what people are talking about. Tune in to Tony Bruno's EA Sports Radio Show to listen to coaches, players and fans chat about everything from pre-season strategy to uniform design.
While the new look can be a little daunting to a guy who just wants to play a few seasons, it is definitely the most sophisticated simulation ever developed for a console.
Xbox users benefit immensely from the addition of online play, a feature that was noticeably absent from past games due to a tiff between Microsoft and EA.
That means you can take your Madden show on the road if you've already mastered beating your friends or just have trouble finding a worthy opponent at all hours of the day and night.
And real Madden diehards may want to take their obsession one step further with the 2005 Collector's Edition, which features three 16-bit classic Madden games, video footage, 130 extra playoff teams, Madden moments and Madden trivia.
While there are lots of competitors, there quite simply just isn't another football game that stands up to the standard Madden sets. If you love the NFL, you'll love Madden 2005.
andrew.seymour@ott.sunpub.com
