Well what does 12 years straight say for EA?  Let me tell you, TONS! EA Sports has brought us 12 years of fantastic football and has another fantastic Madden release to add to their list of accolades.  This is probably the most beautiful display of 3-D graphics you will find in any sports game to date.  This is of course if your PC has a lot under the hood, especially a good video card.

Here is the general synopsis.  You can take your favorite team through a season and if you are good enough, right on through to the Superbowl.  With the franchise mode you can build your own team through trades or even start from scratch.  All 32 teams will join us in this year’s release including the Houston Texans. The all-new create-a-team allows you to design your own team logo and uniforms. With all-new realistic player animations, Madden Cards, a training mode, and the Two-Minute Drill, Madden 2002 truly has it all. The interface is easy to work with.  You can adjust both AI and human sliders to adjust the difficulty.  EA has also enhanced the pass coverage, which was sometimes a problem in earlier years.  

That’s it in a nutshell.  The game is simply beautiful.  EA has taken this new engine and brought football fans what they have been craving.  It’s just short of watching FOX or CBS!  The only downside I have found is that you cannot design your own custom plays.  For me personally, it was no big deal.  But those die-hards may find it to be a hindrance.   The game is well worth the 40 bucks (MSRP).  Plenty of playability not to mention if somehow you master some key plays and defeat every team; you can step up with the big boys and take your talent online.

Keep in mind that to really get the full effects from this game and for it to run smoothly, you are going to want at least the recommended specs from your PC.  I tried running it on my old 350 PIIMMX and was quite choppy.  Though it was playable.  To those serious gamers out there with the latest and greatest …no worries.

EA has never disappointed me with any titles that have found my way across my desk, and this surely will not disappoint.  Good work EA…KEEP IT UP!

 Installation was easy, but slower PCs will see some time involved

Gameplay: 9
User friendly interface will allow first time Madden fans some ease of play.

Graphics: 10
With an all-new graphics engine that delivers faster frame rates plus real time lighting effects.  The 3D rendering is superb.  Definite eye candy.

Sound: 8
For the most part the sound was decent, but the commentating was a bit boring.

Difficulty: 9
It really depends on what you gear yourself up for. Sometimes it will seem easy, other times it’s tough as hell.

Multiplayer: 8
Takes some playing around with the interface. If you already have an account with another EA Title, you can just log on with that account or start up a new one.

Concept: 9
Not exactly a new concept, but lots of cool tools to work with.

Overall: 9.5
Well Done