Wazzzzzup! Just havin' a Bud, watchin' the game. That's right,
football season is upon us as the NFL has already wrapped up
Week One. We witnessed the Eagles trounce the Cowboys, we saw
as Daunte 'Salt and' Culpepper rushed for 3 TDs in the Vikings'
come-from-behind victory over the Bears, and we watched as the
St. Louis Rams began the defence of their Super Bowl title with a
victory over the Broncos, proving that they remain the most
exciting team in pro football. So let's all raise a glass, it's time for
some football!
As has become custom, the start of the NFL season also means that
it's time for publishers to release their PC football counterparts.
Unfortunately, as I look down at the starting roster, I see that only
EA Sports has shown up for training camp. Microsoft has decided
to give their rookie-of-the-year, NFL Fever, the year off with only a
Roster Update (and a costly one at $20) to speak of. With 989
Studios bowing out of the PC market altogether and Sierra Sports
still hiding after their disastrous 1999 season, it looks like Madden
is all we have left. What does that mean for PC football fans? Well,
like Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer thinking to himself as he scrambles to avoid yet another
rush, this could be a long season.
The Madden NFL series is much like any other EA Sports'
franchise, it seems content making cosmetic changes during the
off-season, rather than hitting the video room to learn the
playbook. This year seems no different, as Madden 2001 looks as
impressive as ever. The graphics have been improved two-fold
over last year's edition. For starters, each of the stadiums has been
vastly improved. Signs parade down from the stands as
cheerleaders prance around on the sidelines (albeit in a horribly
pixelated manner). Weather effects come across much more
realistically and you can actually see footprints on the field when
it's covered in snow or mud. Player animations have also been
drastically improved, as players now appear much closer to their
real-life counterparts. Whether it's a 300-pound lineman or a
200-pound receiver, they all look and act their part. More detail
has obviously been paid in terms of facial animations, as you'll be
able to instantly recognize some of the more well-known faces in
the game. In terms of the on-field action, it certainly isn't on the
same level as NFL Fever 2000, but there are definitely noticeable
improvements. Of course these cosmetic changes don't come
without a price. You'll need a heck of a system if you want
everything at full detail, otherwise the slowdown will absolutely
kill the gameplay.
Did EA Sports rename this game? Is it still not Madden NFL 2001?
Then why does Mr. Madden speak so few words these days? Year
in and year out, it seems that John can't come up with any new
commentary, let alone any commentary at all. Pat Summerall
dominates the speech department as the play-by-play hits an
all-time low in Madden NFL 2001. Usually EA Sports is known for
their play-by-play excellence, so perhaps it's time they search for a
pair of football commentators who'll actually spend more than a
few minutes in the audio room. Outside of the speech, most of the
effects are recycled from previous years although the sound of a
good hard tackle has certainly been improved upon. Crowd effects
are much more prominent this time around, but still nowhere near
what a real-life crowd sounds like. I'm still waiting for the
Arrowhead Stadium experience to be brought alive on the PC, and
Madden NFL 2001 is not it.
As Janet Jackson sings, "Doesn't really matter 'bout the icing,
cause I'm in love with the inner being". Ok, maybe it doesn't go
exactly like that, or maybe it does, either way, let's see what
Madden NFL 2001 has going on inside the game, because if it's in
the game, it's in the GAME! Yeah, that's an over-statement if I've
heard one. Do players dive from five yards away to tackle a player
that they don't even have in their sights? When running backs use
a spin move to avoid a tackle, do they do so loosely, leaving
themselves open for a 4-5 yard loss? Do running backs get stuck on
their own lineman's jersey at the line of scrimmage? Yep, if it's in
the game, it's in the GAME!
The running game in Madden NFL 2001 is as good as they get, but
there's still a lot of work to be done. As mentioned in the previous
paragraph, backs still get caught on their own lineman when holes
open or close up. The same spin move from Madden NFL 2000 is
present in the 2001 edition and it's as unrealistic as ever. For some
reason the backs in Madden NFL 2001 seem to think that a spin
move involves actually spinning around in a circle that
encompasses about a 5 yard radius… ummm, yeah. Beyond those
faults though, the running game in Madden NFL 2001 is the best
around because the control is so efficient. Holes open up where
they're supposed too and linemen rarely ever miss their
assignments. The only problem with the running game, much like
Madden NFL 2000, is that it can become too valuable a weapon. A
good running back can muster up almost 200 yards a game if you
give him enough carries.
The passing game is somewhat improved in Madden NFL 2001, but
there's still work to be done here too. The computer-controlled
teams use the pass much more frequently now and it's much
easier to select and execute passes too. However, receivers
continue to drop balls when completely open, even little 5-yard
jobbers that, while they might occur once or twice a game,
happen far too frequently during the course of a single game.
Passing trajectories are way off. I've seen instances where a ball
travelling in a straight line will all of a sudden make a left, and get
to the intended receiver. I've also seen receivers make grabs in
double and triple coverage that seem extremely difficult to do. I'm
not saying it shouldn't happen, but let's just say the old Hail Mary
play works far too often in Madden NFL 2001 if you have a star
receiver on your team. If you throw the ball downfield 3 straight
times, you'll have just as much success if you make 3 short passes
in a row, so why then would you bother to call short plays? I will
give kudos to EA Sports for allowing quarterbacks to get out of the
pass mode and into a scrambling mode if need be. I always hated
having my QB scrambling like an idiot with his arm in the air.
Madden NFL 2001 features all the usual game modes: Exhibition,
Season, Franchise and Great Games. As usual, the exhibition
mode allows you jump right into the action without worrying about
of the intricacies of a complete season. The Season mode allows
you to play a single season through to the Super Bowl. The
Franchise mode continues to shine with tons of options including
free agents, an extended college draft, coaches that you can hire
and fire at will, and salary-cap restriction. The Franchise mode is
solid enough on its own that you might find yourself simulating through the
regular season just to reach the off-season again. The intelligence
of the computer-controlled teams remains a bit of a
disappointment, as they don't seem to know the depth of their own
rosters. They'll fill up with good quarterbacks and not realize that
they need more depth at other positions. All in all though, the
Franchise mode is as good as it gets in a major football release.
Last but not least, the Great Games mode allows you to play as
some of the greatest teams in NFL history.
One of the highlights of Madden NFL 2001 is the improved
multiplayer options. You can compete in complete franchise mode
online leagues that include drafts, trading and scheduled games. If
you can gather a group of friends, or just meet up with people over
the Internet, the opportunity for a compelling online experience is
certainly there.
Before I wrap up the review, I'll quickly touch on a few other
elements found in the game. The play editor remains undesirable.
Making plays is somewhat easier but you can only create so many
plays, far less than an entire playbook, which makes the play
editor useless. As has become custom in EA Sports titles, sliders
are once again provided so you can adjust certain
factors within the game. If you've played with these before, you'll
know that changing one slider can have a drastic effect on the
game and this year's sliders are no different. If you don't want to
mess up the simulated games, I'd suggest not tweaking these at
all. If you simulate a regular season game, you won't have game
stats provided for you, something I don't quite understand.
Madden NFL 2001 is far from perfect, but it still provides a decent
football experience. The visual enhancements are top notch as
usual, but the audio department is a bit of a letdown. The overall
gameplay is inconsistent although you won't find a better running
game in a football title on the PC. The artificial intelligence is
suspect at times and there's no doubt, like any of EA Sports'
games, you'll probably master this game in a season or two,
rendering it even less spectacular. Thankfully, EA Sports has
included some great multiplayer features that will finally let you
compete against human opponents that have mastered the game
as well. When all is said and done, Madden NFL 2001 is a lot like
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Shawn King; not a spectacular
starter, but more than capable of handling the ball when called
upon.