Madden NFL 2005

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. 

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.