GAME STUDIO DESCRIPTION: The biggest sports franchise of all time storms onto a new field of play with a new way to play. Madden NFL 2005 for the Nintendo DS is the deepest, most realistic-looking handheld sports game ever created. The stadium comes to life with unprecedented 3D graphics on a handheld, and you can play through entire seasons with the depth and authenticity you expect from Madden NFL. Use the Touch Screen for intuitive control: call plays while your players huddle on the field, track all 22 players, and call audibles at the line of scrimmage. Madden NFL 2005 is Madden Football in the palm of your hand.
Key Features
Stunning 3D Graphics: Realistic players and stadiums with uniforms for all 32 teams, player portraits for each player, and more.
Deep Madden Gameplay: Full Season mode with individual stats, detailed player attributes, five receiver sets, and fun new game modes including Situation Mode and 2-Minute Drill.
Intuitive Touch Screen Accessibility: Use the Touch Screen to call plays, control the kick meter, call audibles at the line of scrimmage, and track all 22 players simultaneously on the Field Radar.
WiFi Competition: Play head-to-head against a competitor via wireless.
PLAY: The touchscreen for picking your plays is actually very functional. The second screen is also alive when the game is played. You get X’s and O’s that represent players and is often easier to figure out what happens during a play than actually watching the players themselves.
Passing is defaulted to automatically throw which means your quarterback throws to who he believes is open on the play. Often it’s the guy you don’t want to ball to go to especially when its 3rd and 6 to go and the ball goes 2 yards. The second screen is also fantastic for calling audibles since you don’t have to remember the plays and only need to tap out the play you want to run.
GRAPHICS: Those Madden fans who are hoping they’ll be carrying their Gamecube version in hand won’t be satisfied. Madden 2005 is more like N64 or the Dreamcast—it’s barely better than the SNES. The players are stiff and nearly impossible to ever tell what is going on or who made the tackle. The images of the players are atrocious and barely recognizable. Most have a poor shadow that is basically a pixilated image.
SOUND: Madden says the same thing over and over again—at least that is my experience. Al Michaels’ commentary is so sparse that you are well of to go without it. The music is poor and the same thing over and over to open the game. Why even include the soundtrack?
FRANKLY: EA wanted to get Madden out for the launch and hopefully next year’s version will be much better yet we are certain Madden for the DS will never match the upcoming PSP. If you bought the DS and are dying to get some football on the move its not a bad option just don’t expect too much.
+ Richie Wright
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