Sports Reviews

I've followed the Madden series since it first came out on my Apple IIe years ago and it is amazing how realistic the game has become. First, the gameplay is definitely improved in the 2000 version, ALL-PRO level is definitely more difficult with an improved AI, but again, there is room for improvement. Some plays with certain players just can't be beat which can be a bit annoying. In no way do the graphics match up to Sega's NFL 2K, however, the gameplay is almost as good. The play editor and "Madden Challenge" are mildly entertaining additions, but what has me sold on the game is the FRANCHISE mode. I am hopeful that the designers will expand on it in the 2001 version as it brings a whole new dimension to the game. As GM of your team, you can build your team from trades, free agency, and the draft (or design some of your own players). Negotiating salaries and contracts to keep high quality players and remain under the salary cap is, of course, a constant challenge. Trade up in the draft and to get that high quality player your salivating over in the draft preview. In the end, you've got to keep your team winning, or you may accept the fate of so many other coaches, unemployment! Enjoy...

Even after a couple of years this version of Madden can still be fun to play. It looks and plays better than the previous version. You get plenty of options such as the ability to play great games from the past, such as the playoff game between The Dolphins and Chargers from the early 80's and a madden challange, such as completing certain tasks during the game to earn points, unlocking secret teams and stadiums, and the franchise mode can be played up to 30 seasons and is the best feature. Unfortunately, I've noticed as I've progressed through the franchise mode, some of the games I play tend to freeze up, which can be very annoying, specially if your having a good game. Sometimes I've had to skip to the next game after I've restarted the game a few times, and it would freeze up during gameplay again, booooo! I wonder.. if EA actually tests their product out to make sure it runs ok before releasing it. When I used to play Madden '96 and '97 on The Super Nes I'd create players and save a season only too find out after a short period of time the memory was back at zero again and I never deleted anything. In Madden 2001 for Playstation I tried to load my season some time ago but got a message how the file couldn't be loaded. It's too bad such a problem like this has to occur in an overly good game or any game.

this is hands down the greatest football game of all time. i have played basically all football games since the atari 2600 days, college and pro, and nothing comes close. the early maddeen games on sega were awesome, then playstation came out with gameday, and for 97 and 98 i think gameday had the advantage. but now with the improved graphics, gameplay, better ai, improved realism, and incredible 30 season franchise mode, nothing can compare to madden's 2000 version. its cool seeing lineman actually look like lineman and not being the same size as a wide reciever. the control of the franchise mode is outstanding with the ability to trade for both draft picks and players, as well as sign rookies and wath them improve each year. it is also realistic in that you cant trade a second string runnung back and expect to get brett favre for him. you can however trade a qb for a cb instead of having to trade position for position. another cool feature many people mightn not use is the draft. select the number of teams you want in your league and go through and draft an entire team. then you are placed in 4 division league and play a ten game schedule. you are given a new team name, city, and cool uniforms and its basically like an all star league. this feature kept me playing this game long after football season was over when past games have gotten old to me. can't wait til 2001 although i can't think of many improvements.

1080° Snowboarding is a great game. I've never actually snowboarded much myself, but I loved this game! Different locations, boarders, and boards to choose from. It tells you how fast the boarder is, where he or she comes from, and their name. On locations, you can pick begginer, hard, or expert. I suggest startin off on begginer. If your new at this game, (like me) you will fall off your snowboard a lot, and "retire", though you can always start a new game. Practice makes perfect!

Once you get the hang of the controls, this game is awesome... it's challenging and entertaining, and everyone should have one.

This game has amazing graphics-- you can even see the snow spray off the board when you make the slightest turn. Plus, the camera controls are flawless. The sound track is pretty good, too- you can hear the snowboard scraping and the snowboarders sometimes talk, and the techo tracks that accompany the races are pretty cool too.

My only complaint is that there aren't enough courses. After I unlocked the 6 courses and beat the "Black Diamond" level, there wasn't much else to do. But even after you've unlocked all the courses, it's still fun to play against your friends in the 2 Person VS mode, or doing tricks in the half pipe.

I think that anyone who has a N64 should add this game to their collection, without a doubt... it's a solid game, and you won't regret it.

Snowboard: A wide ski used for sliding downhill on snow. 1080 replicates this beautifully!From the initial set off you know your in for a fantastic time, with official 'Lamar' Boards and rad 'Tommy Hilfiger' clothes along with 6 tracks, 5 boarders plus secret ones and Half-Pipe and Big Air, this is special. The graphics,the first thing you notice are spectacular,Real-time lighting and shadows are employed in this showcase for the N64's power. Then the sound hits you with it's pumping soundtrack which just compliments the wonderful graphics. Then you realise how well and smoothley it plays and how realistic all the crashes and landings are. Now i've only just scratched the surface, buy the game and you'll find out about the 30 odd tricks and secret characters, it truly is outstanding and a worthy game to buy from Nintendo. P.S. the same people who made this did the wonderful job on Waverace64!

You have to get this game for Xbox or Ps2. If you love skateboarding you'll love this 8 level game. Filled with new skaters, and secret ones. All you have to do is beat the game a certain amount of times and, you'll get rewarded. If you beat the game and get all gold medals in the three competitions you'll get a secret level. By the way I bet your wondering what T.H.P.S.3 stands for. Well it stands for Tony Hawks pro skater 3. I absolutely love this game. Some of the music just stinks, but you can adjust the music to what you want to listen to. A down side of the game is sometimes the skaters pass through objects (like ramps.) That takes the realism away. I don't mean to brag but i rule at this game. My high score is about 200 million. That's with cheat codes though.
I give this game two thumbs way up. I recomend this game for Xbox. I think it has better grphics then Gamecube or Ps2. Even if the characters pass through objects it still is pretty realistic. It's just so awesome. Get this game, you won't regret it.

With each new Tony Hawk release comes higher expectations. Tony Hawk 3 met and exceeded those expectations. More eye-boggling special tricks were added as well as the essential Revert trick, which, like the all powerful Manuel, allows players to link tricks together and create HUGE comboes for maximum points. Bigger, more realistic looking levels are just BEGGING to be tricked on. The variety of multiplayer modes will give you and your buds hours and hours of entertainment. Create-a-Park and Create-a-Skater are included again, and have been much improved. Not having to buy tricks or stats (stats have to be FOUND instead), and also being able to outfit your character a LOT more thoroughly makes for a much more innovative gaming experience. Being able to listen to your own music instead of being forced to listen to the game's music can make playing more enjoyable. Ollie, the Magic Bum from THPS2 is a playable character!

There were only a few aspects of the game that I didn't particularily like. The first one is the fact that most of the soundtrack for the game wasn't very good. It was just too mainstream. The other thing I didn't like was that on Create-a-Park, there was a limit to the number of gaps you could make. Something that other people may not like is the control sceme. If you think about it, it's VERY similar to how the N64 controller worked with the Tony Hawk games. It might take a little getting used to, but the controls are fine. If you still don't like the controller, I suggest for you to consider buying the new, smaller, easier button pressing controller made by Microsoft. It's called CONTROLLER S.

Avoiding ending on some bad notes I will simply say this: If you are an Xbox owner or are thinking of being one, then you NEED to get this game.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 stands tall as one of the best console games out there. Expect to see Tony Hawk 4 on all three "next-gen" platforms this holiday season!!!

Tony Hawk 1 was a classic, I wish they would make it for Xbox....But Tony Hawk 3 is the best. I have played this game over and over and never get tired of it. You do everything on a skateboard on 3, unlike Underground which I dont care much for. The career levels are great with different scenery everytime. Over all this game is a must have for any gamer or skater....

Exeptionaly cool game if you are not looking for a real basketball game but is just the same fun as one I've it's funier than just an old fashiond basket whit faults and free trows
This one is BIG just like ea-sports-big big you'll love it

When I first bouight this game is was hard at first (Obviously playing in "Legend" mode) however once you get the hang of it and start pullin off crazy trick moves (and these are REAL LIFE MOVES, if you don't believe me pick up one of the AND 1 Mix Tape DVD's) the game is highly addictive. Depending on you're created players tendencies he'll earn a certain nickname (if he's a defensive monster, a scoring machine, drops constant dimes, a pick-pocket, etc..). Be a legend mode is really the heart of the game as you start out with a bunch of baller wanna-be's playing in tournaments. However once you steal some of the players off other teams you beat your supporting cast becomes better which makes your player less awful and able to pick up points to boost your players abilities. If your good enough in the long run you'll end up aquiring Stretch, Biggie Little, Dime, Osmosis and the other unlockable street lengends (mind you these are REAL life ballers, not people made up by the game).

NBA Challenge is nice and better when you build up your created player and end up schooling the old heads.

Gamebreakers are much easier to pull off when you pullin off crazy tricks (sick alley-oops, ankle-breakin ball handling which translates into points, or even better into an alley-oop). The more combination of tricks, the higher the trick points which will get your gamebreaker metter lighting up after scoring only 3 or 4 points. The key is if you keep using the same trick the same times in a row, you get less trick points after the first time you used it, and you don't want players like Shaq tryin to do "off the heezies" when he has no ball-handling skills cause you'll lose points for the ball getting stolen.

The game is endless, unlocking M&N (Mitchell & Ness) throwback jerseys, old school players like Doc, Bird, Magic, Pistol, Wilt, The Ice-Man. Get it cause I said so!

A great casual-fun sports game, NBA Street 2 lets you take your favorite NBA pros out into street games. Trick shots and signature moves make the game interesting.

A great training area lets you learn all the moves with as much time as you need. Replay each type of move as many times as you need to, and get yourself comfortable.

There are over 150 players to work with, from all eras of basketball heroes. The range of moves to use and unlock is pretty amazing, and there's a wealth of locations and gameplay to keep things interesting. The game starts slowly enough that even thoughs not really familiar with basketball can learn as they go.

The graphics are great, with well animated figures doing amazing moves and looking quite realistic. The graphics are on par with Dead or Alive III, with leaves floating down and skidding along, great textures on surfaces and nicely done shadows.

The sound and music really draw you in. There's a great selection of music that cycle in the background, and the 'commentator' has some brilliantly funny lines. Of course usually your friends in the room are cheering over his comments, as you execute an amazing triple-trick move and trash your opponents.

Really a fun game even for non-sports enthusiasts. If you enjoy basketball, you'll become addicted and be dreaming about the game when you finally get some sleep!

NBA STREET by ea big has great grapics awesome sound and it feels like ur actually playin the basketball game its 3on 3 the fast arcade type of game.kinda like blitz and nhl hitz only 4 basketball though. u can do tons of funny tricks and they look sweet. u get points 2 do special shots and dunks.u can get lots of secret characters like a wigger white boy 2 a giant chinese guy or an evil alien.u face all the nba teams and 6 special street teams and create lots of players with great looks and great multiplayer modes.this game is the best basketball game i ever played great replay value.keep on makin the great games ea big BOOYA!

Sure this game isn't as good as NBA 2K2 or NBA Live 2002, but who cares? It takes the NBA game outside onto the courts and is very fun. Although it doesn't show the players names when you play you still have fun making sweet dunks, amazing three's and buzzer-beating full-court shots. You not only get points for scoring but you get points for the style of the shot, type of shot and distance of shot. For example if you do a sweet alley-oop you might get 2000 points. Taking the game to the streets in NBA Street is so fun... This game isn't as good as 2K2 or Live because it isn't as realistic like the NBA, but it is still very fun.
EA Sports has yet again made another great game adding to it's awesome games like SSX Tricky, NBA Live and Madden NFL Football. This is a must-buy game for all Gamecube owners.
Fun: 5/5
Controls: 4/5
Graphics: 5/5
Gameplay: 5/5
Overall: 5/5

NBA Street is awesome. It has loads of trick moves, including dunks. The gamebreakers and busted rims are cool in every aspect. The player models and create-a-player are very realistic. It even has "Street School", which teaches you the gameplay. There are downsides, though. There are only two modes of gameplay which are kind of similar. The commentary is a tad bit annoying. Still, this is a must have for gamers.

If you are an avid football fan, this game is right up your alley. It has all the teams, games, mascots, fight songs. Even the coaches look similar to the real ones. The likeness to Pat Hill with Fresno State is almost scary. I personally enjoy the Dyansty mode where you can take a team from worst to first with good recruiting and good on-field play. The only complaint I have is some of Lee Corso's blatherings while calling games. The commentary isn't very repetitive, but just some of it is corny. But, it's all about entertainment, and you can always turn it off. All, that being said, the game is awesome.

EA Sports pleased a lot of college football fans by deciding to release NCAA 2003 on all 3 platforms this year. Gamers who played both NCAA 2002 and Madden 2002 may remember that although both games use the same engine, NCAA's gameplay was more attuned to the offense-oriented play found in college football while Madden seemed faster and played more defensively. While both games were the best playing football games to date, there were still issues with "money" plays and unrealistic running games (in Madden, running to the outside was much easier than running inside which is not what you'd expect because of the speed of the pursuit defenders in the NFL). You could fiddle around with the AI sliders to tune the gameplay but it was often a laborious process and often frustrating because everyone played with different sliders.

Although NCAA 2003's gameplay is eerily familiar, I decided to purchase it because of it plays so beautifully out of the box. One thing that I noticed right away is the ability to break long runs up the middle (I play on All-American mode). This was sorely missing in the previous EA Football titles. Running plays outside are no longer sure 10 yard gains. The passing defense AI has been much improved to increase the number of interceptions (the defender will catch a majority of balls that come right to him whereas last year's version made every secondary defender look like Rickey Dudley).

As far as the features go, NCAA is basically building on what they know works. The Dynasty mode is terrific as you can take over a team, compete in BCS rankings and even recruit players during offseason. There is also the new Mascot game and the Rivarly game. I'm not big on features but the gameplay definitely hooks you in and the features make you come back for more.

I haven't played Madden 2003 yet but by all accounts, it should be a great game. If you're planning to get just one football game this year, you should wait until Madden comes out and see which is better. Madden features create a play option and special practice modes. For me, I chose NCAA 2003 because of the varied gameplay (running option plays and all the different schools with different styles of play). This is the most complete football game to date (at least until Madden 2003 comes out).

This is the best game I have ever played. I can stay on for hours at a time. The best part of this game is he camera view. It's closer to the field then Madden and taht makes it much beter to play.
Some games make it impossible to get passed their offense line and you can never get a sack. other games make it to easy. This one is just right.
I love the campus challenges. You can get hall of fame teams such as All-Pro Florida or All-American 2000 team. Then there are team pennants and stadium bowl and mascot teams. If there is a game that you need to get this is the one.

I've played this game probably 50 or 60 times, and have beaten it. It was extremely fun while doing it, but it was too quick. With only 6 courses, it gets to be the same over and over again. However, there's also a way to earn new characters. You challenge them to a course, and if you beat them, you get to play as them. The more you beat, the more power you have (in the characters) If you manage to get birdie on every one of the 108 holes in the game courses, you can earn the best player, which is Metal Mario. He's pretty cool, and can drive the ball a whomping 313 yards. There are other cool characters, which you only see in this game. Baby Mario, Maple, Sonny, Harry, and some others, as well as the old favorites, Mario, Luigi, Bowser, DK (Donkey Kong), Peach, Wario, and some others. At the beginning of the game, you start out with one moderately easy course, and 4 characters to chose from. You need a certain amount of points to open a new course. Almost everything you play gives you points. Even a fun mini golf course gives you points. If you like the game of golf, and like Mario and his friends, you'd love this game!

Even if you don't like golf, Mario Golf is a fun and competitive Golf game that is fairly simple to play. And the rules are Easy to learn. But their is competition. You unlock more courses and players. Or just practice, play a simple 18 holes, or play Mini Golf. You unlock players such as Donkey Kong, Wario etc. and it gets more fun as you play because you understand it more. And it's really fun in Multiplayer mode. This isn't the PGA Tour, it's Mario and friends just playing Golf. I gotten to enjoy it so much I bought a PGA Tour game.

The Golfing Is Nice And Smooth In This Game And Also There Is Lots Of Playable Characters.The Golf Courses Look Very Good And Just About Everything In The Game Has Nice Things To Offer.Any N64 Owner Should Defintely Check This Game Out

There are a lot of football games out this year like ESPN NFL 2K5, Madden NFL 2005, and of course NCAA Football 2005. I have played all of these games, and in my opinion you need to think of what you want in a football game before buying any of them. If you are a die-hard NFL fan looking for a realistic, but still strategic football game in which starting a team franchise isn't much of a plus for you, save your money and buy the $20.00 ESPN NFL 2K5. If you want a beautifully enhanced A.I. to rough it out with Madden NFL 2005 is your best bet due to the much more intelligent A.I. (mainly line backs and defense backs). Madden is also made better due to the ingenious Franchise mode. Madden has always dominated franchise so you should always expect the best from them in that department. Now on to NCAA Football 2005. This game has a few big changes that make it unique from any other football game. The first is homefield advantage. This makes it possible to pump up the crowd in a game and ice or lower your opponents composure. Each player has a meter in which their composure is shown. Players with lower composure have a much better chance of being shut down than a well-composed player. This makes homefield advantage very valuable. So in all honesty NCAA Football 2005 is agreat game that any college or professional should own.

Now this review applies to those crazy FANS who set out to turn Navy (SMU, Buffalo, etc.) into a winning programs. This review is for FANS that will shell out $50 just to have the roster updated for the 2004 season. I've been a fan of these games since 2001 and must say this is the greatest improvement overall. The improvements made from 2002-2003 where so insignificant compared to the changes from 2004-2005. First, the homefield advantage is horribly scary, unless you turn the vibration off (which I HIGHLY recommend if you are running a dynasty). While playing(I was Oregon State) a buddy(Oregon) at Autzen Stadium (#5 hardest place to play), after the opening play I was AMAZED. The screen was shaking, the controller was trying to jump out of my hands. After an hour of play, I was terrified at the effect homefield advantage actually had. If Rocky Top or the Swamp means anything to you, you will LOVE this game. This game is aimed toward the fan that gets up 6am for the fraternal Yuka Bash in order to be THE loudest, most obnoxious fan in the stadium. You know, the one that everyone turns too for the most vulgar statement about the free safety's mother. And now you can do THAT too by making your own sign that can be displayed throughout the game. This is a great feature because now you can express those tender moments you've had with your buddy's mom in a Create-A-Sign feature. All-in-all this is the final touch to make this game perfect for me. A humongous college football fan that now is represented in a game. I just can't wait until the feature; Create-A-Drunken-Frat/Sorority-Fan, Create-An-After-Game-Party, Create-A-Father's-Day-Weekend and the all too anticipated Create-Your-Own-Off-Campus-Party-For-Recruits

NCAA football 2005 is a very good game, much better than 2004 which was very good. THe first thing is that you have homefeild advantage. THat pumps up the crowd which then makes the player get nervous and mess up. Then next thing is the match-up stick which is a control to see if theplayer is good or bad and nervous or not nervous. this works for offense or defense and then you can change any player to any other player on the other team. Now when you score a TD you ca celebrate without a penalty by having your fans celebrate with signs. Then the Dynasty goes more in depth Sports Illustrated is better and players may not play because of late curfew or bad grades. Your players also need to be happy or they won't play. Now like Madden 2004 you can create your own playbook. Create-a-school, create-a-player, create-a-stadium has better things for you to use. So now you have to decide if this game is wwhat you want.

I got this game for Christmas, and at first I wasn't to excited. But I played probably 3-4 hours a day till now, and Im about 97% complete!!
In the Tiger Challenge mode you are challenged by 25 of the games best golfers. About 9 of them are fake people created by EA Sports, but the other 16 are real PGA pros. Once you beat them, you earn money, you unlock them, and sometimes you will unlock a course.

Courses: St. Andrews, Sawgrass, Spyglass, Scottsdale, The Predator, The Highlands, Poppy Hills, and many more.

Earn Bronze, Silver, Gold in 50 scenerios.

Win trophies in 26 tourniments.

Characters include: Tiger Woods, Super Tiger Woods, V.J Singh, Jim Furyk, Mark Calcaveccia, Ty Tryon, Charles Howell III, Steve Stricker, Dominic "The Don" Donetello, Edwin "Pops" McGregor, Cedric "Ace" Andrews, and tons more.

Play Skins, ONLINE EVENTS via EA Sports, Speed Golf, Practice Tee, Skill Zone (Hit targets set up around 4 courses for money and practice.)

Create a user profile and watch him or her get better as you put money into skill points.

I recomend this game to anyone who plays golf. It seriously can help you with your swing! And even if you dont play golf still buy this. It is worth every penny and more. Definatly best game in my archive.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 IS THE BEST GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED. THERE IS GREAT GRAPHICS AND LOTS OF PLAYERS. I WOULD SPEAD MY MONEY ON THIS GAME IF I WAS YOU. NO ONE CAN TURN THIS GAME DOWN, BUY NOW!

More of the same fun in EA's visually stunning 2003 version of "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003". A most realistic golf SIM if there ever was one. Brilliant scenery. Trees and brush swaying randomly as winds pass them. An occasional animal or bird can be seen or heard. Smooth character movements (outside of one camera angle where any of the golfer's neck looks awkward). The "Total Precision" Swing" takes away the distracting swingmeter. 13 courses in 2003 (compared to 6 in the 2002 edition). All the various modes of play are back, including Tournament/Match/Stroke/Skins/Speed. More pro players join the ranks... Singh, Appleby, Els, Leonard, Furyk, Cink, etc... not to mention a handful of unknown amateurs made just for the game. I know the 2004 is all ready out, but maybe the 2005 version will bring about some "fantasy" course where you could play or unlock the old-timers... like Arnold Palmer, Curtis Strange, Tom Watson, or the 'Golden Bear' himself. The one and only thing wrong with this game is that there is NO save capability while you're playing a course... you must complete all 18 holes before you can save your game. Huge reply value - alone or with friends. Great graphics. Great game.

Mario Golf 64 was a fun game to play, but Mario Golf Toadstool Tour should be better. I played this games as a demo at a local game store. It took me a while to get the hang of the controls, but hey, all games take a while to get used to the controls. I was having trouble with the distance grid and getting a close up on the hole. After a while I got the hang of it, and started getting a birdie on the holes. I rated this game 4 stars because the graphics are amazing, the sound is okay, gameplay is great, and overall it is a fun game. I will definitely buy it when it comes out. Give this game some time, and you will see that this game is fun, and enjoyable. When I saw a movie on the computer about it, it looked really complicated, but it isn't. This game will be a hit!

Although I've never played this Mario Golf game, I know this game will be a winner. The Nintendo 64 game had multiple modes, including tournament, where you play a round of golf against about 30 other players, get character, ring shot, where you hit par on a hole and shoot the golf ball through rings, speed golf (you're timed on a round of golf), stroke, which is like a practice 9 or 18 hole round of golf, mini-golf, and training, where you can practice any hole and change the weather and rehit single strokes. All this was great fun, and the multiplayer options were even better. You could play a match game, where the player with the fewest strokes on a hole gets a point, and you try to get ten points, skins match, where the player who sinks his ball in the fewest strokes wins the hole and gets a skin, and club slots, where you compete in skin match style and a slot machine determines what clubs you can use on each hole.
Camelot, the makers of the game, found that younger players had trouble hitting the ball on the old game, and now you can choose between the old controls, and a new setup.
The N64 Mario Golf game had a total of six marioesque courses (you unlocked the last five) and the new game will have real life courses and new marioesque courses for you to choose from, the latter filled with the familiar pipes, Chain Chomps, and fantasy links that float in the air. I've seen some screenshots, and the new game also has new characters, and there's always a character that works for you. They vary in draws, fades, and power.
I'm going to get this game no matter what, and if it is anything like the old Mario Golf game, it will prove to be a very, very enjoyable experience!

I have never even played golf before in my life, and I don't really like sports or sports games in general. I bought this solely because it's a 1st party Nintendo title and it has Mario in it.

Fortunately, I now love this game! It was a little hard to get used to at first, probably because of my unfamiliarity with the game of golf, but once you learn the controls, it's truly awesome!