Sports Reviews

When Tony Hawk's Pro Skater just came out on Playstation back in 1999,I bought it and loved it.Then came the much improved Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 which I still play more than any other Tony Hawk game I have.When this came out in October 2001,I bought it and thought it was dissapointing.First of all,it has a big amount of pop up that wasent in THPS1 or 2.That can sometimes confuse you.Plus the loading is slower then the other games in the series,and the levels need to be more interactive and improved.The create a skater isnt anything special because you still cant create female skaters.Plus it needs more new improvements besides new tricks.But on the bright side,its good,clean,fun.The controls work good(athough not as responcive as THPS1 or 2)and multiplayer is a blast to play with a friend or enemy.Also,doing goals through out each level is very addictive,and this game has alot of replay value.But still,it has alot of unusual flaws,but it also has a good side.I would suggest renting this first to see if its the game for you,even for hardcore Tony Hawk's Pro Skater fans.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 is cool.But THPS2 is better `cause for one thing,for me,somehow the people are in Tony Hawk's Pro skater 3 grey.Maybe Bam took Bob's place `cause Activision wanted a new skater and Bob was in 2 cd`s,like Rodney.(I think when Rodney was grinding but did'nt look like it,actually was doing manuals.)Skater island is tough.There's not many combos even so,there long.I actually made grinding that handrail and I`m 9 years old! I got 70,000 points.I started THPS2 on a cruise.I was 8 then.I remembered only getting 4191.THPS3 is good.Suburbia STINKS!!! There's no combos there.The airport was so cool.It had good level goals EXEPT stopping the Pickpockets and getting the secret tape.In Tokyo,I bailed once and got 119,023!

Tony Hawk 3 for Playstation 2 and Game Cube does not press the limits of those systems, however Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3, for Playstation 1 presses the limits of the system in a whole new way, because of the amazing detail of the courses. In Pro Skater 1 & 2 you would skateboard in a city where you can go into 1 or 2 buildings, now with Pro Skater 3 cities like Los Angeles, you can go in every single building it is amazing! You can play as one of 13 pro skaters in skate parks located around the world, such as Japan, Rio and Canada. The graphics have not improved at all, but the places to skate have gotten immensely detailed! Rather than doing things to get money to buy boards and status points like in Pro Skater 2, you must find and collect status points and additional boards in Pro Skater 3 (which really makes earning things seem like work instead of fun). The real downside of the game is that the graphics are very dark, not just in the steel mill (first course), but even in outdoor courses like Rio and Suburbia the graphics are very dark as well. There are lots of new tricks, which I can't say will impress you, but they are there. The feature to create a skate park is exactly the same as in Pro Skater 2, except there are different themes.

Madden 2004 is the ultimate football game. Nothing compares in sports simulation. I have played all the fakes( NFL Gameday, NFL Fever, ESPN Football, and NFL Blitz Pro) and none of them have the features that Madden has. NCAA Football 2004 is the best college football sim and it's made by EA Sports. That tells you something. Electronic Arts makes the best games. Madden, NBA Live, NCAA Football, NCAA March Madness, and the rest of the awesome sports games people buy before they are even out. As soon as Madden 2005 is out I am getting it. I have been playing Madden since Madden 64 and it just gets better. The realistic teams and stadiums make it seem like Sunday afternoon in the
LAZ-BOY chair watching Kansas City vs. New England, Cinncinati vs. Cleveland you know what I'm talking about. I just finished playing against my dad. What a game. He was beating my 14 to 0 then I made 26 unanswered points. He got another touchdown. I missed a field goal. He got the ball at the 51 yard line and threw a hail marry to his reciever. His reciever ran to the five yard line where my safety stopped him. He threw two incomplete passes. It was fourth down, fourth quarter with three seconds left. He lined up in the I formation. He snapped the ball and threw it to his reciever. He got the touchdown. It was now 26 to 26. My Chiefs vs. his Vikings. He kicked the field goal and it was good. There was one second left. He kicked the ball to me and I ran and I ran. I got to the 40 yard line. It was over. The Minnesota Vikings beat the Kansas City Chiefs. It was the worst loss I have ever had. And my record is 30 and 4. I could win the Madden Challenge but because of one second I lost. That's why this game is just like a real football game. Every second counts.
So if you like NFL Football get this game. You won't regret it.

I just don't see the quality product that everyone on Amazon is gushing about here. My experience with Madden was: frustratingly slow load/save times; confusing key interface on menus, poor menu design and interface; VERY annoying soundtrack filled with one-off; nearly unlistenable; basically idiotic, songs played at 1.5 time (why must every song on a videogame be played at a slightly too-fast speed?); an offseason mode in the Franchise game that takes about half and hour to complete; the graphics seems, to me, to be worse than Madden 2003, at least in terms of player appearance; the "Training Camp" mode takes FOREVER and is really annoying; and the much-touted "Owner Mode" isn't all that it's cracked up to be.

Also, the sheer amount of memory this game requires is a HUGE discouragement. Basically, you have to pay for the game AND another 20-40bucks for storage space.

This series is seriously overrated.

I've been playing madden ever since madden'97. I don't think that's the first but anyways this really is the best football game of all time. This game is better than gameday,ncaa, or any of those games. Blitz has the less breakable rules which is fun but seriously dude, maddens the game. This game, even coaches should play so they can be avoiding stupid decisions. I mean c'mon you could challenge plays, that kicks ass...!!! The funniest thing is making your team and guy and start a franchise. Playing this game online is fun too.. Even though there's not really a challenge out there. (unless you think other wise) you seriously got to get this game dude, seriously. The graphics are sweet, the gameplay is sweet, the whole damn game is sweet. The think that made me give this game 4 stars is the fact that theres really nothing different between this and madden 2003. I mean there's probably a little different thing like the playmaker but really if you play this one and madden 2003 there's really no difference. You'd agree too...but anyways this games great I don't know about buying it but...yeah buy it...

O.k. first off, if you are planning to buy this game, I support you 100% Dont read reviews under 4 stars because they are wrong. MVP Baseball has the best gameplay of its kind. In dynasty mode you have your own E-mail Inbox so you can receive messages about contracts, player happiness, upcoming games and stragegy, suspensions, trade offers, etc. This game is so in-depth that you will never get bored. You can jump up walls to shag a homerun, perform diving catches, sliding catches, jumping catches too. Sliding is different to, u can slide headfirst, feet first, and u can hook slide. You can even charge the mound if you are hit by a pitch by simply pressing Y. You run at the pitcher and hit him then the dug outs charge on the fields. There are new uniforms such as the padres, and blue jays. new pitch types like the circle change, knucklecurve, and slurve. (slider and curveball combo.) All the trades are realistic and updated except A-Rod and Soriano. And the Barry Bonds thing isnt a big problem. He is replaced with a phenomenal hitter names James Dowd. All u have to do is go to Rosters, Edit player, and make him black, #25, and change his name to Barry Bonds. And it runs like NCAA College Football and Madden, u earn points and u can unlock unlockables such as Legendary Players; Babe Ruth, u get the point. Also old uniforms such as The yankees uniforms, red sox.
Here is a break down
Graphics- 9.5
Gameplay- 10.0
Sound- 10.0
Crowd Detail- 7.5 (the crowd actually have real looking bodies, no more mysterious red and blue blurrs in the stands.)
New Features

Pitcher Showdown
You pick a pitcher and pick another pitcher. You pick either 3,6,9, or 12 strikeouts. You pick a lineup to pitch to (the easier the team the mopre strikes.) Whoever reaches the limit first wins. If you walk or give up a homerun u loose points.

New Pitching Views

New fielding capabilities, Sliding, and Diving, and Robbing Homers.

This game is a big improvement from MVP Baseball 2003. You can actually manually field, and play on Pro without getting killed. You end up having exciting games into long inning games and relying on the bullpen to win u the game.
Remember to change Default Rosters to NO at the dynasty screen or else the players you trade wobnt be on the team. I kept doin it and it got frustrating but then i realized i had to so that lol.

I just purchased this game for the XBOX and it is amazing. From the graphics to the sound, it's definitely the best there is.

There are some problems, however. No baseball game has Barry Bonds, because he's not in the MLBPA, but they have replaced him with some created character (a white guy) with his same attributes). This ensures that Giants fans at least get to have their star power hitter. Also, Alex Rodriguez still plays for the Rangers in the game. It's an easy fix to change the official rosters to trade him and Soriano, but it's a little annoying.

Other than that, the 120 years of dynasty mode is straight up awesome and is sure to allow for some exciting baseball action well through the baseball season. The addition of the AA and AAA teams add depth and require you to monitor your prospects to ensure that you truly have a "dynasty."

The sound is nice and the game overall is very solid. Highly recommended. This is the game to buy for baseball fans this year. Don't bother with the other games. The online play that other games can offer doesn't hold a candle to the depth of this game.

By far the best baseball game ever! I'd recommend starting in the dynasty mode on rookie level. As you better yourself with pitching, batting, and fielding jump up to pro. This is where the game gets really good, and as you master pro, go to all-star! I love this baseball game, and I don't think I'll ever have to buy another one for at least 2-3 years :0

Finally the Advance Gameboy is here, and the first wrestler available is Firepro. I have heard much about the series of wreslting titles, and I must say this is a good wrestling game. With a gameplay style a tad different than fighting games I am used to, Firepro is a title that rewards timing and patience. It comes with many wrestlers, and has an extremely indepth create-a-wrestler function. Styles range from typical american pro wrestler to ultimate fighting style, so the type of character you make can have quite a range.

On the downside, the game has no championship mode, where the player would play a "storyline" mode. This seriously hampers replay value, as players are left to fight one-on-one matches without any serious reward. Also, unlike some of the other released games where you could have 4 players play off of one cartridge, Firepro demans that each player have a seperate cartridge as well.

All in all, a good start for the Advance. A good solid wrestler that will have you learning the ins and outs for a while.

This is a great wrestling game. The best for the GBA next to the second version. You have to rename all of the wrestlers you know. This is to protect the copyright issues. A few of the hints to rename a)the nicknames chosen b)the names chosen and c) the finishers chosen.
to unlock the hidden wresters you must go to the EDIT menu

select EDIT SUPERSTAR

go to NAME ENTRY.

on the first line type ALL

on the line below it type STYLES

and on the line next to that type CLEAR.

This should unlock all the hidden wrestlers.

As a professional wrestling fan, I have always been skeptical about games which do not have official licences. However, despite this, I bought Fire Pro Wrestling based on the low price, the good magazine ratings, and to help my anemic GBA game collection. Truly, it was the best purchase I've made for the system. The gameplay is fantastic and tight, the controls are fantastic and responsive and a breath of fresh air for those annoyed by console wrestling games, the graphics are fluid (not flashy, but anyone familiar with the stress fluid animation places on a processor would be VERY impressed). The modes of play, as well, are various, and perfect for any amount of time you have to spare. You can pick up the game and play a quick four minute UFC style match, or a tournament that can go on for hours. And, although not licenced, EVERY wrestler is based on real-life stars. And, with the battery back-up, you can easily permanently rename these wrestlers and their federation affiliations. You can also rename the federations. And of course, you can make your own wrestlers and organizations. I have been able to create accurate versions of Brock Lesnar, several ECW and XPW wrestlers, and even myself. The customization options really impress me. In fact, everything about this game impresses me. I have played it more often than Castlevania and Mario Kart, and not because it is a wrestling game; I find it more fun to play. Highest recommendation.

Reasons:
Wait for about 2 years until the AI is true to NFL gameplay

1. Uneven AI--- no matter the team, QB, etc...I used franchise mode to build a team with Mc Nabb at QBMcFarland at DT Ray Lewis at LB, Faulk at RB, Robinson, Galloway and Hines Ward as WR's...droped passes galore, missed tackles

2. Flat passess no matter how you release the ball--an LB will intercept a pass 10 yards before its intended receiver

3. You have to go in the game and manually adjust the AI to be more realistic...check the internet, people have actuall come up with what are more "true NFL" settings

4. You have to use the Madden cheat cards to try to even the matchups

5.Computer will make you throw INT's or fumble to keep game score down between 14 to 28 points

you will break the game in two...I have ruined two...when you use instant replay to see your all-pro turned idiot DB's blow coverage, balls go right through hands, fumbilits when the computer is lossing

I am a die hard football fan first and a gamer second. I bought Madden 2003 and NFL Fever 2003 and played them side by side for a week, and Madden has gone back to the store! There is NO comparison to the realistic look and feel of NFL Fever compared to Madden. Sure, EA may have put more features like drills and cards to collect etc. but I bought this to actually play a football game, and NFL Fever allows you to do just that with better graphics and more realism! Not having owned any previous version of either, I gave both an equal amount of time, and even invited several friends to try both and NONE of them chose Madden after playing both. If you own an Xbox, there really is no better choice than NFL Fever 2003, sorry all of you with Sony or Nintendo, you have to settle for second best!

Another year, another Madden. One really can't go wrong this year, as both Sega and EA sports have put out 2 great games. Here is my take on Madden:

PROS: Very deep gameplay, multiple modes (great new Mini-camp option lets you work on specific aspects of football), realistic football simulation. Graphics are quite good, although a good bit of clipping happens, especially during replays. Game sounds are pretty good, too. Overall, a lot of fun.

CONS: Computer can still pick you apart with the passing game. QB's are hard to sack, even with the best D-line you can have, and average receivers will routinely make spectacular grabs while triple covered by pro bowl defensive backs. CPU clock management is better, but the computer will still call a play and line up with only 2 seconds to go before the 2 mnts warning. The control is good, but a bit jerky and unrealistic when tackling. The voice commentary gets old FAST. The good folks at EASports recycled at least half of Madden's "unique" sayings from last year's game, which is ... cheesy.

Overall the positives outweigh the negatives, but I just wish someone could get pass coverage right for a change...

First of all the graphics are...well, you've read the other reviews and know how good they are. You can argue that this edition is great graphically but there *is* room for improvement (sky textures, some lighting and large areas of some statiums are disappointing at times). But the player's look and movement are amazing! Better than any other edition; very realistic and fun to watch. My G-Force 2 pro handles them well.

Now, the downside of FIFA 2001. The difficulty level of the gameplay is way too high when using a 4-button gamepad. I own the original FIFA, FIFA 1996, FIFA 1998, FIFA 2000 and now FIFA 2001. Every time I've bought home these footy games I'd set up a game with me as Brazil or England and the cpu team something (bad) like Peru. Well this time that doesn't work. The AI is too good even when the odds are *way* in your favor. I've heard talk of AI cheating and that is most certainly true. The cpu players seem too perfect no matter what country they are being modeled after. Seems the only way to get the blinking ball anywhere near the goal is to go with a long shot and hope one of your little guys is there to shoot it toward the goalie - who is played by Clark Kent in disguise (they are Supermen goal keepers who can stop nearly every shot even if they hail from Peru). To me these are nearly fatal flaws and leave me screaming at the screen in disgust. Now...if you have a 6-button gamepad then the odds tilt more toward the player than the cpu. Still, it should'nd be so difficult to beat a (bad) team controlled by the cpu even if you had a 2-button gamepad.

But my gripes aside, EA continues to make my favorite sports game of all time. For the budget-minded gamer FIFA 2001 is a better choice than FIFA 2002. Eventually, 2002 will be a better choice than 2003...

After waiting with great anticipation for FIFA 2001, I found myself somewhat disappointed after it arrived. Anyone accustomed to previous FIFA versions will be instantly familiar with controls and the majority of gameplay. In its' favor, 2001 has fantastic graphics-much improved over earlier versions. Most International and club sides are present, the most notable exclusion being Portugal. Players are realistic looking and vividly express emotion. Stadiums are also done well, with pitches that seem larger than in the past. One other subtle plus is the audio. Player celebrations, fan chants and cheering are well done. Unfortunately, these good points are somewhat offset by the gameplay. ...long passes are ridiculously difficult without a lob pass or through ball. Switching players has also become a major difficulty if a player is taken down or has the ball stripped. This is extremely frustrating as the ball will often sit begging for someone to take possession! Also, the tackling can be atrocious. Tackles that would be certain penalties or red cards are frequently let go even at the strictest setting. One last problem that may be isolated to my system (1 yr old 500 mhz pentium III), is that the game freezes occasionally requiring the computer to be powered off to be reset. It is frustrating if it is a close match or previous matches are not saved. ... Overall, I recommend FIFA 2001 for true soccer fans who should love the graphics although gameplay is less than perfect.

Fifa 2001 provides great excitement for the user. It has all of the leagues like the spanish and english leagues. You can play a world cup tornament, and use all of the International teams while paying in that tornament. You can play a season with any team you want. This game has great graphics. It provides player celebrations after goals, and yellow and red cards. You can custumize the teams uniforms as well as the players. You can make them have long hair, short hair, facial hair or no hair. You can change the skill level of the players to make them beter. You can change the game settings like the weather, the time of day, and how long the halfs are. Options for half lenth are 2 minutes, 4 minutes, 6 minutes 8 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, or 45 minutes. Overall it is a really fun game to play.

I've played Tony Hawk since the first one came out on N64. Graphics are good in TH Underground. Gets boring after you've beat it. The objectives should have more to do with skating. Some objectives on that game have to do with crap like rescuing ppl. I buy the frekin game to SKATE. Thats why it only deserves a 3 outta 5, cuz it needs a new edge. Its not fun after you beat it becuz if you play it again, its pointless. LaTer.

As my title says.....Decent. However, it could have been better, a whole lot better in fact. The graphics are top-of-the-line as is the gameplay, and soundtrack. I love the Tony Hawk games, i really do...but to make a game this short, i can't get over it. It will take you a matter of a few hours to beat, even on hard mode. The whole idea of having a plot was well done, and the non-skating parts didn't bother me at all (although some people hate them), actually i think they give a refreshing non-linearity to the game. The driving is bad i will admit, you could beat the game in the time it takes you to master it.
I gave this game 4 stars because, yes, i did like it. Had it been 5 or 6 hours longer i would have given it 5 stars. The multiplayer is fun as well, and customizing your own levels, goals, tricks, board, and skater is also cool. I would suggest a buy only if you are a serious fan of the previous games. Otherwise, rent or borrow it from a friend.

Tony Hawk skateboarding games have always been fun to a certain degree, but there were always various things you wished the games had. Each game was released with more freedom, creativity and options which became broader making each Tony Hawk sequal better than its prequal. Tony Hawk's Underground is by far the best of the Tony Hawk series and makes a farther leap into fantastic gameplay than the other Hawk games accomplished.

In Tony Hawk's Underground, the control has been brought to a smooth, pleasing level which makes the interface extremely easy and fun to manage. The game gives much more liberty and run of levels as you can jump off of your board, run around and even climb and hang off roof edges. A broadening of tricks allows gamers to piece together brilliant, eye-popping, challenging combos which creates limitless choices to creativity. Every trick and combo is so smooth it just begs you to do it again with more jazz. Tony Hawk's Underground boasts excellent control.

The storyline and challenges are put together very well. Starting with casual "chillin'" with your "homies" you board around New Jersey accomplishing various objects which gradually increases your skill. Fighting to become a pro, you face many challenges standing in your path which take time and skill to complete. The storyline keeps you calm and relaxed in the beginning and then furious and tense in the end as you battle against a skater who betrays you.

Tony Hawk's Underground has excellent control, difficulty challenges and a well developed story. To put it plainly, this game is a combination of the previous Hawk games put together into a brilliant, single game. This game is extremely fun. I highly recommend it.

I have to admit, as baseball games go this one is pretty slick. I like the straightforward controls, and the game options that can make it easier or harder depending on your skill level. I like the roster transactions and how you are not allowed to exceed 25 active players. The "Home Run Derby" option is fun if you are not into playing a full season, and even playing a one game exhibition is enjoyable. I was disappointed in the difficulty I had in initiating a double switch during a game, and I don't like the fact that every pitcher has an eight-pitch arsenal. I realize that this is a game and that the programmers can't program every big league pitchers pitch selection, but eight pitches? I mean not every MLB pitchers throws a Knuckle ball and a Screw ball. I would also like to see a starting pitcher unavailable to pitch for at least four days (season mode only) after a six inning start. I hate it when the computer brings in a starter in the middle of a game, and then marches him right back out the next day. Maybe it seems like I'm nitpicking, but if they claim to have a "realistic" game then lets make it realistic. I have seen older Nintendo games that have had these features. I was a bit disappointed that 2001 didn't have tons more options than the previous 2000 version. Overall, I have been very pleased with "All-Star 2001" and I will probably keep playing until they come out with 2002. If you're looking for a fun baseball game for N64 then this is it. If you're looking for something totally realistic, keep waiting.

All-Star Baseball 2001 is over all a preety good game. It has its fair share of glitches too. About 1/3 to 1/2 way through the season the stats skyrocket to impossible numbers. For example 169 home runs. Other than that this is a fun game!

This game by Acclaim Sports shows a wide variety of features and game modes including create a player, home run derby, season mode and just plain old exhibition matchups. This game is definitely more for the sim fan than the arcade fan with a lot of different pitches and many different ways to throw the ball. Even with its complexity, this game offers enjoyment to almost anyone once you sit down and get used to it. Once you start playing this game, you will not be able to put the controller down.

That's the best way I can describe it, just a good solid game. As for the laundry list of problems described by one reviewer, I have to agree with the choppy play by play announcing. Something obviously is wrong with the game itself in that area, but I'm over it. As for the other problems he had, they seem computer related. This game DEMANDS a pretty decent operating system to work up to 100%. Im running Pentium 4 1.6 with a Geforce 3, and it works pretty well, but some effects just dont seem perfect.

The realistic graphics are a real attraction to this game. Also, the game play (hitting and pitching ) are simple, keeping the game fun. I pitched in NCAA Division I, and I can tell you the ball comes off the bat as real as I've ever seen in a video game. Overall, if your looking for a damn good baseball game for your computer, go for this one. Its also got "create your own players" capability which is always a good thing. Take care and enjoy.

Most of the reviews I've read say much the same thing, but I'm adding mine to re-inforce the point. I haven't had this for very long, but as far as gameplay is concerned, this absolutely destroys Triple Play. Incredibly realistic, seemingly true-to-life baseball action.

But of course this is my chance to gripe, so here goes...
1)Most importantly, about half the time, the game kicks me out to the desktop in the middle of a game, and this on a Dell Pentium III with a lot of features. Very annoying.
2)If you are playing with a Gravis Gamepad Pro, it won't work with driver v.4.4; I had to re-install back to driver v.4.3. More goofy than anything, but a gripe nonetheless.
3)Both the announcers (both play-by-play and stadium PA) and the music are choppy enough that I've had to turn them off, which is annoying because otherwise they seem very good.
4)The difference between the Triple AAA level and Pro level (the next toughest setting) is quite great when playing the computer. Even when I began playing on Triple AAA I could win 33-5 (when it didn't crash, of course), but on the Pro level it is a bit more difficult.
5)I have to turn off some of the graphic features; if I didn't, my bats, helmets, umpire faces, and a few other features were either solid white or grey. Strange.

A great game with too many problems to recommend totally; if they can give it a patch to keep from crashing so much, I'll give it five stars.

High Heat Baseball is my favorite PC game of all time. In this annual baseball series, my favorite is the 2001 edition, which I think got most everything just right for the fun factor (after the patches, of course). However, I must admit that the 2002 edition disappointed me. I hear the 2003 edition is just the same thing pretty much, so I would probably not like it, either. Why don't I like the 2002 version?

First, the graphics. The 2002 colors are much too gray/dusty (I couldn't believe how much more pleasant the 2001 edition looked after I returned to it; it is like a bright cheerful day compared to the fogginess of 2002. Plus, the players all look and MOVE like zombies, despite of or perhaps because of the higher polygon count. They are all tall and stiff; I hate that stiff-armed animated walk after a base on balls, I cringe at the batter animation when a foul ball is hit. The worst graphical horror is when the game is played on a "bright" day and the players wear the short sleeve uniforms; the arms look wrinkled and quite hideous, and coupled with the already stiff animation, definitely makes the players look like zombies. Don't believe me? Play 2001 and 2002 back-to-back, and you will see. Yeah, sure, the newer stadiums look cool and the billboards flash and some of the newer animations do look neat, but I still prefer the cleaner, more simplistic graphics of the 2001 edition overall.

Next, the batter interface. I hate it. I rarely strike-out more then 10 per game in 2001, but I don't understand the 2002 strike zone, and I rarely strike out LESS than 10. Balls which look much too low are called strikes. The pitching animation looks rather jerky/uneven/not so realistic. This makes judging the ball path harder. (I tried the batting practice session, too...the horror!! Pitching animation did NOT match at all where the ball was released; it was therefore impossible to figure out where the ball was coming from!) Grr. Plus, that dumb whoosh sound as the ball comes closer ALWAYS throws off my timing. The WORST thing, however, is the much increased difficulty in checking your swing. Once you start swinging, you better make sure you make contact because you are unlikely to check in time unless you have uncanny reflexes.

Next, the sound. Overall, it is better, and I like the rock soundtrack and the 2 commentators. BUT, they cut each other off a lot, especially if the stadium announcer is on, so a lot of times what they say doesn't make much sense and is way too choppy. And I hate the hecklers because sooner or later, the game locks on one heckler who will repeat the same taunt in an endless loop until you turn it off. Stupid bug. The patch didn't fix it, either.

Now, don't get me wrong, overall this is still a decent baseball game, but there are enough small details which frustrate me that I prefer the earlier edition. One last thing...2002 lets me upgrade my 2001 roster into the new version, so I did. Brought them into AAA league, which was where they came from in the 2001 version. And they proceeded to demolish the competition 96-2 in the first game. Hm. Barely struck out, despite being at bat, oh, 100+ times. But I struck out like mad in the pro league. Needless to say, the game is not too balanced moving from AAA to pro. But there you go...

The 2002 edition may have more glitz and glamour overall and more neat downloaded files, but I think I'll stick with my tried-and-loved 2001 edition of High Heat.

Although at first, you may think the game doesn't look that impressive, believe me, it is.
Although missing a bit of content that would have made it that much better, it still delievers great gameplay. If you're intending to use this with Windows 2000, you may experience some difficulties as Virus tracking software seriously interferes with the gameplay, the easiest thing to do is to shutdown all Virus trackers and start Madden, and just be patient, it will load.
You can create your own teams on Madden, although creating players is not an option. The graphics aren't stunning as more modern computer games, but they still make it a worthwhile game. You can edit the playbooks, if you want to create your own plays.
You'll want to get a decent gamepad to play the game, as the keyboard is not the best of options for improved gameplay.

However, before you go off and by this, Madden 2004 is VERY VERY soon, and it looks much better than any of the Madden games, if you're looking for a good controller to get the most out of Madden 2004, I suggest the Gravis Eliminator Aftershock. The only place I've seen it really cheaply, is here at Amazon.com

BUT, having said that, if your PC isn't up to speed to play 2004, 2001 one is a good choice game.

I have played different versions of Madden Football since 1992 and this is by far the best one I've seen. The graphics are superb, the playbooks are detailed, and the rosters are updated to include the incoming rookie class of the 2000 season. The game is kinda complicated when using the keyboard, but it gets easier with practice. I say run, don't walk, when buying this game. It's worth it.

Madden 2k1 is a great game for the PC. I was surfing [...] a while ago, and I was trying to look at a good football game for the PC, since I didn't have any other game console. I came across this one and I looked at the graphics. It was the most incredible thing I had seen in a sports game. It was the number one game I wanted to get. When I finally did, I was so excited to install it. When I played it for my first time, it blew me away. I now have a season on it, which is really fun.
Okay, I'll tell you how the game is. There are codes you can put in, which are mostly teams from much earlier from today, (for example: the 1957 Lions) There are also some weird teams. You can even play as mummies with a certain code! You play in Cairo, Egypt! (By the way, you find these codes on [...]) I would rate this (the code mode) 10/10 for fun.
The basics of the game are:
Sound---------9.9/10
Fun-----------9/10
Score---------8/10
Reality-------9/10
Overall-------9/10 (I would make more, but I'll talk about them with detail later on. Besides, I'm tired of typing!)
I would start out with the practice mode if you're a first timer at this. It's fun, even without the real action! It's pretty simple. You choose your team, which side you want (offense or defense), where you want the ball to be, and the play you want to practice. (You have to choose the other sides play, too.
The exhibition games are the second step you should take. You choose your teams, who you want to play with you, (computer or 2 players) and you start with a big, fun game of football! The plays are hard to figure out. I couldn't kick a field goal until I figured this out. If you hit the up or down arrow, it will take you through different modes (shotgun, special teams, I formation, etc.) If you press right or left, it will take you to a different type. For example: If you go to the special teams, it will say PUNT. If you press right, it will say FIELD GOAL. Get it? good,
The season is fun. It is the third step to take. The diffuculty is up a notch from the exhibition games. It is realistic if you are on your right level for you. (Like if your a rookie, put the level mode on rookie) It will be tough, but it is challenging.
Madden had no disapointments (To me anyway). If you're extremely picky, you may find a very slight con. If you think you want to buy this game, don't hesitate. It is Terrific.