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New NFL games duke it out for players
(Reuters) -- The National Football League's on-field competition may be rough, but the battle to build the best football simulation game has gotten rather intense as well. The newest games have updated features designed to keep armchair quarterbacks busy, including the ability to play real-time games against other fans around the country. Let's start with Madden, which has become the gold standard for football sims among many fans. "Madden NFL 2004," the 14th incarnation of the NFL game featuring legendary commentator John Madden, offers players some major improvements over last year's edition which, actually wasn't much different from "Madden '02." Take control of teams"Madden '04," at least on the PlayStation 2, still has the precision that makes the game feel so real. But this year's version also has an Owner Mode, which allows players to take control of their teams off the playing field by setting ticket prices, hiring staff and adding features to your stadium, like a big-screen TV or cup holders. Suddenly, winning becomes far more important than ever because the more games you win, the more fans you get, the more revenue you generate and the more resources you have to build a good team. But you don't need to get engrossed in the Owner Mode to have fun. The new game also offers more control, allowing you to make last-minute adjustments to the patterns of individual players if you notice something unusual in the offense or defense. In fact, the game has so many options, even a veteran game player may feel a little overwhelmed by trying to take advantage of everything. Fortunately, you can pick and choose which ones to use. "Madden '04" is a smarter game. In older versions, the computer would run out the clock on itself. That doesn't happen now, making the game harder to beat. If you want to play online, you'd better have a PS-2. The Xbox, PC and GameCube versions don't let you compete over the Internet. You can also talk live to your opponents, but only if you have a broadband connection. "Madden NFL 2004" is rated for everyone and is available for $50 for Xbox, GameCube and the PlayStation 2; for $35 for Windows; and GameBoy Advance will cost $30. Set up a leagueXbox owners who want online competition may have to go with "NFL Fever 2004" ($50). Microsoft is hyping the game in conjunction with its XSNsports.com PC-based Web site that lets you set up one or more leagues, arrange games and view enough statistics to make any football fanatic choke on his Gatorade. Here's how it works. Players find other members of their league via Xbox Live, Microsoft's Xbox network, and compete with them in games. When those games are finished, the results and all the statistics are incorporated into your personalized Web page on XSNsports.com. Data junkies will also be able to view a list of upcoming matches, see the results of finished games, create a profile and check all the stats on upcoming opponents to gauge the types of plays they're likely to run, and plot a strategy against them. There's also a feature that rates players, so you can stay away from folks who are unreliable. It takes fantasy leagues to a whole new level. Play changes on the flyThe XSNsports.com system is being inaugurated with this week's release of "NFL Fever 2004," but it will also be incorporated into Microsoft's other sports titles: "NHL Rivals 2004;" "NBA Inside Drive 2004;" "Amped 2," a snowboarding game; "Top Spin," a tennis game; and "Links 2004," the popular golf franchise. As for "NFL Fever 2004" itself, the game also offers the ability to make play changes on the fly, create your own plays, and customize controls. Sony's "NFL GameDay 2004" ($50, PlayStation 2) is also going to be offering an online option similar to "Madden" but not as comprehensive as "NFL Fever." Review copies of "GameDay" and "Fever" were not available at press time, both were scheduled to be on the shelves this weekend. Copyright 2003 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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