Features

• Revolutionary Playmaker Control: Just like NFL players on the field, gamers now have more control over the action before and during the play with intuitive right stick adjustments. With Playmaker Pre-Play Control, use the right stick to quickly change plays, routes, or defensive coverage. After the snap, use the right stick to call out blocks, direct receivers, and make quick adjustments on defense.
• New, Deep Owner Mode: Take over the full bottom line responsibilities of the owner in addition to GM, coach, and player duties in Franchise Mode. Features include relocating your team and building a new stadium and setting all prices including food, merchandise, and parking. With the addition of the assistant coach license, gamers can even hire their own coaching staffs.
• Knockout Graphics and Presentation: New broadcast quality effects create a seamless transition from the end of the play to the play-call interface with post-play graphics shown on screen. Other enhancements incl
• ude new split screen replays, numerous specialty animations including stumbles with the ball, open field blocks, defensive reaction moves, and new QB scramble transitions to improve throwing the run. Players are modeled with the greatest accuracy ever including tattoos on player arms, dreadlocks, and long hair sticking out of the helmets, and all the latest NFL alternate uniforms and helmet styles.
• More Game: The deepest and most realistic playbooks to date are packed with information directly from NFL Coaches via the NFLCA license, and the package personnel system provides an innovative and fast way to change personnel to create favorable match-ups in any formation at the play-call screen. Deep AI includes situational passing that will not throw up the middle with time running down, real NFL zone coverage schemes, and much more.

Reviews (257)

Fun game but creating teams is frustrating
Madden 2004 is the only Madden game i have had on the PS2. It is a good game with good music and entertaining gameplay but everytime i go to create a team, i will draft the players and complete all the requirments to create a team then i save and then go to exhibtion and my created team is not on the selection. I want to know if iam doing something wrong or i there a bug.

Madden NFL 2004
The 2004 edition of Madden NFL Football includes several changes from the previous year. The new Playmaker Control allows players to quickly change, defensive coverage, and routes before and during the play. Owner mode offers a deeper set of responsibilities such as relocating your team, setting stadium prices (for food, parking, etc.), and stadium building. In-game visuals have been enhanced with broadcast quality effects to create a smooth transition between on-field play and the play-calling interface. Featuring the series' most realistic player models to date, matching tattoos and hairstyles with real-life NFL players.

Madden NFL 2004 isn't just the best football game of 2003, it's the best football game this generation of systems. It's the game that will satisfy even the most hardcore, while bringing back those gamers who, for whatever reasons, felt the last few versions of the series simply didn't live up to the legacy of the brand. The game introduces the two best new features found in football games since the Franchise mode, as Owner mode would be a fun game on its own, and Playmaker control is simply the most useful new gameplay tool introduced into the mix in many years.

Features

• Customize and name your own tricks
• Create parks with Skate park Editor
• For 1 or 2 players, or online (network adapter required)
• You are an unknown local skate punk trying to make it big
• Get off your board and explore 9 expansive levels

Reviews (145)

4.5 stars if I could
I love this game it has some tight elements to it yknow, it is different to the others in the series well cause there is some new things; like being able to get off your board, run, climb and walk around the levels.

There is the usual characters with the exception of Caballero and Steamer and the addition of Arto saari and Paul Rodriguez who are new. I'll just tell you who there is:Hawk, Burnquist, campbell, mullen, rowley, rodrigiuez, saari, thomas, reynolds, muska, bam & Ironman and some other unlockables.

The story mode is easy even on hard. It starts in NJ your Hometown where you learn basic stuff and get to create a skater for the mode. You have a friend called Eric who you become enemies with later. You run from the dealers who capture Eric and go to the next level Manhattan in NYC where you have to get sponsored then to Tampa where you do the Tampa AM if you and when you win you go to Diego to meet the team leader a fat guy called Todd, no matter what team you pick it don't make no difference after that you go to Hawaai where you do a crazy stunt off the hotle top. Then to Vancouver for Slam City jam when you win off to Moscow for some reason. Then after you go back to NJ where you face off with Eric (your rival now) and have to do his line which is mega hard, oh and before that you have to make a team of pros and make a video. You have finished.

The levels now

new Jersey:Not much to skate except the Train station and the pool 3/5
Manhattan: great level with many tight spots to skate 5/5
tampa: some good spots but not many 4/5
san diego; not much in this level 2/5
Hawaai: Good for jumping off the hotel and doing mad tricks
Vancouver: My Favorite level for some reason it really good 5/5
Slam City jam: A big skate park good 4/5
Moscow: soem good spots 3.5/5#
Bonus level: Hotter than hell: a kiss concert 1.5/5-it is a boring level

Thats the game- but check da tricks and movies. Buy if ya liek skate games

A Great game, but lacks things
I like that you can do your own career, but you can't choose yes or no, good or evil! It is pretty cool that you can create a park, but the create a trick is not so good. The career is good, but disapointingly short. Yet I do recommend you get this game.

Features

• Real-life attributes of strength, submission, technique, speed and stamina
• Improved arena and crowd elements
• For 1 to 4 players
• WWE wrestling action
• Showcases more than 55 WWE Superstars

Reviews (283)

Legands!!
I like no Love this game! It has the the best legands.My favorites. George "The Animal" Steele,Jimmy"Superfly" Snuka, and Hillbilly Jim.To me, those were the best legands (Hillbilly more less a fan favorite) still George & Jimmy althogh all wrestlers have a strange look (More More Jimmy Snuka) HBJ has a wierd bierd Snuka's got an afro and George is yellow.I all-so (?) Think Sarge Slaghter and Ted Diabiaso(DE-bE-asO) are excellent.

Note:I write all this becuse nobody REALLY mentioned the legands.

Difficult to play
I found the game had a great selection of wrestlers and matches, the graphis were good also. But it is very difficult to play. Even in the easy mode. The average Playstation 2 gamer will not be able to play this game at any level. Only the hard core gamer will enjoy this game.

Features

• Total player control allows you to direct 2-button touch sensitive passes anywhere on the ice
• Take on the role of GM for up to 20 seasons, drafting and trading players
• For 1 or more players
• Hard-hitting NHL action, now more physical than ever
• New Bruise Control fighting system features more realistic player collisions and powerful visuals

Reviews (78)

Very Good Game
This game is good because it has a lot of things to do.You can also make seasons and play games with your team.The graphics are very good and there is also a very good separate fighting mode.Another reason this game is good is because the controls are easy so you do not get confused with the other controls.Out of a lot of hockey games this would be one of the best.Overall, I think this is a very good game.

2 units frustration, 1 unit fun
NHL 2004 can be a fun game, but it has some serious flaws.The difficulty levels are unbalanced.The AI is downright repulsive.Your "teammates" are usually completely oblivious to what's going on around them, and can hardly follow any of the plays you choose.The plays that you can choose hardly ever make a difference when you're playing.If you're not PERFECTLY in position for the play, the teammates have no clue.The referee AI is atrocious.The computer-controlled team gets away with rapid-fire cross-checking, sucker punching your players in the face, and literally probing your player's bowels with their sticks (The fact that this BS is even in the game is disappointing), however if you so much as think about hooking someone, off to the box you go.Something is horribly unbalanced about this game.A regulation-length game produces sometimes 140 shots and anywhere from 10-20 goals per side.Other then all that, it is a pretty fun game.

Features

• Run team-specific offensive and defensive sets for every NBA team
• Be the point guard on the floor and own the flow of the game
• Online options: go head-to-head against the best ballers in the country
• 10-Man Freestyle includes new animation, logic, and enhanced focus on rebounding
• Completely revamped player models and details

Reviews (110)

Didn't like it at first
I actually hated this game when I first bought it due to the revised game play. I absolutely HATED...I repeat HATED the hop step, and having a seperate shot and dunk/layup button. Months later near the release of Live 05, I started playing Live 04 and became accustomed to the style of play. Now I couldn't imagine it any other way. The game is dope, and the audio appeal aint bad either. Really looking forward to playing Live 05 and mastering it. I run through cats in this game yo. Hope this was helpful...peace

If games were given MVPs, this game would get it!:)
No rule about it. This game is fantastic. Now with the pro-hop button, driving to the hoop is simple. and the blocks are superb. The new and imroved dynasty mode is awesome. Even though the players dont look so realistic, it still deserves a 5-star. I hope Nba Live 2005 is just as good. I can't wait to find out.

Editorial Review

The Sims has much in common with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater: There's a great emphasis trial and error, it encourages personalized solutions to problems, and overall success comes down to both balance and timing. Also, like the Tony Hawk games, The Sims is a very addictive game.

Players micromanage the lives of a family of virtual people and influence the outcome of their lives, be it success or something akin to a nervous breakdown. The bestselling PC version of the game has, in recent years, been upgraded with elements like parties, pets, and vacations, but this iteration is closer to the basic formula.

You start the game living with Mom in a one-story suburban house. You are immediately presented with certain life tasks, such as fixing the TV and making lunch, which are aligned with the skills you'll need for the game's main challenge--keeping your sims in balance on eight conflicting categories. For example, eating will have an impact on your sim's hunger rating, but it will also impact his bladder rating. You'll have to make sure that he keeps himself and the house clean, that he sleeps to restore his energy, and that he also has time to keep himself entertained. The free will option lets your sims coast a bit, and you can also save time by stacking tasks together. Time passes at the rate of about one minute per second in the game, but you can fast-forward sim time when you need to, such as when they're sleeping.

The controls are justifiably complex, but adjusting to them is not difficult. You see your sims from an overhead perspective that you can both rotate and zoom. You direct their actions by moving a line cursor to where you want them to go or to what object or person with which you want them to interact.

The game is surprisingly funny. Neglect your sims and they'll shout and wave their arms to get your attention. Allow one's energy to get too low and he or she will likely collapse and sleep right where they were standing. When that happens, Mom is likely to serve them dinner on the floor.

Gamers may find that it takes a while to get the hang of The Sims' style and control scheme. Stick with it and you may find real time fast-forwarding by. --Porter B. Hall

Pros:

• Interesting, open-ended gameplay
• Lots of quirky humor
• Two-player split-screen option

• Can be frustrating for those unfamiliar with strategy games
• Controls take some getting used to
• Long save times

Features

• Unlock 100 new objects and social moves
• Several new careers including gangster and mad scientist
• For 1 or 2 players or play online
• Create a character and play through over a dozen unlockable levels
• Explore new locations in your car or scooter

Reviews (69)

The Sims Bustin' Out
This game is not a bad game. You must not play it very much if you hate it.

Extremely Disappointing
This is a horrible game.I have played every other Sims game made, and this does not even come anywhere near to being as good as the rest.One of the worst aspects of this game is that you are very limited as to what you can do.There are no neighborhoods like in the other games.You cannot visit other places.Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would rate this game a negative ten.

Editorial Review

How big is this game? Even publicists for other games end up talking about Vice City when they call our office, babbling in the same helplessly intoxicated way that afflicts everyone who plays it. The achievement of Vice City (which, as everyone knows by now, is set in the 1980s and offers an all-new, Miami Vice-inspired story) is not only that it manages to live up to an absurd level of expectation, but that it takes the game places that fans of its predecessor Grand Theft Auto 3 never dreamed of, and that it achieves this astonishing level of innovation without losing anything that made GTA3 the bestselling PS2 game of all time.

After a brilliant homage to the era of the Commodore 64 in the opening credits, the first thing you'll notice is the improved graphics, which are smoother and more detailed, and--with effects like neon lights reflected on rain-slick streets, and intense Florida sunlight--have a lush, tropical look that immediately gives you a strong sense of place. The architecture is more fabulous by tenfold, with art deco buildings, high-rise hotels, and believably seedy back alleys. The control scheme is essentially the same as in GTA3, but the cars handle much better, and in pedestrian mode there is a new crouch move. You will have access to fast, great-handling cars right away, as opposed to GTA3 which made you unlock the second island before you could get your hands on any respectable wheels. This game has such riches to offer that there is no need to be chintzy with the vehicles.

Cops are more vigilant this time--minor offenses like whacking innocent bystanders will more often than not get you a two-star wanted level--and are harder to elude (though they still can't seem to climb stairs or negotiate sharp turns). So while free-roaming exploration is as fun as ever, there is more incentive to perform the missions instead of randomly raising hell. Not that that's a bad thing: even lazy criminals like myself (in GTA3, I would rather toss hand grenades into traffic than follow orders from some rude Mafia boss) will be quickly caught up in the vivid characters and hilarious, fascinating story, in which you play an acid-washed-jeans-wearing thug named Tommy Vercetti. Where in GTA3 missions were blocky, schematic affairs only nominally connected to the story, this time tasks move the story briskly along and deftly blend cinematics and game action. For example, there is a scene of a character throwing Tommy a gun, at which point you are suddenly thrown back into the action and must make an instant decision about whom to trust and what to do.

There are more, and more detailed, indoor environments, including a hotel, police station, and mall (a slight downside to this is that some of the more elaborate indoor environments require load times). The layout of the city, with tons of backyards, narrow alleys, and fire escapes, encourages creativity when eluding pursuit, as does greater access to rooftops. Get your motorcycle up the fire escape and a whole new world of action is possible, including... well, use your imagination.

This overview barely scratches the surface of the Vice City experience, its colorful explosion of music, clothes, combat, and brilliant voice acting, not to mention the plot twist midway through the game that changes the very nature of the game itself. Though it was the outrageous, amoral violence that got all the press, the essential genius of GTA3 was its intoxicating blend of script and open-ended action. In Vice City this is--to use a cliché that is for once apropos--taken to a whole new level. --David Stoesz

Pros:

• Astonishing, innovative gameplay
• Godlike attention to detail
• Opportunity to drive on the beach at midnight listening to the Human League's "Fascination"

• More load times

Features

• Ten massive gameplay levels spread across five major missions
• Open environment based gameplay allows players to take multiple paths and approaches to defeat the enemy
• For 1-4 players
• World War II themed first person shooter
• Epic WWII Action from 1941 to 1945

Reviews (240)

Inherent mediocrity
A loyal and content follower of the Medal of Honor series since its inception on PS1 many years ago, I nonetheless approached this title with a considerable degree of trepidation.I'd never been disappointed with any Medal of Honor title I'd laid hands on.Yet many reports of this game were lukewarm or downright negative, and I expected to find that the MoH developers had finally made a critical misstep.To a certain degree, as it turned out, that was eventually revealed to be just the case.I didn't buy this game when it was first released-was indeed planning on just bypassing this installment of the series altogether-but when I later saw new copies of the PlayStation 2 version of it for sale on the cheap, I gave in to the beckoning voice of nostalgia and series loyalty and snapped one up.

First things first.Controlling console first-person shooters with a gamepad-a realm long surrendered to PC titles, and for good reason-is an acquired taste, yet one that has definite benefits even surpassing those of a mouse and keyboard in certain aspects once a player becomes accustomed to the scheme and limitations.As I see it, the key is in relying on strafing with the left analog stick during active combat, using that technique to adjust aiming weapons rather than the right analog stick, which almost always tends to be too sensitive to aim where you want when the adrenaline's flowing.An area where a gamepad excels over computer controls in FPS games is the analog nature of the beast, being able to pan the camera view around at a slow, cinematic movie-like pace or at any variable speed you wish, as well as being able to move your character at any number of speeds-not just "walk" or "run."Another noteworthy feature that console pads have is the force feedback effect, which has evolved far beyond the mere novelty it once was and has become an integral part of the gaming experience.Having said all that, the analog control mechanics of Medal of Honor: Rising Sun are on par with other FPS console titles and take no getting used to if you're familiar with the genre.The rumble feature works to excellent effect, thumping with explosions, shaking with gunfire and thudding like a heartbeat when your character's health gets low.The button layout-customizable only from a limited array of predetermined options-is another story, and it took me a while to become comfortable and natural with it.

A staple of the MoH series is the actual black & white World War II footage used to augment game missions, employed before or after each long mission, and that tradition is carried on here.Unlike all previous MoH titles, however, this game involves no combat with the German arm of the Axis, focusing instead on the wars in the Pacific and combat with the Japanese.Indeed, the initial mission has you waking up on board a US battleship under fire at Pearl Harbor, rescuing fellow naval personnel, manning a gun emplacement on the deck and, later on, on a small gunboat blasting frantically at the Japanese war planes peppering the smoky, crimson sky.The PS2 graphics are well-implemented and are up to the task in this instance.It's an action-filled, pulse-pounding, impressive beginning for the game, yet is over all-too-soon.After a promising beginning, however, cracks and flaws in design and execution begin to surface.Multiple missions have you creeping through dense tropical island foliage, yet the graphics engine seems to be unable to properly render natural, organic environments; instead of actual trees, shrubs and wildlife, you're given solid green walls on either side of a given path with just the images of trees and shrubs painted on them.And while there is the occasional mid-mission option of choosing one path or another to arrive at given objective, the green walls are always there, funneling you through a narrow path with no choice but to follow it.It might as well be a corridor shooter in these cases.And while some of the foliage is decently drawn, other parts of it are so pixilated that they look like something from the Atari 2600 era.The original Tomb Raider game from 1996 on the Sega Saturn rendered outdoor foliage as good as this game does.It's difficult to overlook such glaring deficiencies after spending so much time with, for example, the highly-detailed, photo-realistic, free-roaming gaming world of Far Cry.Yet this is the aging PlayStation 2 and I realize that a developer can only do so much with the available horsepower.

Another acute failing in Rising Sun is enemy AI.So many other games have advanced what is expected of the artificial intelligence programming, and this game is definite window into the past in that regard.You shuffle helplessly down confined corridors whilst the opposing forces magically pop out at you from predetermined spawn points.They stand dumbly in front of you as you pummel them with lead.Sometimes they will run, take evasive action and find cover behind some object.Yet even at these times you can shoot an extended elbow or knee or head that's jutting up from behind said cover and the enemy soldier will just stand there and take it, not reacting to being shot until he falls over dead.Japanese soldiers never seem to act in tandem, never seem to formulate any tactic to outflank or work together to bring you down; they just stand or kneel and shoot until either you and they run out of health.It's like a shooting gallery, and I found myself becoming lazy later on in the game, usually not even bothering to duck or use cover in conflicts, just standing there myself and spraying short bursts of bullets around.During the entire course of the game, the only time my health really became threatened was when a large gang of machine gunners would surprise or overwhelm me, or on the few eyebrow-raising occasions when a crazed, sword-wielding samurai soldier would charge and begin hacking at me before I could plant a bullet in his brain.Magical, inexplicable respawning also occurs, much to my everlasting chagrin.Clear an area, nab an objective, retrace you steps and find the area suddenly semi-repopulated with opposition.And let's not even get started on the stationary machine gun emplacements.Sure, it's been done in the previous MoH games too, but it's sure getting to be old hat by now: any time you take control of a stationary machine gun, wave after wave after wave of soldiers will spring into existence all in front of you for your mowing-down pleasure.The funny part is, these swarming enemy masses present almost no threat at all to you behind all the firepower your wielding.Just fire back and forth, like putting out a fire with a fire extinguisher.Funnier still is that these forces don't even begin to exist in the game unless you man the stationary guns, so can avoid these little shootouts if you wish by just not walking up to any of the emplacements.

But all is not lost in the world of Rising Sun.For all the game engine failings during the aforementioned levels, the graphics are still impressive in the more traditional MoH settings.My favorite level of the game begins at night in Singapore, a stealthy infiltration on the docks.You're crouched in shadows, the old boards of the dock creaking underfoot as soft waves lap the posts and hulls of moored ships.Light fog rolls across the docks, casting and eerie, phosphorescent glow.Up on the mainland, glowing businesses and buildings of the town proper are visible: ghostly eyes shrouded in mist.Half-seen enemy guards lounge and patrol in lazy patterns.Equipped with a one-shot-one-kill stealth weapon, the player creeps along and either sneaks by them or takes them silently out, one by one: a muffled whoosh, a projectile contacting target, the sighing grunt as he falls and the fog-muted splash as he plummets to the murky depths.It's a great beginning, and the level progresses from there into the city proper with some open street-to-street combat and hostage rescuing.There's also a nicely done level that places you and a squad of friendly AI troops on board a small boat chugging slowly up a narrow waterway.Under shadowy night skies, under the impassive eyes of the moon and stars, under the overhanging, somehow menacing branches of trees and darkly emerald topography, the soldiers whisper back and forth.Did you see something?Did you hear something?Be ready, men.We scan the shorelines, left and right, left and right again, but see nothing.Time passes.The slight murmur of the outboard motor.The conversations of insects.The wind rustling through the leaves.Tension builds.What was that?Suddenly, gunfire erupts from the canopy of night: red on green and black, the ambush is on. Once again, a terrific, cinematic moment.I also liked most of the Bridge on the River Kwai level.From a distance, the far off outdoor vistas are compelling and epic, and working your way along high above the rushing waters of the river had a certain dramatic, cinematic flair to it.At one point in this level, you descend onto a line of railroad tracks, and I heard the oddest trumpeting, grunting noises coming from behind me.I turn around and, wonder of wonders, there's family of elephants mulling about on the tracks.It was such a cool, out-of-place, surreal moment.And another example of the uneven nature of the MoH graphic engine: amidst the backdrop of some questionable outdoor environmental visual rendering, these animated elephants were nearly photo-realistic.Later on, there's a fun little section of the game where you actually get to ride atop a big ol' elephant as he crashes madly through the woods, you all the while scorching the trees and surrounding rock formations with gunfire in an attempt to take down the bad guys before they can hurt you...or your friend, the elephant.

Yet most of the game falls in the range of average to slightly below average, and certainly a been-there-done-that feeling surfaces all too often.The single-player portion of the game is notably short, probably only 6 or 7 hours long.They attempt to make up for this by offering the enticement to replay the game several times to get better "scores" and thusly earn medals for particular performance grades, but I personally didn't see much use in that.There's also a split-screen, cooperative, off-line multiplayer option that affords you the ability to wade through all the single-player missions with someone else, which is a nice inclusion, as well as PS2 online support (which I don't subscribe to).There are a couple of classy extras thrown into the mix as well: interview clips of actual WWII soldiers discussing their parts in the conflicts represented in Rising Sun, and an interesting section called Letters from Home, which features the reading of actual letters written by WWII servicemen.Still, a few memorable gameplay moments and a unique platter of extra features aren't nearly enough to save this game from its .

LOOK AT THIS ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i thought this game was pretty cool withall the japanese soldiers and pearl harbor and everything. other people say it's boring and the AI is bad, but i like mindlessly killing japs!!!!have played frontline and it is really col too, but i can't pick which one i likebetter. anyway, blowing upstuff is lots of funso ha!!!!!