Publisher: EA Games, www.easports.com
Ages: eight and up
Parental Advisory: Sports action
Madden 2002 for GameCube is much like Madden for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. If you've played one, you've basically played them all. This doesn't detract from a solid title, which Madden 2002 for the GameCube is. But you can effectively get a solid and similar football experience from Electronics Arts on any of the game consoles.
To start, Madden 2002 is an excellent football game that appeals to both beginners and die-hard armchair quarterbacks. For beginners, the game offers a training mode that helps hone your skills with advice from Madden himself. And those who want more of a challenge will certainly find it here.
Madden games have always done a great job of offering football strategy that challenges you to manage a virtual football team. And, once again, the game delivers. You can create and develop players using options for weight and height, faces, legs and arms, and more, which affect their performance on the field. You get to create teams with options for logos and uniforms and manage them. And even create your stadiums and play against NFL squads and players
While Madden delivers first rate strategy, it doesn't scrimp on the action. I found that the GameCube controls worked well and were quite responsive. The graphics, which are most comparable to those on the PlayStation 2, look great and the players look quite life-like and move realistically. The game's artificial intelligence was smart enough to react much as real players would. The game also offers good commentary by Pat Summerall and (who else?) John Madden, which is icing on the cake.
Overall, Madden 2002 delivers an excellent football experience on the GameCube. It may only aim to offer play that's comparable to that on the competing consoles, but it's a satisfying and first rate gridiron simulation.
