Madden NFL 98 - PC Review - Gamecenter

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Madden NFL 98

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Shiny New Helmets
EA Sports is known for producing excellent graphics in its games, and indeed, Madden 98 looks quite tasty. The players are designed with something EA calls V-POLY technology: polygon enhanced sprites. I don't know if this is just marketing hype, but the end result is good-looking players that move realistically. Multiple panning camera angles and a full-featured replay are just gravy on the visual feast. Madden 98 also features some of the best full-motion MPEG video I've seen in a game. And just like Madden 97, the 98 version includes a separate CD for Madden 101, which contains multimedia explanations of football strategy and history. The video is so good I can almost smell the Bloomin' Onion on Madden's breath. Madden 101 is a wonderful extra, and EA truly went above and beyond by taking the time to produce it. Most importantly, Madden 101 helps make up for a poor manual. So, make sure you check out the help file for information on important topics (like bluffing a play and timing patterns) that you won't find in the written manual.
On the same side of the quality spectrum as the manual is Madden 98's sound. The effects are fine if a bit overdone, but the play-by-play by Pat Summerall is pathetic. The speech is stuttered and the player names sound like they are pasted into generic statements by a guy fired from a kung fu film-dubbing studio. Thankfully, the different sound options can be turned off individually.
It's Your Call, Coach
As strong as Madden 98 is on gameplay, it is equally strong on depth. Everything from individual player statistics to entire leagues can be modified and saved. Great historical teams and the coveted All-Madden teams are also included for fun Madden NFL 98 and reference. Players aren't named on the historical teams, but they can be edited and names can be added. Even though Madden still lacks a play designer, it's stocked with hundreds of Madden-approved plays that fill most needs. Even specialty plays like spiking the ball and taking a knee are included. I like the fact that players can be traded, and I really like that actual NFL roster updates will be made available for free over the Internet (not yet available as of this writing). Madden 98 lets realists play out their NFL dreams and idealists design their own leagues from scratch. Although most new leagues don't make it in the real world, I'm hoping my Football League Of Poland (FLoP) will be a success in Madden 98 circles. Both NFL and custom seasons feature games that are simulated quickly and plausibly.

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Madden NFL 98

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