A good game for the time being 01-02

I'll break down the game for ya and I hope this helps you with your decsion to buy the game or not.

Game play- 8
Through out the whole madden series (I will be comparing a lot of Madden games through out the review due to the date of which I'm writing this review) this is least favorite one. OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE EVERY YEAR IT GETS BETTER! Except in Madden 06's case but lets not get into that. Madden 2001 is a great game. I first started to really get into the Madden series in late 2002 early 2003. I remember playing Madden 2003 all the time. Beating my friend every chance I got. This game though as the first installment of the Madden series has very smooth game play. One thing I like about the game is the fact that you can hit square and actually jump and catch the ball. I have done it a few times playing this game and it's really great. I don’t know if you have played any other Madden games but if you jump for the ball by pressing square the odds are 1000:1 that your not going to catch the ball. It's really great that you can do that in this game. Also season mode was fun a long time ago but now on other Madden games there is Franchise and Superstar mode but for the year 2001 this game was really something.

Controls- 10
The controls on any madden game are the same. Actually that’s technically not true. The controls on any madden game on the same system are the same. So the controls for Madden 2001 are going to be the same default setting for every year so far that it's been out for the 6-7 year period. It hasn’t actually been out 7 years but going by the way the game was created it has. Also the controls don’t change unless new Features are added such as the passing cone in Madden 06. But the controls are really very easy to use. The square button is to dive, triangle is to jump, X is to sprint and you can move with either the directional pad or the left analog stick, whichever one you prefer. If you've played any Madden game on the PS2 such as Madden 2002, 03 etc. then you will have no problem playing.

Replay- 8
It's great how they have the replay option. You can hit start and replay your plays. In every sports game it's great to be able to replay your plays. It's also great to be able to call your own challenge. If you were to challenge something and the game made the bad call you would know who was right after they've made the call. That was a great feature they put in the game. It was a necessary feature to put in as well.

Graphics-8.5
The graphics in this game are GREAT! For 2001. Now the graphics for games/football games are getting better every year. The fact that they made the graphics for Madden 2001 that good really amazed me though. They have always done a good job on the PS2 with the graphics department.

Overall- 8
I couldn’t give the game anything higher then an 8. Given the scores for each section the Overall should be higher then what I've given it. Though I couldn't give it a higher score because of all the other Madden games in the series. I have trouble getting those games out of my head while writing a review for another madden game. I could go on an on about the Madden series, but it's hard for me to talk about a single Madden game. I tried to break this game down as much I could for you though. I hope you know that this review is coming from a TRUE Madden gamer and you should fun playing this game.

a good, fun football game

Sound 5/10

I'll start with the worst news first, just to get it over with. This games sound isn't good at all, and it really doesn't take that much away, but if it would've been good, it would've given so much more. Now, don't get me wrong the ''Special FX'' of the games sound is spectacular, but to tell you the truth, thats expected. Sure, the crowd sounds realistic, and the moans and yells of when someone gets hit is all good, but where the sound really drops is the commentary. Actually, I can't hardly think of any game with worse commentary (aside from another Madden game.) Anyway, John Madden might be the greatest king of football, and blah, blah, blah.. but when it comes to commentary, on video games.. he just can't get much worse. Of course, there's always the option to turn the commentary off, and I really, really praise Electronic Arts for adding that spectacular feature.

Gameplay 9/10

Yes, this game is extreme fun, but there is no doubt the gameplay is a bit ''madden-ized''. There are a couple of new gameplay features, and although the gameplay is practically the same as other madden games, it is fun nonetheless. The one thing that parts this gameplay from other football games(forgive me for comparing), is the fact that you really must use strategy, the defense really seems like they're thinking as a human would. What I mean is, you can't just use the same play-after-play as you would in other football games without the defense catching on. Sure, you might get away with two successful pas plays in a row, but the defense will then move to protect against that play, or any passing play. Of course, in turn, that would open up an opportunity for a breakaway run (which the defense may also be prepared for). What I'm ultimately say is, the AI in the game is very well done, and I really think it gives a more ''realistic'', yet very new, and fun experience.

Controls 10/10

I'm not going to drag on about how good these controls are so... there I said it, these controls are very good. On to the next section!

Graphics 10/10

Actually, the reason I bought this game was because of the graphics. I was walking through a video game store and I had picked up the Madden 2001 box. I turned it around and suddenly, I was immersed it amazement. The screenshots of the game were great, and the character models were.. perfect, they really did look like people. After getting a good recommendation for the game from the store clerk, I bought it. When I got home and turned the game on, I was nothing short of amazed. Truthfully, I expected less, and figured they just got some good luck with the screenshots, but I was wrong. The graphics were just as great if not better than what the box had shown. The instant replays are so greatly done, its hard to tell the difference between a real game, and the video game. Its so detailed you can se the seams in the football, and easily recognizable are the faces of each football player. I mean Jerome Bettis really looks like Jerome Bettis! Well, despite the fact that the gameplay is original and the AI is great, the graphics make this really shine. No doubt the game would still be worth buying without the beautiful graphics, but this really adds to the experience. It makes you feel more at home with the game, makes you feel like you're really there. Well, chalk up another great game for PS2. Go buy this now. NOW!

overall rating - 4/5

this game rocks

this game rocks. I have always wanted to buy football for ps2 now I CAN FOR CHEAP! Even though it is an older verision so what it is madden football game who cares they are all good!

Madden NFL 2001

My husbadn's a big fan of the Madeen Games, so I was trying to collect all that was made for the PplayStation ans PS2.