What's Good	What's Bad	4.5 out of 5.0
Running model greatly improved Immersiveness fantastic Fairly easy to learn	Graphics looking a little dated Announcers become monotonous during games

One area where Madden 2K seriously falls short is graphics. I've been playing NFL Fever 2K for a couple weeks now, and next to that, Madden's graphics look, well, old. I mean, the graphics in Madden are good, don't get me wrong, but, Microsoft's Fever wins the graphics crown for this year, hands down. One area where Madden has improved, however, is in the player motion after plays. Even after an incomplete pass or bad play, you'll see players react much more emotionally than in any other of the Madden series. Also, new animations such as field goal nets rising and lowering after kicks, helmets flying off after particularly hard tackles, and other little nuances give the game a more realistic feel. Having said that, however, the graphics in Madden are still inferior to NFL Fever 2K, so if MS gets a few of their other problems with Fever worked out, and EA doesn't get Madden's graphics updated, EA could be in serious trouble.

Sound is, like all Madden games, excellent. The immersiveness, from crowd chants to the sounds of collisions, is nothing short of perfect. Having said that, however, there is one glaring flaw in the sound, and, alas, it's the announcers. John Madden & Pat Summerall have returned once again to provide play-by-play and color commentary, however, their presence can sometimes be more annoyance than assistance. Sometimes, they just flat out get calls wrong. Other times, the commentary made, usually by Madden, is pointless. Previous Madden users, especially those of Madden 99, may even recognize certain comments repeated. An example of this would be: "Troy Aikman's one of the NFL's great guys. Not just as a football player, but as a guy," which was used also in the 99 version of the game.

Gameplay is an area where Madden 2K has definitely improved from its predecessors. All our favorite modes of play, Coach, Season, Tournament, etc, are still present, but, new modes, such as Madden Challenge, and Franchise mode, make this a by far more interesting game. In Madden Challenge mode, for instance, players are required to complete certain tasks(i.e., throw 3 TD's in a game, kick 5 field goals, sack the opponent's QB 2 times, etc.) in order to receive codes to unlock new features of the game (hidden teams, stadiums, and so forth). Franchise mode puts the player in complete control over one club. Players can become the Jerry Jones or Mike Shanahan they always wanted to be (and, can prove to themselves that yes, they could run the clubs better than the real staff). In one example, I replayed Dallas' recent loss to Philadelphia, and, as coach, achieved a 45-41 OT victory. I don't think, however, that Jerry Jones will be knocking my door down anytime soon to replace Chan Gailey. Also, would-be coaches have total control over their rosters, so if a player isn't performing well, you just bench the guy and warm up the backup.

Still focusing on gameplay, the issue of statistics comes to mind. Madden 2K continues this series' excellent statistical modeling, providing not only comprehensive stats between quarters, but, a full, press-box style report at the end of each game so players can evaluate their performance. Another area of gameplay which elicited great concern with Madden 99 was the running game. Players just couldn't get decent running games going, forcing QBs to throw almost every down. This year, however, the model of the running game has been tweaked to allow much more realistic results. Case in point: while playing the Dallas Cowboys against the New York Giants, Emmitt Smith racked up 90 yards in one drive, including a 74-yard burst which was stopped just short of the endzone. Sweep and toss plays seem to work the best early, but, after pounding for awhile with a good offensive line, the traps, dives, and draws also begin to yield impressive results.

The controls in Madden 99 are fairly simple, almost duplicating last year's model. Players can use either a joystick, keypad, mouse, or keyboard to control their team, with full diagrams of relevant keystrokes, moves, etc included in the game documentation.

Documentation, like so many games these days, is sparse at best. The manual, only 44 pages long, does a good job of describing the basics of playing the game, but does little to enhance the actual experience. The online readme file is also a poor example of documentation. Hopefully, EA Sports will work on enhancing the documentation for the coming Madden 2001.

At this point, many people will say, "All right, it sounds cool, and I love Madden, but how does the thing play?!?" I'm pleased to report that Madden 2K is one of the most stable games I've ever come across. I've run several complete games, without even so much as a hiccup, or hint of a crash. Frame rates on my system (P233) were very good, consistently in the high 20-FPS range.

The Madden series has come a long way since its humble beginnings, and, has rested atop the football sim mountain for many years. However, many people believe that EA has gotten soft, allowing the Madden series to rest on its laurels and not incorporate any improvements beyond the obligatory roster changes. As indicated above, Madden 2000, for all its glory, is beginning to show its age, specifically in the graphics department. While it is still a worthwhile game, and well worth the money for serious PC football gamers, there are many holes, that, with the right combination from the right producers, could knock EA off its throne. Still, Madden 2000 continues in the excellent tradition of its predecessors, and holds great promise for the future. I heartily recommend this game to any sports enthusiast or Monday morning quarterback. It's not the only game in town anymore, but it still manages to be the best.