Madden NFL 2003

Madden NFL 2003 continues the long-running football series by completely overhauling the sound engine. For the first time in six years, Pat Summerall will no longer handle the play-by-play commentary from behind the microphone. Award-winning broadcaster Al Michaels takes the reigns for 2002, which introduces new audio technology focusing on in-game action and what a player should have done in a specific situation rather than merely reporting what already transpired. Situation-specific commentary will involve both Madden and Michaels talking to one another as the design team attempts to create a livelier and more engaging presentation than in years past. John Madden will also offer new advice for specific situations, such as what to do once inside the red zone, the proper use of timeouts, and various other strategies. Other new features include updated rosters and player ratings to reflect the 2002-2003 season, enhanced game modes, and new Madden Cards to collect and trade.

OFFENSE

BEFORE THE SNAP

X Button + X, A, B, L or R Button = call an audible
Y Button = cancel an audible
X + White Button = run original play
X + Black Button = flip play
Left Thumb Stick Button = quiet the crowd
Black Button + D-Pad or Left Thumb Stick Left or Right = coach's cam
B Button = fake snap
Back Button = call timeout
A Button = snap the ball

RUNNING

D-Pad or Left Thumb Stick = move player
A Button = sprint
X Button (hold) = dive
X Button (tap) = slide
Y or Right Thumb Stick Up = jump, hurdle
B or Right Thumb Stick Down = spin
L or R Trigger = juke left or right
Black Button = stiff arm right or left

PASSING

A Button = bring up passing icons
A, B, X, L or R Button = pass to receiver
White Button = throw ball away
Y Button = toggle passing icons
Left Thumb Stick + A, B, X, L or R Button = route-based passing
Right Thumb Stick = pump fake

RECEIVING

A Button = control intended receiver
X Button = dive for pass
B Button = sprint
Y Button = jump for pass

BLOCKING

A Button = switch to closest blocker or receiver
X Button = cut block
B Button = sprint, engage block

AFTER THE PLAY

A Button = bypass cut scene
A Button (hold) = hurry players to the line
B Button = spike ball
X Button = fake spike ball
Y Button = no huddle
L + R Trigger = instant replay

DEFENSE

BEFORE THE SNAP

A or B Button = cycle through defenders
D-Pad or Left Thumb Stick = reposition player
L Trigger + D-Pad = defensive line shift
L Trigger + White Button = reset defensive line shift
R Trigger + D-Pad = linebacker shift
R Trigger + White Button = reset linebacker shift
X Button + X, A, B, L or R Button = call an audible
Y Button + D-Pad = call coverage audible
Y Button = cancel an audible
Y + White Button = reset coverage
X + White Button = reset original play
X + Black Button = flip play
Left Thumb Stick Button = pump up the crowd
Black Button = coach's cam
Back Button = call timeout

AFTER THE SNAP

A Button = control player nearest to the ball
D-Pad or Left Thumb Stick = move player
X Button = dive
B Button = sprint
Y Button = jump
Black Button = strip ball
L Trigger = spin move left or right
R Trigger = swim move left or right

KICKING GAME

D-Pad or Left Thumb Stick = direction and elevation of kick
A Button = start kick meter, stop kick meter, delay the kick
X Button + X, A, B, L or R Button = call an audible
Y Button = cancel an audible
X + White Button = reset play
X + Black Button = flip play
Back Button = call timeout ~ Keith Adams, All Game Guide

"How you kick a kickoff out-of-bounds just baffles me" If you like the Madden football series, you're familiar with the famous coach-turned-analyst's colloquialisms. Generally, they're the worst part of his games, and Madden NFL 2003 for the Xbox is no exception. Fortunately, though, the rest of the presentation more than makes up for it. A huge play selection, terrific graphics, refined gameplay, and extensive game modes (including the online options) make Madden NFL 2003 one of the best football games available.

Changes have been made, though given the series' impeccable gameplay and reputation, overall tweaks are kept to a minimum. Pass defense and the run blocking are improved, and the NFL team ratings (with the exception of the St. Louis Rams) are much more balanced. In Madden NFL 2002, running the ball was a waste of time, passing was easy (even against the dime), and the teams' ratings were too segregated. Now, however, running a balanced offense is both possible and advantageous with most teams. Defenses can shut down running or passing plays, if they know it's coming, but with the improved running options, the offense can call a mix of plays in many situations. Perhaps most importantly, play-action passing has improved and is a lethal threat. With a successful running game, defenses start gambling to stop the run, making them vulnerable to a play-action pass play. In previous versions of Madden, the play-action plays were almost worthless because: (1) with the anemic running game, a play-action pass didn't fool anyone; (2) the play-action plays took too long to develop, which usually resulted in a sack. With the improved blocking, quarterbacks now have an additional second to get the pass off after a play-fake. Although this may seem like a subtle adjustment, the resulting gameplay is much richer -- and much more realistic since many NFL attacks depend on the running game to establish their passing game.

Several new defenses, such as the 46 and the Quarter, have been added and both are very useful. The 46 (the base defense of the dominant 1986 Chicago Bears) is a gambling, run-stopping defense that can create plenty of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, but leaves the cornerbacks exposed in man coverage on the edges. The Quarter defense is the "Ram-stopping" defense debuted by the Eagles, Patriots, and Packers to slow down pass-happy attacks; three defensive linemen rush the QB, one linebacker watches the middle of the field, and seven defensive-backs drop into coverage. Defensive specialists will find both formations to be useful in specific situations, though, as always, you'll need the right players to make things work.

One major addition allows users to design plays for offense or defense. It's a lot of fun to come up with plays to fool defenses, whether they involve five receivers split wide to one side or a "jumbo" formation for running the ball up the gut. Defensive plays are particularly difficult to script, since the necessary AI tweaks aren't available. This is definitely something that should be improved in future versions -- it isn't too user-friendly yet -- but it's fun to create plays nevertheless.

The various gameplay modes offer something for everyone. Franchise Mode is an involved experience with plenty of challenges and options as you tangle with the salary cap, evaluate talent, draft players, develop them, and compete for Super Bowl rings over a 30-year period. Sadly, Franchise Mode contains more than its fair share of bugs. One particularly egregious error has the computer selecting slow tight-ends as kick-returners for the All-Madden Team. Practice and Mini-Camp modes allow new players to learn the ropes. The online gameplay, perhaps the most exciting feature, allows users to compete against other players using the Xbox Live Network.

Madden NFL 2003 faces its stiffest competition in years with Sega's excellent NFL 2K3 and EA Sports' own NCAA Football 2003. Madden 2003 remains the superior game, courtesy of its superior player movement, options, and interface, but it's a close call. EA deserves credit for the adjustments made in the 2003 version. With NFL 2K3 closing the gap EA should continue to improve their blockbuster franchise. Otherwise, as Madden might say, they were "waiting for something to develop, and they got developed." ~ Mark Hoogland, All Game Guide