In almost every sports genre, EA Sports is having a dominant year. From basketball to racing, from soccer to football, the company has hit its stride with polished gameplay, striking graphics, and a slick presentation that tops everything else on the market. Compared to last year's slate, which consisted largely of an impressive yet imperfect batch of PS2 launch titles, its current lineup has single-handedly defined the next generation of sports gaming. If anything, the extra year it gained with last year's PS2 titles has helped its first GameCube and Xbox endeavors. Ported over from the near-perfect PlayStation 2 version, "Madden NFL 2002" for the GameCube delivers everything a gamer would expect from EA Sports and is a must-own title for football fans lucky enough to get their hands on Nintendo's new system.

Features

"Madden NFL 2002" features several gameplay modes that are sure to satisfy even the most refined tastes. The game features tried-and-true exhibition and season options, as well as this year's latest additions: The Two-Minute Drill, Scenario, and Training modes, which are excellent for honing your skills. But the game's most impressive feature remains its extensive Franchise mode, which lets you play through 30 seasons of NFL football, overseeing a virtual dynasty (even though it will use most of a memory card). Throughout any mode, you can acquire Madden cards by completing various tasks that unlock hidden bonuses that include a variety of all-star teams.

As is always the case with an EA Sports title, "Madden NFL 2002" is fully licensed, sporting real players, stadiums, and teams, including the league's most recent addition, the Houston Texans. The game also takes into account the new league division between the NFL and AFC North, South, East, and West. Statistics are current up to this year, and the game even allows you to create your own players and team, complete with player drafts and trading.

Gameplay

Most football fans will find a minor learning curve when adapting the basics of Madden-style gameplay to Nintendo's GameCube controller. However, you should have a firm grasp of the controls within a game or two, and the game is challenging though rewarding on its normal settings. Picking and executing plays is fairly straightforward, though it may take a while to pull off some of the more complex routines in each playbook.

Newcomers have the welcome option to set the game to Easy, which gives them minor computer assistance while they figure out the basics. This is also where the Scenario, Training, and Two-Minute Drill modes come into play, as they are excellent preparation for a game or full season, and for becoming familiar with the different plays and strategies.

Games played against the computer are well balanced, though the AI can sometimes be too aggressive or too passive. Still, most players will enjoy taking on their friends in the game's two-player mode, which while not as impressive as online play has a classic and timeless feel to it that suits Madden perfectly.

Graphics

Even though it's a port, the GameCube version of Madden looks terrific and is definitely as good as the system's first wave of titles. Many diehards will want to get all three versions side by side for a shootout between Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft, but it's not obvious which is the clear winner, especially since the game was designed for the PlayStation 2. However, the GameCube version lacks some of the Xbox version's nuance, though the graphics look smoother here than in the PlayStation 2 version. The GameCube version runs at 60 fps with virtually no slowdown.

If the game had been designed specifically for the GameCube, it would offer much more, but this is still a great-looking game. The way each player moves and reacts is impressive, as is the overall visual presentation. There is also support for wide-screen and progressive-scan televisions, as well as Dolby support for sound. The commentary by Pat Summerall and John Madden blends nicely with the game's music and crunching sound effects. As with all versions, though, the commentary repeats itself in franchise mode.

Even though there is currently no competition on the GameCube gridiron, "Madden NFL 2002" is worth buying. The game offers something for everyone. Younger football fans will appreciate the game's training modes, and more experienced players will enjoy the game's long-term potential. "Madden NFL 2002" not only plays an incredibly deep and solid game of football, but it showcases the system's versatility for handling a fast-paced sports simulation. We hope that this is just the beginning of an amazing run for EA Sports on the GameCube.

By: Devin