My dear husband is now a collector of Madden. He tells me they ROCK

Pretty much established as the best video football game (though some favor the ESPN line), the Madden series offers actual players (and the ability to make your own), franchise, single game, tournament, practice, training camp, and situation (you can set up a two -minute drill, for example) modes, and the ability to play against the computer (CPU), friends, or online. With a few exceptions, Madden 2005 is a vast improvement over the 2003 version, and for those who don't either version 2006 (where the quarterback must have line-of-sight with the receiver), or 2007 (unknown "improvements," cost) this is a good deal. First, some mistakes in the product description above:
1. The much ballyhooed hit stick doesn't cause many turnovers, you'll some controller shake, and Madden talking about 'how much that will hurt in the morning,' but aside from this, it's mostly hype. Still, there is a cheap thrill to it all.

2. Player progression is not available after every game; rather, they're posted after the 5th, 11th and 17th weeks of the season, as well as in the off-season. This is better than v.2003, because you don't have to wait as long.

3. Player morale is also a disappointing feature. Your best players will email you (as part of "Storyline Central") about not being played. If you continue to not start them, the worse that happens is that they eventually won't show up on the field, and you can't resign them without offering a ridiculous amount of money.

Improvements and Areas for Improvement.
Gameplay. THe 2005 version offers more defensive capabilities, and your players will finally rack up sack, pancake, and interceptions numbers similar to what the CPU produced. Passing remains the excellent, but I found running much more difficult. Where before I could easily rack up 200 yards almost anytime I wanted, now it's a struggle to get 100, and that's with almost constant audibles, sending a fullback or tight end into a better blocking position, for example. In general gameplay is somewhat more realistic and intelligent; for example, the oposing team doesn't keep doing onside kicks in the 4th quarter when it's very clear they don't have a chance.

It appears that there are many more plays to choose from, and, as usual, you can select your own, or accept or reject Madden's play suggestion. It seemed easier to run some of the audibles; for example, moving people into better blocking positions, and, especially, changing your secondary coverage to double team, bump, or otherwise make things difficult for the opposing receivers. The game also doesn't crash as often, but this could be a result of a) a newer game, b) Using Playstation instead of Gamecube, or c) an actual improvement in the technology.

Visuals. Also remain excellent, and the bad weather scenarios look more like the real thing. There's sometimes a realistic but annoying time-of-day related lighting change on the field that's not always consistent. 2005 adds some new player motions, and lets you slant a runner or receiver (after a catch) right or left. Players sometimes lunge forward for a few extra yards after being tackled. Unfortunately, I still haven't figured out if there's a way to change to a bootleg (quarterback runs with the ball) once the ball is snapped, or how to get the runner to jump. The included documentation is not detailed enough. The game includes an instructional segment, but is also too brief. I've noticed boards on the internet with questions about how to play various aspects of the Madden games.

Extra Features. The soundtrack is arguably better, some minimal franchise money management is now available(set ticket, parking, and food rates, track attendance, income, expenses, and fan satisfation), and you get very brief scouting reports about next week's game. Storyline gives you a Tony Bruno interview (usually the same questions, and they begin to repeat, but I still like this feature), emails, and national and local newpaper news. The latter is ridiculous--it takes an incredibly long time to load, especially when you switch from one local paper to another. Play Commentary: They do the best they can. New commentary has been added, but, as usual, play-by-play doesn't always match the action on the field.

While this review may seem overly critical, it's all relative to other video games. Madden Football is in the top echelon of video games, and it's fun and realism are among the very best in sports video games. Madden 2005 offers more on- and off- the field options than the 2003 version, so I recommend an "upgrade" for those not wanting the 2006 or the upcoming 2007 version.

Madden 2005 is the best madden game I played yet( I haven't played madden 2006 yet) I find myself playing it for a couple of hours to this date and I got it right when it came out. I like the create a team feature and the create a fan, they're cool little add-ins to the excellent gameplay. The only flaw with madden 2005 is trying to kick a field goal or punt, for some reason I find it impossible to not kick it out of bounds. I would rather play this than spend fifty bucks on madden 2006 with very little new features besides the updated rosters.