Just picked up Madden 05 for Xbox today.

[Lieutenant Dan]

I bought Madden 09 CE and am crazy about the included HC 09, but while Madden made some good steps forward, it's still lacking this year for regular play. I hope a patch will change that, but I still find NFL 2K5 to be more immersive and better tuned.

But, since I had $2 in my pocket when I was in GC, I picked up a copy of Madden 05 and a back-up copy of NFL 2K5. I know back at release that I had bought both games, as they were HIGHLY rated. But I know in the end I ran with 2k5 and I don't recall why.

I figured for .99 I could revisit what many consider to be the best of the Madden games and see what it was like at it's peak, and maybe see what they could try to restore in Madden 2010. Looking forward to my cheap trip down memory lane.

Should be interesting.

[steveo]

Quote: Originally Posted by Lieutenant Dan

I bought Madden 09 CE and am crazy about the included HC 09, but while Madden made some good steps forward, it's still lacking this year for regular play. I hope a patch will change that, but I still find NFL 2K5 to be more immersive and better tuned. But, since I had $2 in my pocket when I was in GC, I picked up a copy of Madden 05 and a back-up copy of NFL 2K5. I know back at release that I had bought both games, as they were HIGHLY rated. But I know in the end I ran with 2k5 and I don't recall why. I figured for .99 I could revisit what many consider to be the best of the Madden games and see what it was like at it's peak, and maybe see what they could try to restore in Madden 2010. Looking forward to my cheap trip down memory lane. Should be interesting.

Nice.

I really enjoyed madden 05 when it came out and played it more than 2k5. Last month though I got fed up with madden 08 on the 360 so I whipped out 2k5 and have been enjoying it ever since. It is depressing that a game made 4 years ago on a previous gen system is superior to these madden games.

Just goes to show the madden dev team is all about max profit not about max quality. They have the ability to make the best football game ever created but they choose not to....and that is what is so frustrating.

[rckabillyRaider]

Madden 05 on ps2 was my favorite Madden and the only one where I completed a full franchise season. I actually got to around 10 franchise years on 05.

[Jetpac]

Don't turn this into a EA is the big bad enemy thread or it will get locked. Truth is, Tiburon can learn alot from what Visual Concepts was able to create within there game and implement those features and more into next years madden. Really shouldn't be that demanding for a title that makes so much money.

I don't think they "refuse" to, its just like I said in a previous post. If the game is selling incredibly well, why fix anything? Hopefully thats not the case and I pray we get a better product.

[Instant C1a55ic]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jetpac

Don't turn this into a EA is the big bad enemy thread or it will get locked. Truth is, Tiburon can learn alot from what Visual Concepts was able to create within there game and implement those features and more into next years madden. Really shouldn't be that demanding for a title that makes so much money. I don't think they "refuse" to, its just like I said in a previous post. If the game is selling incredibly well, why fix anything? Hopefully thats not the case and I pray we get a better product.

After buying 2k once again, there are alot more problems then the guys over in the 2k forums let on. Dont forget the oh-so-curcial draft is horribly broken in that game, and to me thats a game killer. How would you like to have the same positions be in the first round EVERY year, and have the colts stock up and pay for QB's rated in the 90's and drop manning JUST to make room?

One of the guys in there forums stated "just to make it fair, just draft THOSE positions"...well errr...what if i have good enough LB's or HB's or G's and need a WR? Draft up and waste talent just to get a WR with the 33rd overall pick?

Dont get me wrong, i like 2k, its just alot of people give it too much credit, as i did untill i picked it up and played through it again. i didnt worry about that stuff when i was 4 years younger, but now its important to me. 2K still dominates in the presentation dept..but madden finally made a more challanging game without having to tweak anything.

[Lieutenant Dan]

Quote: Originally Posted by steveo

It is depressing that a game made 4 years ago on a previous gen system is superior to these madden games.

It IS surprising, to say the least. The tech is there....I sometimes think that the hard core Madden community would welcome a version of 2005 with everything in it that was there, and updated rosters, and throw in online leagues. Slap a coat of HD on it and call it Madden 2010. But the problem from a corporate point of view is that it might not appeal to the more casual fan to have simpler (though nice) graphics and no next-gen bells and whistles.

Quote: Originally Posted by rckabillyRaider

Madden 05 on ps2 was my favorite Madden and the only one where I completed a full franchise season. I actually got to around 10 franchise years on 05.

I've gone thru six franchise seasons on NFL 2k5 as of last season

I don't want this to turn into a Madden 09-bash thread...my intent is to see what made Madden 05 so good as compared to what we have now.

We all love football.....we all just want to play the best game of it available. Right now, for me, that's Head Coach 09 and NFL 2k5...I'm interested to see if Madden 05 re-hooks me.

[2krules]

Quote: Originally Posted by alexbraun

Dont forget the oh-so-curcial draft is horribly broken in that game, and to me thats a game killer.

I'm not much of a franchise player in 2K5, so I wouldn't know about that.

However, the thing that irks me about 2K5 was the awful ball spotting. I really wonder if they knew that the ball shouldn't spotted where the knee touched down, but where the ball is when the knee touches down.

[Lieutenant Dan]

I fired up Madden 05 last night on my ol' Xbox and I really had a good time!

I could run the ball, pass the ball...it was fun stuff, with an overall great football vibe to it. I just played it straight, everything on default as you would boot it up.

Wow...I forgot how 'fat' this game was too. No wonder the reviews for Madden 05 and NFL 2K5 were neck and neck. The radio show, a very plump Franchise mode, practices, create-a-player, create-a-fan, create-a-play, create-a-team...there's stuff to do for days. I see now why the community has been howling since the next-gen switch.

Also of note; ATMOSPHERE. Tons of it! Fan reactions, sideline cutaways, interesting replays (though I've always felt NCAA games and NFL 2K5 excelled here), really solid Michaels/Madden commentary, officials and chain gangs, pregame and postgame animations/sequences...excellent overall. Man, I just see so much that can be added back in here to future versions...I don't recall if this game has specific stuff for Playoffs and Super Bowl glitz like 2K5 does.

You can still do the good ol' Madden Scramble and laser in on your receiver...but I had always just chuckled about that and thought, "That's Madden football"....but I know it irritates the crap out of the hardcore and I can totally understand that.

Anyway...I just gotta say this once again. I had FUN playing Madden 05 last night....I may try to run a franchise in it along with my continuing 2k5 chise, and I'll get one going in Madden 09 in a month or so after the second patch, and hopefully the DLC with the sliders, acc. clock etc are released. I'll keep on with HC 09 for my 'current' franchise as well (again, HC is a BLAST).

Madden 05 is deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

And FUN.

I'm a football junkie...and I love having all these choices!

PS: Graphics were still surprising good to me! Game moves really smoothly, and the unis and all look really pretty good. Qwest Field looked pretty good, too. Certainly not as sophisticated graphically as 09 (lighting, et all), but VERY playable and nice to look at.