Fever 2004 was only $AU 40, so I thought what the heck, as I just got my Xbox a week ago, so like you, I only just played it for the first time.
Let me first start by saying I *was* a Madden gamer, since 95. I only recently played ESPN on the PS2 and almost melted in my seat, I couldn't believe what I was missing out on, despite being a Madden gamer on the PC. ESPN is good enough to convert me to the Xbox
Anyway, to the point, Fever 2004 has me impressed. Ok, the playbook isn't the best, the dynasty sim mode in anything other than 5 mins is crap, the commentary is nothing special and the rosters are all over the place, but to me, this is realistic football.
I feel people are scared off by the momentum aspect - people compare Fever to Madden like Madden is realistic. It isn't. The last time I checked, players couldn't do a 360 degree spin on a coin at full speed. Last time I checked, receivers and defenders don't have superman balance when catching balls. The last time I checked, QB's and kickers were a little faster than turtles. I'll admit Fever has some unrealistic aspects too - the long range ball projectile, the player speed is out of whack and the amount of plays per game is either too little or too much thanks to the lousy quarter settings, but I feel it deserves much more attention than what it is getting. The only reason it isn't is because the legions of Madden players out there obnoxiously disregard it because it has a totally different style, unlike ESPN, which, despite being a great game, is obviously trying to replicate Madden gameplay.
I know many people don't like Fever, and many others like it as an "arcade" style Xbox Live game, but am I the only one that actually likes Fever as a Football simulation? Once you get the hang of it and actually give it a chance, it is very enjoyable. Every single game result I have against the PC ends up with a realistic score and stats (besides Tackles). The running game is very intense and realistic. The special teams are the BEST in any football game to date. The defense is a challenge, but one you can actually grow to defeat in time, and the pre-snap options are mind blowing. I get the feeling that even if Madden had half as many features as Fever, it would still sell like hot cakes, I really think people (i.e, Reviewers) need to acknowledge Fever as an alternative style NFL game rather than a Madden wannabe, because if Microsoft wanted Fever to be like Madden, trust me, it would have been like Madden long ago.
Maybe all my years of Madden gaming has warped me, but honestly, I think Fever 2004 is far better than what I was lead to believe before buying it. It has probably less strength's than ESPN, which would make ESPN a better game overall, but even second best is damn good to me.