![]() Graphically, Madden NFL '98 is a little disappointing. It's now up to you when a ball carrier dives, spins, picks up a burst of speed, or high steps - a big improvement over Madden NFL '97, where the computer chose the special move for you and an attempted dive into the end zone could result in your player being snagged at the goal line because he started high stepping. A timing route mode saves you the trouble of putting the QB in passing mode after the snap, and a bluff mode keeps your hot-seat opponent from knowing if you've activated it or not (it's indicated by a "bong" noise). Because buttons 1, 2, and 3 are assigned to receivers, there's no need to cycle through receivers with one button and throw with another. Support for four-button gamepads and joysticks means you've got more control options on the field, especially on offense. What makes this annoying is that the play clock is running about twice as fast as real time, and you can expect to draw an inordinate number of flags for delay of game until you've memorized a core group of plays you can find quickly.īut once you get over that hurdle, you'll find the action has been enhanced to complement the tougher AI. Computer-controlled offenses frequently manage to get plays off with between 15 and 20 seconds on the play clock - almost unheard of in the NFL except when Buffalo ran its no-huddle offense. Having said that, though, I've got to point out one gripe: the play clock. The emergence of Terrel Davis as one of the league's most dangerous backs means the offense is relying more on running plays and that John Elway is throwing more ball-control passes (quick slants, outs, etc.) to set up long balls - and that's pretty much how the Broncos play in Madden NFL '98. On the offensive side of the ball, computer-controlled teams aren't nearly as pass-happy as they were in Madden '97 - I was actually stunned by how closely the computer's offensive playcalling tendencies mirrored that of real-life teams. Computer-controlled defenses are much more savvy now, and unless you control a powerhouse against a patsy there's little chance of running the same play successfully over and over again. ![]() If I had to pick the one single area where Madden NFL '98 improves on its predecessor, it would probably be in the game's artificial intelligence. There are some glitches and oversights scattered throughout the program, to be sure, but the fun to be had makes them easy to live with - and that includes a 270MB chunk of hard-drive space for the "typical" install (other options are 75MB and 590MB - yep, 590MB!). Now Madden NFL '98 is here, and even I've got it to hand to the big guy and the teams at Stormfront and EA Sports that worked on the game: Nearly all the major flaws in Madden '97 have been addressed. It had some problems, but its action mode was the best (or at least most playable) of any serious football sim on the market. But that didn't stop me from playing Madden NFL '97. Most folks think John Madden is one of the greatest announcers to ever call an NFL game personally, I think he's a pedestrian commentator who continually harps on the obvious and has an obsession with muddy uniforms and fat linemen. ![]()
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