PLAYSTATION 2 GAME RECOMMENDATIONS |

[#] Madden NFL 2002 (Electronic Arts, PlayStation 2, 2001)

A big jump that's not so easy to appreciate in the present day.

I cannot be any less fair to this game, given I played its sequel Madden 2003 long before it. 2003 is basically this game, but better and with so much more to do, the proper start of the next-gen--and that's to be expected, given it was built on 2002. A more fair comparison is its PS1 equivalent, which I also played before I got to the PS2 version. In terms of presentation, game modes, how saving and loading works, even both coming on CD, they're very similar, but this one is only about a million times more visually polished and less squirrelly feeling.

It's hard to describe just how massive the jump between consoles was for these games. The stodgy, stopped-dead-on-contact physics and over-the-top deflection animations have been replaced by a bevy of lifelike tackles, highly readable formations, and detailed stadiums. Being able to knock over the chain gang, the cheerleaders dancing away on the sidelines, and the frequent closeups of coaches reacting to plays help make this game feel alive in ways the PS1 version couldn't (though the funny stock photos of cameramen on the sidelines remain). You get into a rhythm quick, effortlessly making headway either on the run or with an aerial assault.

There's no denying this game has faults. The hits are awfully soft (guys look like they're tripping over each other a lot of the time), receivers and runners feel a bit floaty, Pat and John are as likely to run down how great a receiver is in detail as they are to tell you that "that pass was clearly overthrown", and it seems like every time I break out a big play, one of my linemen scores me a holding penalty. Bogus! There's not a lot of reasons to seek this out over 2003, but give it a shot if you do happen to find it for cheap. These games remain highly playable and underappreciated.

(One random funny anecdote to close: there's occasionally a stadium announcer I think during big games announcing people in the crowd have won things, free TVs and a trip to Hawaii--the latter during the Pro Bowl, which takes place in Hawaii.)

Recommended for... if you find it at a shop near you. It's good, and it's cheap.

Reviewed	My favorite part
September 5, 2026	Soft gradients and chunky text

NOFI | LOFI | HIFI