The inevitable Madden 2005 kicks ESPN NFL 2K5's ass thread

[Shockeye]

5. For the training camp, there should be a feature where you're Ricky Williams, you just found out you have to take a drug test in 12 hours, and you're out of that de-cleansing juice -- now you have to drive around downtown Miami and look for it.

A GTR (Grand Theft Ricky) mini-game would be awesome.

[Shockeye]

Gamespot has posted a head to head between ESPN and Madden.

If you were to ask us point-blank what football game you should buy this year, our answer would be "both." With ESPN being a mere $20 and Madden still offering an excellent game of football, we think this is the year that everybody should try both games to truly see where their loyalties lie. Now then, if your response to this statement is, "Nice try, Richie Rich, but I don't have $70 to spend on two football games. Now quit the crap, and tell me which one I should get!" Our answer would be: ESPN NFL 2K5.

The reasons for this are plentiful. Aside from our contention that there has never been a better-looking football game than this one, ESPN NFL 2K5 also has more than enough depth in both gameplay and features to make it a stellar package. The new ESPN presentational components, the few gameplay additions to the running game and defense, and the übercool online league system simply make ESPN impossible to pass up. This answer doesn't even take into account the fact that this outstanding package can be purchased for the kind of money you'd typically spend on a crappy budget game. How can you go wrong with a deal like this?

With this said, there are a couple of things that Madden does do better. If your sole interest is in having the best franchise mode and you don't particularly care about gameplay or graphics or any of that craziness, then Madden may be the way to go. Additionally, if you really prefer a good, defensive game of football, then Madden has ESPN beaten in that category as well. But, beyond these couple of scant categories, ESPN is really the way to go pretty much across every other conceivable area. While defense may typically win championships, it doesn't win our crown for the best football game of 2004. ESPN NFL 2K5 does that.

Not to be outdone, Team Xbox has also posted a comparison.

Overall winner: Tie

All of that banter for a tie? Well, just as in the world of boxing, soccer, and other boring sports, there are split decisions from time to time. Everyone on the panel seemed to agree that you can’t overlook ESPN NFL 2K5’s bargain quotient, and that Madden NFL 2005 has a better grasp of the gameplay basics. The fact that our heads-up comparison ended in a tie strengthens the notion that everybody really does have an opinion and a butt hole, just like that catchy quote proclaims, and that no person’s individual opinion, credible or otherwise, should be the end-all of your reason to purchase ESPN NFL 2K5 over Madden NFL 2005 or vice versa. Whether you go with the title backed by “The Worldwide Leader in Sports”, or the title where “It’s in the Game”, should ultimately be your decision, but we’ll try to help you as best as possible along the way. Whichever ends up being your poison, we’ll see you online. Viva la competition!

[SirBruce]

These are all things I already said. :)

You get what you pay for.  ESPN is a good value, but Madden has more features, particularly if you're into franchise management.

Bruce

[Dark Vengeance]

Unlike others in the thread, I have now played both games for at least 5 days.

Thoughts about Madden:

1) Players have different motivations for signing with a particular team, it's not just about money. This way, you can sign an aging player who is desperate to win a championship for less money than a lousy team could....you pay the so-called "bad team tax".

Unfortunately, there is no way to set these for created players....for some reason, I found myself demanding a $50M contract from Detroit, even though I wouldn't really consider playing elsewhere.

Still, pretty cool.

2) I like the playmaker controls, particularly adjusting direction of a run at the line. Defensive playmaker controls were a bit tricky to follow, but not bad.

3) The EA Sports Radio and Newspapers are neat as a concept, although the stories don't have much variety. The selection is a bit off too....after blowing out Philly by 52 points, and knocking Owens, McNabb, and Kearse out for multiple games, 4 of the lead stories in the national news involved the Vikings putting Hovan on the trading block. The radio show didn't even mention my huge win. Dote on me a bit more plzkthx.

4) Owner mode returns unchanged....and that's how my prices stayed for 2 seasons, with no problems whatsoever.

5) Trade logic is a bit iffy, in my book. For some reason, 80% of my roster is made up of guys with a value of F by other teams, and late round draft picks are worth squat...enough so that they don't ever seem to sway a deal in either direction. I still want to be able to trade future draft picks.

6) The CPU will accept a trade for **ANY** FA, no matter how bad, as long as it is worth a 7th rounder, and doesn't put them over the cap. I gladly signed and traded FAs to every team without a full roster to maximize my draft picks, and then swapped those around to move up. I ended up with 3 first round picks (including #1), 3 in round 2, and 2 in the 3rd round. They key, for me anyway, seemed to stem from signing guys without bonuses.....this allows you to trade or cut at will, even if you pay a bit more in salary.

7) Gameplay is pretty standard. A little more arcade-like on the field, IMO. Very hard to defend the pass, very easy to pick teams apart. I'd absolutely love it if someone would combine ESPN's passing game with Madden's running game.

Good game....for a Madden. I don't think the models look as good, but the skins and textures seem to look better. The player heads and faces are more customizable....and even little things like being able to select your team captains are nice. Still pretty tough to compete with a $20 ESPN tho....both games offer a pretty solid football experience, whether you're all about sim/coach stuff, or just OTF action.

The whole thing disturbs me a bit.....I'm a 2-3 Maddens a decade kind of guy, and here I am contemplating the purchase of 2 NFL games in one season.

Bring the noise.
Cheers.............

[Arcadian Del Sol]

[MrHat]

So I just discovered something that nearly made me take Madden2005 back.

You can't play online w/ more than one player.

ie.  Me and my bud can't play from the same room vs. some other fucks somewhere else.

NFL2k5 allows you to play up to 4v4 online.

What the hell?