Madden NFL 2001 is a football video game. It is the third in the Madden NFL series to include an NFL player. It is the first game in the Madden NFL series to appear on the PlayStation 2 game console. This is the first Madden game to feature NFL Europe teams. Madden 2001 had a franchise mode but did not yet have a create-a-team feature. Madden 2001 had a lot of gameplay upgrades, but we still didn’t have things like the Hit Stick quite yet. Plus, it was really hard to defend against the pass at times because “usering” was not as clean and streamlined as it would later become.
John Madden is one of the legendary figures in National Football League history. It only makes sense that some of the best NFL video games ever created bear his name. Madden NFL 2001 is no exception. The EA SPORTS team put together an outstanding game in the 2001 Madden incarnation.
The graphics, sound, and action are all well above standard in Madden NFL 2001 with only a few minor flaws in each category. Madden NFL 2001 is not perfect but it is close. Graphically, Madden NFL 2001 is superb. Characters are amazingly detailed, animation is fluid and the camera follows the action well. Some catches and tackles are jerky but those glitches are rare.
Madden NFL 2001 is no exception. The EA SPORTS team put together an outstanding game in the 2001 Madden incarnation. The graphics, sound, and action are all well above standard in Madden NFL 2001 with only a few minor flaws in each category. Madden NFL 2001 is not perfect but it is close. Graphically, Madden NFL 2001 is superb. Madden NFL 2001 It's the best football game that's ever been released. Madden is a must-own title for sports fans. Keep up with Madden NFL 21 for the win. Sign up today to receive emails about the latest Madden NFL 21 news, videos, offers, and more (as well as other EA news, products, events, and promotions). You must sign in and sign up for Madden NFL and EA emails before you can redeem any reward.
Of course, gamers with 3D accelerators will normally have much better visuals then those with standard video cards. I had some problems turning off 3D acceleration as my machine kept crashing when I tried to utilize that option; thus I could not make a good comparison between the accelerated and software rendered graphics.
Every North American NFL stadium looks great, along with those from NFL Europe. There is a definite difference between turf and grass and there are even a few realistic characters on the sidelines. The crowd is flat, however, and robs Madden NFL 2001 of a tiny bit of realism.
The game's soundtrack is quite good. The standard NFL music, full of brass and drums, is featured along with some hip-hop sounds created specifically for the game. Grunts and tackle noises are good in the game, although at times players' screams seem a bit overdone.
Fox Sports' James Brown, Lesley Visser, Pat Summerall and Madden himself all have several voice characterizations before, during and after games. NFL coaches also lend their voices to the game, making standard gripes after players commit penalty violations.
While the voice spots are more detailed than in previous Madden games, they are very repetitive. There are two or three standard introductions for games and the same number of halftime reports. Madden and Summerall are in the booth and although they do have more than a dozen phrases to use in games, gamers will quickly memorize every utterance.
Madden NFL 2001's action is spectacular in every play mode. The game's creators did a good job with the AI to make sure that one play will not win every game. While I found myself passing far more than I rushed, I had to mix it up or the computer defense would shut me down. I played several franchise seasons and always seemed to lose simulated games. I like the idea of a franchise but do not have time to play 80 games (each Madden NFL 2001 game lasts well over a half an hour).
A large disappointment was the inability to use the Madden NFL 2001's play editor; unfortunately, the game repeatedly shut down when I attempted to utilize it. I did manage to get it to work once but the play I designed disappeared and was not in my team's custom playbook. After two reinstalls, the play editor still didn't work and I gave up trying. I assume the glitch to be in the software but the game's online updates did not resolve the problem (as of September 2000).
I had my best experiences with Madden NFL 2001 when I played online against other players on the EA SPORTS server. Even at a sub-56K connection, the action was very smooth and rarely were any lock-ups encountered. More importantly, there were always more than enough opponents online for a game.
I did find that some online gamers had customized super-players and were very tough to beat. Watch out for those folks, especially if they are using NFL Europe teams! Overall, Madden NFL 2001 is a great game that perpetuates the tradition of quality games with the Madden nameplate. If you like football, you will love this game.
Graphics: Madden NFL 2001 features stunning graphics and smooth animation. Even multiplayer Internet games are devoid of lock-ups and freezes.
Sound: The sound quality is good but the quantity of effects and voice characterizations is a bit low.
Enjoyment: This Madden game features a few glitches but is supreme fun nonetheless. Football fans will be instantly addicted.
Replay Value: Franchise mode and online play are two great reasons to keep the game on your hard drive.
People who downloaded Madden NFL 2001 have also downloaded:
Madden NFL 2004, Madden NFL 2000, Madden NFL 2005, Madden NFL 06, Madden NFL 07, Madden NFL 97, Madden Football: Limited Edition, John Madden Football II
People say:
There's no doubt in my mind that this is the bestlooking PS2 game out of the gate. When I first booted it up, I thought I'd died and gone to football heaven, and for good reason. The attention to detail is incredible. There's the things you'll see during gameplay, such as the receivers reaching out to catch the ball, or the way players' body parts react when hit. Then there's the coaches on the sideline, or the chain-gang moving the First Down marker before the players barrel into it. But the most amazing things are the moments you might need an Instant Replay to catch: a QB grimacing at a receiver who drops the ball, the grass stuck in helmets, or players following the ball into their hands with their eyes--you can even see them spread their fingers to accept it. Of course graphics aren't the only draw. Just like its PSi counterparts, PS2 Madden is a very realistic brand of football that's made even moreso by the animations. For example, you can't just hit a receiver in the back for him to make a catch anymore, now you have to put it somewhere his hands can reach. The news isn't all good, however: whereas Madden PSi's gameplay might be a little too fast, this one is a little too slow. Players don't seem to move quick enough, even if you pound on the speed burst. It's not too bad, but Madden fans shouldn't expect this one to play as quick as you're used to. A small price to pay for such amazing progress.
Madden Nfl 2001 Roster
It's a brand-new ball game. Pardon the cliche but it applies. The plays, sound effects and controls may be familiar but the soul of the game is completely new. The overwhelming theme? It's more a sim than ever before. It truly requires a knowledge of football strategy to be successful. In the PS version you can get away with a lot of slop: that won't happen here. A smooth framerate, killer animation and decent Al keep things very honest. I miss the exaggerated collisions, but that would look out of place with the realistic nature of this title. One complaint: It's mighty tough to break through the offense line. Otherwise, I've found my new obsession.
Madden Nfl 2001 Player Ratings
Undoubtedly one of the highest profile launch games for PS2, EA has done almost everything right with Madden. Jaw-dropping graphics and attention to subtleties never seen before in a football game close the gap between this simulation and the real thing more than ever before. The eye movements and facial expressions are astonishing, and the huge variety of catching and tackling animations make this game come alive. Fortunately, EA included just about all the controls and plays you're used to from previous Madden games. About the only minor gripe I have with M2001 PS2 is that gameplay has a slightly sluggish feel to it.