ESPN NFL 2K5,
Sega/Visual Concepts
This year, Sega was the only company to suit up against powerhouse Electronic Arts after Acclaim, Sony's 989 Sports and Microsoft decided against shipping football titles. Smart move: Sega's game surpasses EA's with some creative features that make the game more involving and engrossing. Take its Virtual Identity Profile (VIP) system, which tracks your game to an exacting level of detail. If you resort to hand-offs more often than normal, routinely go for it on fourth and short or pass on the first play of the game unusually often, VIP will know -- and so will the opposing team.
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This can lead to a lot of one-sided losses until you realize that the computer is simply reacting against your own profile. Beat it at its own game by practicing against its own VIP history, and you can even the score. You can even play against yourself to see what you're doing wrong or right. It's a sound addition to the game, one that Sega plans to extend by letting NFL 2K5 players trade their profiles online.
Aside from this new feature, 2K5 effectively builds on the strengths of previous years' titles. Its excellent Crib mode, which rewards success on the gridiron with toys in your home, is back. And First Person Football -- which last year made basic play mechanics too difficult -- now works more smoothly and predictably.
Graphics, especially player and tackle animations, rival Madden's. And the price, just $20, makes this a steal -- especially compared with a ticket to an NFL game. -- Tom Ham
PlayStation 2 and Xbox, $20
MADDEN NFL 2005,
EA Sports
Going into its 15th year, Madden NFL once again adds a twist -- this time, something called the Hit Stick. A new control option, it lets gamers uncork defensive plays by flicking the right analog stick in the right direction at the right time. Emphasize "the right time"; if you miss the receiver, that ball carrier will probably sprint the rest of the way down the field to score. If, on the other hand, you manage to time a hit perfectly, you just might force a turnover on a fumble.
