Other changes fine-tune last year's occasional offensive imbalance. A new Defensive Playmaker Control lets players set individual hot routes for the line, linebackers and defensive backs. With the right sequence of button presses, you can fake a blitz before seamlessly rolling back into coverage.
Madden 2005's Create-a-Fan feature adds nothing to defense or offense, but it's fun. It allows players to create their own crazed fan from thousands of possible combinations of face, hair, shirt (or lack thereof), belly size, face paint, hats, wigs, jerseys and more. (Yes, you can pack the stadium with Hogettes this way.) After you save this over-hyped individual, you'll see him or her rejoicing or reeling in the stands during your home games. -- T.H.
| | | | ___Personal Tech E-letter___ Washington Post personal technology columnist Rob Pegoraro answers reader e-mail and expands on themes he touches on in his weekly newspaper column. The e-mail version of this weekly feature includes links to the latest gadget and software reviews.
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GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, $50
JOHN DEERE: AMERICAN FARMER, Bold Games/
Gabriel Entertainment
A game that simulates farming might sound about as exciting as watching corn grow. But there's something sneakily engaging about this title, which puts the player in charge of a small farm somewhere in the heartland.
Start a game, choose a crop, buy farming equipment -- John Deere brand, of course -- plant some seeds and watch your land grow bountiful. If livestock is more to your liking, start a dairy farm or raise cattle or hogs for the stockyards. When you're not plowing, harvesting or tending to the cows, try your hand at a craft and sell your wares at a roadside stand.
Of course, there are obstacles to overcome -- animals get sick, crops have insect infestations and weeds, machinery breaks down and market prices plummet. (As far as we can tell, government subsidies aren't part of the game.) But if you handle your farm right, you'll see profits roll in, allowing you to buy more land, get more expensive John Deere machinery, upgrade your house from a trailer to a mansion, and finance such kitschy displays of wealth as a golden tractor or a giant Paul Bunyan statue.
In addition to a free-play mode that starts you off with little more than 40 acres and a mule, the game offers 10 other scenarios with three levels of difficulty. In one particularly amusing setup, you have to earn enough money to buy progressively more expensive gifts for your spoiled daughter.
Although American Farmer will probably be a bigger draw for the 4-H crowd, even a city slicker can harvest some fun here. -- Anthony Zurcher
Win Me or newer, $20, www.boldgames.com
DRAGON TALES: LEARN & FLY WITH DRAGONS,
Scholastic
A lot of preschoolers know the story, characters and voices of the affable dragons in the enchanted Dragon Land, so the odds are good this new math and logic CD-ROM will get a friendly reception. Things start when a young dragon, Cassie, and his siblings want to learn to fly. To get them aloft, kids must master a series of 11 activities that include rounding up Royal Horseflies (by recognizing numbers), finding toys for lovable twin dragons Zak and Wheezie (by identifying colors and patterns), and helping Mr. Dustfree sort his peanut butter sandwiches (by working on patterns and sequencing).
Success wins Dragon Badges, which in turn mean our dragon friends learn fancier flying skills. Collect enough badges, and eventually they glow -- giving players access to a relay challenge game. My 5-year-old son, Dylan, made it his mission to score at this level; he already felt confident counting, adding, sorting and following directions in the earlier stages of Dragon Tales.
Children age 4 and 5 should get the most benefit from this software, as its games reinforce the math they've learned in preschool while familiar characters and voices from the PBS show guide entertain them. -- Hope Katz Gibbs
Win 95 or newer/Mac OS X, $20, ages 4 to 6
