Mediocre announcer makes great games

Unless you enjoy being told what you already know, John Madden's football broadcasting skills aren't that impressive. But if you're a fan of realistic football video games (or simply a fan of Ace hardware stores), Madden is a true champion of the cause -- and not just for his goofy voice.\nSince 1994, the football broadcaster has teamed up with EA Sports in producing the most realistic, most advanced football gaming experience possible. And while Madden certainly isn't the greatest broadcaster ever, he's transformed into something much more immortal within the 10-year history of the game.\nSince the game first came out in 1993, "Madden" has been the pace-setter in terms of easy gameplay, stunning graphics and a realistic experience. "Madden: NFL 2003" is no different.\nThe newest version isn't a radical advancement from either of its previous Playstation 2 counterparts (2001 and 2002), but for the die-hard gamer, it's necessary to have new rosters and team ratings each year.\nThe 2003 version includes many of the same special features: create-a-player, play-a-season, manage-a-franchise and Madden Cards. But the real strength of the newest "Madden" is that it offers to train the gamer in playing the game the same way players are trained at actual football mini-camps.\nMini-camps are a great way to learn how to play the game well enough to dominate your friends. You "travel" around the country in Madden's personal bus, stopping at all 32 NFL stadiums to fine-tune your football finesse. As a quarterback, you learn how to maintain pocket presence and throw precision passes. As a defensive back, you learn how to time your jumps and tackles to shut down the opposing offense. After you feel you're adequately prepared, "Madden" will challenge you with in-game situations to test your skills.\nTwo other new features have also been added: create-a-formation and create-a-play. They're straightforward, and much like the similar features create-a-team and create-a-player, time-consuming. Only the serious gamer will get much value out of these features.\nIf the game's greatest strength is its realism, it's also its greatest weakness. There are times when the gamer will wish the linebacker would perform a super-human 15-yard dive or that the quarterback would be able to throw a perfect end-zone to end-zone Hail Mary pass. The Madden Cards, which are effectively cheat cards, allow the user to sometimes break away from the intense realism of the game, but the itches for unrealistic football are usually few and far between anyway.\nOf course, "Madden" is the only game that can keep you furious at your roommate for days over a last-second touchdown pass that your defensive back just wouldn't knock down. But hey, I'm not bitter.