Madden '98

Madden ‘98

SONY Playstation 1

Click HERE for screenshots. 

Following the debacle that was Madden ’97 on the PS1, Madden ’98 is a marked improvement all around.  Everything is polished and runs smoother- from the menus all the way through game play on the field.  The graphics might be lousy by today’s standards, but at least the game WORKS. 

Getting right to the action, the first thing I noticed upon launching into my divisional playoff matchup (vs. the Bengals in New England) was how much more consistent and smooth the frame rate was.  The player models are largely the same from Madden ’97 (2-d bitmaps on a 3d-ish field), but they have been tweaked a bit (player numbers are back on the jerseys, but they look garbled and terrible).  In spite of these minor graphical improvements, the game mechanics seem much improved and, unlike Madden ’97, Madden ’98 plays like a GAME.

The presentation has also been enhanced.  The additions of a “keys to victory” screen that provides little team-specific anecdotes harkens back to Madden ’91 and the addition of in-game instant replay appropriately surfaces after a big play.  I was also very happy to see that drive summaries were back in the game- why did they ever take these away after Madden ‘93?  At the half of my first game against the Bengals, the Pats were up 14-7.  My notes reflect a well balanced game that did not feel too easy, but was far from impossible.  I ended up with a 21-7 win, and while the running game still had some issues (though not quite as egregious as in ’97), on the whole the mechanics made sense and the game was fun. 

The AFC Championship was the Broncos at Patriots.  In reality, the Denver Broncos annually smoked the Pats in this era.  Even when the Pats had a great team, they always struggled against the Broncos.  In a game with 40 MPH winds, the CPU surprised me by coming out passing.  The Broncos of this era had a Hall of Fame QB in John Elway, but what made them 2x Super Bowl Champs (’97 and ’98) was their strong running game with Terrell Davis.  Nevertheless, the CPU went almost exclusively with the pass and was shut out in the first half.  The Denver defense was excellent and I only managed 2 field goals for a 6-0 halftime lead.  While I was killing them statistically, I was weary of my tenuous lead on the scoreboard. 

It turns out, I was right to be concerned.  In the second half, the CPU switched gears and turned to the running game.  This change caught me off guard and they marched to the goal line on the back of Davis.  After stuffing them twice at the 1 yard line, the CPU called a play action pass, which completely fooled me, and they scored the go ahead TD, putting them up 7-6 in the early 4^th quarter.  It was at about this point that one of my players got injured and a motorized cart had to come onto the field to take them away.  This was the first time I had seen anything like this since the homicidal ambulance of Madden ’92! 

In any case, I couldn’t convert in the fourth quarter and with just over a minute to go and no time outs, I opted to let them score rather than run out the clock.  Down 14-6, my hopes for a heroic comeback were dashed when they picked off a pass and ran it in as the clock expired, leaving me with an embarrassing 21-6 loss.  Just as in real life, the Broncos seemed to own the Patriots in Madden ’98.

In my replay of the game a few days later, I was once again struck by how realistic and tough the gameplay felt.  Against the Broncos, an excellent team in that era, I felt like I really had to fight for every yard.  One big defensive mistake cost me when Davis broke a 45 yard TD run to put the Broncos up 10-0 just before halftime.  I pulled out all the stops on the ensuing drive and managed to connect on a long field goal as time expired to make the score 10-3 at halftime. 

Early in the third quarter, from deep in my own territory, I boldly decided to go for it on 4^th and short.  The play worked and sparked a four minute, 76 yard TD drive, tying the game at the end of the 3^rd quarter.  Broncos QB John Elway was a legendary 4^th quarter comeback player, so I braced myself for the passing onslaught. 

As expected, Elway came out on fire and the Broncos marched down into field goal range without much of a problem.  However, I sent a blitz on a key third down that hurried Elway and forced him to through an interception to Ty Law with less than two minutes left in the game.  I then marched the ball downfield 44 yards from the spot of the pick to set up a long field goal to win it with just seconds remaining in the game.  As in real life, Adam Vinitieri came through when it mattered most and booted the 50 yarder through as the clock expired.  The 13-10 win felt like the most realistic yet – every yard was earned and the game came down to a couple of big plays- the 4^th down conversion, the late interception, and the long field goal. 

The Super Bowl XXXII matchup was against the Panthers (the real-life opponent of the Pats in Super Bowl XXXVIII).  While this game was not quite as prophetic as the Patriots vs. Eagles game I played back in Madden ’95, it was still a great game that was tight throughout.  Once again, Madden ’98 added some special touches for the big game- the Super Bowl Logo placed on the 50 yard line, the team logos in each endzone.  After an initial defensive struggle, Kerry Collins unleashed an 82 yard TD bomb to Rocket Ishmael, putting the Panthers up 7-0.  After a drive stalled for me (and Bledsoe threw yet another incompletion), I mixed things up with a fake punt on 4^th and long.  My chicanery worked out beautifully and the unlikely combination of a Tom Tupa pass to Lovett Purnell resulted a TD and my first points in the big game. 

Later in the half, I drove all the way to the Carolina 1 yard line.  After being stuffed three straight times, I once again decided to go for it on a 4^th down play.  This time, things did not work out so well and I got STUFFED, which resulted in a tie score at the half- 7-7, with the stats dead even. 

I came out firing in the second half, and Bledsoe managed to hit Terry Glenn on a 58 yard TD bomb to open the 3^rd quarter.  The Panthers responded with a good drive of their own and drove to my goal line.  After I stuffed them on three plays, they lined up for the field goal to cut my lead to 14-10… but STUNNED me by FAKING the FG and throwing for a TD, which was BROKEN UP at the last second and I managed to hold onto my 14-7 lead.  Whew!

After three plays, backed up deep into my own end of the field, I couldn’t advance the ball a single yard.  On 4^th down, with just under three minutes to go and a 7 point lead, I made a risky call.  Rather than punt the ball to them (and give them great field position with a very good chance to score 7), I opted for an intentional SAFETY, guaranteeing them 2 points, put giving me the chance to pin them deep on the ensuing kickoff.  I ran the ball out of the back of my endzone, resulting in an awkward 14-9 lead as the two minute warning approached. 

Fortunately, my gamble worked out.  I stopped their ensuing drive and managed a late field goal with :14 seconds left (after I failed to run out the clock) to put the score at 17-9.  Collins threw up a pair of deep bombs as the clock wound down to :00, but failed to convert.  Chalk up another trophy and another Madden game crossed off the list.  8 down, 13 to go. 

Madden ’98 is the best of the first 8 games (probably by a wide margin).  It is basically a fixed and improved version of ’97 – it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t have to in order to deliver fun and realistic gameplay.