Developer: Budcat Creations Publisher: EA
Released: September 13, 2001 Rated: E 6/10
The concern that another Madden released for last-gen hardware would be treated as less-than is more valid with the release of Madden 2002. And it’s true, this version of Madden 2002, released in between versions for PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PC, GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, and the upcoming Xbox and GameCube consoles, is obviously not the premier version of the game, and it certainly doesn’t pretend to be. This can be gleaned from the fact that this version, along with the PS1 and GBA ports, has been handed off to Budcat Games instead of series developer EA Tiburon, who focused on the multiple next-gen versions. It’s also clear upon booting up the game and noticing the overall similarities in presentation to the previous year’s N64 version.
Thankfully, though, Madden NFL 2001 on the N64 was likely the series’ best effort on the system, so playing it safe for one more release and not doing much outside a roster update, as much as we lament it nowadays, isn’t the worst outcome for anyone looking to explore the series on their favorite system. Plain menus, royalty-free music, and a sparse performance from John Madden and Pat Summerall on commentary might drag down the presentation pretty significantly, but the gameplay remains mostly solid and the features from the previous year are still on offer here. Most of the issues that arise during gameplay are related to inherent issues of the series on this hardware, like awkward collisions and inconsistencies in the passing game, as receivers often feel a little too stone-handed, but a basic set of sliders does help tune your experience to some degree. Player models and animations are still the strengths of the game graphically, while basically anything that happens out of bounds and off the field is pretty underbaked. Little to no textures are present outside the field of play and non-player sprites are so low-res, you’d almost prefer to be playing in a black void at times, but again, presentation is not the strong suit here, mostly.
Though it might only get fired up for a quick game or two in most cases, the fact that the variety of game modes and roster options remains present here is largely what keeps Madden NFL 2002 in high regard for me. Franchise mode, two-minute drill, Madden Cards and profile tracking, and custom leagues and tournaments give plenty to do, though it’s unfortunate that creation suites for teams and players aren’t present in this version. The inclusion of “Madden Classic,” on the other hand, is a nice surprise, allowing players to try a full version of John Madden Football ‘93 for the Genesis with updated rosters. Usually the type of thing reserved for premier versions, such as NHL ‘94 in the PS2 version of NHL 06, Budcat must have taken the initiative to make this little bonus themselves, as it’s only present in the PS1 and N64 versions, which they worked on.
Unless playing Madden ‘93 on an N64 controller sounds particularly appealing, there’s nothing that Madden NFL 2002 does definitively better than other iterations for the Nintendo 64. Surprising in that it’s not the absolute final release for the system, it’s still nice that the N64 wasn’t deemed as quite dead yet by EA, and was still worth releasing another Madden for, even while two new consoles loomed for the new generation. 2001 remains the only release to outright impress me based on my expectations, but 2002 doesn’t fail outright even as it rests on its laurels with a last-gen release. Pick any of the Maddens on N64 for a more serious game of football on the system, as they’re all baseline superior to the best offerings from Acclaim’s Quarterback Club, but leave it to Blitz for the really fun stuff.
Additional Information
Saves: Controller Pak
Compatible With: Rumble Pak, Expansion Pak
Players: 1-4
Print Guides: Prima
Aggregate Critical Reception: 79.83% (GameRankings), based on 6 reviews
Other Releases: NA exclusive on N64
