Madden has always been one of the greatest representations of the sport of professional football available, regardless of which console it appears on. EA has taken the game to an entirely new level and has produced one of the best playing and looking football games of all time.

We'll just say it now and get it out of the way like we have in just about every other PS2 review we've done. This is the best looking football game ever made. The player models are chock full of polygons and the animation is incredible in it's depth. The realism doesn't stop there either as the sidelines are fully functional and the lineman can be blasted when running out of bounds, refs follow the action, and coaches slam clipboards. The only major flaw in this area are the player faces with their huge and alien-like eyes.

The sound has also been given a boost with music blaring in between plays, PA announcer making sure the person with their lights on in the parking lot is informed of the situation, and the referee calling the penalties. Coaches shout at the top of their lungs at their players when mistakes are made and yell praise on great plays.

For fans of the series, you'll be happy to know that very little has changed in the gameplay department. The running game seems a bit more effective than in previous entries and the passing game is just as good as it always has been. Some people may find defense quite difficult thanks to the new physics engine at work, but once you've adjusted, I think you will find the new system better than ever before.

As an entire package, Madden 2001 easily eclipses Sega's NFL 2K1 as the premier football game this year. While 2K1's internet play makes that entries replay value sky high, Madden's franchise mode is a great substitute. If you were lucky enough to nab a PS2, this is a MUST buy. Even if you're not a football fan, it'll impress your friends enough to make it seem like your $300 console purchase was worthwhile.