I received Madden 97 today and had a chance to
briefly play it at lunch.   Really Quick review-

I was in total shock today because I have been playing
Gameday religiously for the past year and Madden 97 is
very different.  First, Madden is quite a bit looser and
faster than GD97.  The playbook is smaller and very different
from Gameday and the general presentation will feel strange at 
first (Cool intro).  Once you get over that shock you will be treated to
a solid football game similar in style to the Genesis Maddens. 
The players move really fast and fluid with no choppiness. Player
speeds are varied so it is very unusual that a lineman will run 
down a reciever (great!).  I don't have time to give a full 
review until I play it more.  Here are some cool features
that I found so far.  Hope this wets your appetite.   

Cool features- 
* When the QB runs he will slide instead of diving in 
  the open field.
* The player speed is really realistic.  I hit Jerry Rice on a 
  slant and ran for 40 yards for a TD.
* The Pass rush is fast and furious. A real change from
  Gameday.  The computer Lineman will try to knock down 
  passes.  Sacks are really common if you don't scramble.
* The DB tip passes with ease and can run back an interception
  if no one is around them.  Very realistic.
* The QB back-peddles on pass plays.
* Running backs and recievers bounce off players like the
  old Maddens of the past.
* Holding, clipping, roughing passer penalties and more.
* Real stadiums- played Mile High and the the stadium
  looks like you are in Denver.
* First down markers and a refs run with the players on the field.
* Five recievers can go out for a pass.
* Laterals
* Tons of end zone dances
* Snow, Rain, Wind, Clear and Night games.
* Reciever will actually jump up and catch balls.
* Punts blocks-unheard in Gameday

Enjoy!  Kurt

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OVERALL CONTROL

Not as many functions to control as gameday. You have dive (s), hurdle 
(t), speed burst/stiff arm (x), spin (o), and lateral (L1/R1). Which is 
good. Gameday had so many friggin controls that resulted in unrealistic 
results. For example, if you hit the juke button it appeared as if you 
pulled a nightcrawler. BAMF! You magically teleported 4 feet to the side. 
If you hit the stiff arm button, it looked like you had an ice pick in 
your hand; defenders would just drop like drunk monkeys. In M97 your 
speed burst is just a slight burst, no nitro RoadRunner deal like in GD.
M97's control's are very lifelike. They work very well.

PASSING
Wowsers! No more constipated drop backs. You take your 5 or 7 steps and 
better get rid of the ball or scramble. The pass rush is incredible 
(especially playing with the hurting Redskins WITH BOTH Tackles injured).
This pass rush means you actually have to plan out how you're going to 
make your read. Are you gonna watch the safeties, read the coverage, then 
throw? Or are you gonna assign priorities to receivers (Look first for 
Novacek on the drag, then for Irvin on the curl, then for Williams on the 
fly, and Emmitt your hot receiver running a belly?). Getting pressure? 
Roll out. Then watch the EA magic. If you roll right the DB's in zone 
will roll with you. If they're in man, they stick with the man. 
Beautiful! Even more beautiful is the fact that if you roll and keep 
rolling, the receivers break off their routes and come back to the ball. 
AHHH!! That's incredible (said Fran Tarkenton). I do have a problem with 
the fact that M97 doesn't seem to lead the WR well on the deep ball (and 
it leads the WR okay on other passing plays). You can lob or bullet the 
ball, and jumping for the catch makes you a sitting duck for DB's 
(Awesome! Just like real life). You better catch the ball on the ground 
and run for it. You DO get caught from behind =( but it does take a 
while, so you get some major yards.

RUNNING
I'm still not too sure of how I feel about this, but I'm inclined to say 
I'm somewhat disappointed. The blocking is both Incredible and awful at 
times. When the blocking is incredible the lineman pull AHEAD of the 
backs, and the DL don't just break off blocks; they gradually pull off 
blocks (love it.). When the blocking, well, sucks, it sucks hard. On a 
sweep to the weakside, the tackle didn't block (or attempt to block along 
with the WR who didn't attempt to crack on) the DE. It resulted in a 6 
yard loss. There are MANY 6 yd. Losses to be had in this game. First 
light get up field and start hitting the stiff arm. You actually have to 
use the hurdle button over fallen linemen, and the spin button to roll 
off tacklers. You better watch your linemen and follow their blocks to 
try and get back to the line then go for the yards. Looking at the team 
stats, the Mighty Dallas Cowboys after 2 games led the league in yds. per 
rushing attempt and only averaged 2.9 yds per rushing attempt. The NFL 
AVERAGE is around 3.5. Overall, I'm still debating the running game.
As it stands, the passing game is heavily dominant.

Overall
Great fun. I guess I just to have work on the running game. Definite 
Rent. ANd a purchase in most cases. Unga. Must play madden now.

fredw@cheney.net