ESPN NFL Football

[thegame]

Ever since 1999, when Dreamcast came out with NFL 2K with Randy Moss on the cover, I have been converted from the EA Madden series, which I had been playing each year since 1993 to the Sega Sports franchise of NFL games.

Last year, 2K3 made a huge step by joining forces with ESPN, which has continued this year and drove the renaming of the game. 2K4, or ESPN NFL Football is the best yet in my view. I know that the millions will stay by the fact that "Madden is #1" but I've really enjoyed the realism and graphics given to me by Visual Concepts, who makes the 2K series.

The NBA and NHL games done by Sega and Visual Concepts beat out the EA offerings in those leagues last year in most game magazines, the NHL 2K3 especially was light years ahead of NHL 2003. NBA Live was an arcade game compared to NBA 2K3, and this year's previews are looking to be the same.

I know I won't convert many to the SEGA games, but I really would say that they deserve a second look.

[MVDaBomb]

I agree. Personally, I think High Heat by 3DO is the best baseball game, and Inside Drive by Microsoft is the best basketball game.
But given the choice between Sega and EA, the Sega games are better in all 4 major sports.
Tiger Woods Golf, Fifa, and Medal of Honor are all cool games from EA. But their mainstream sports games are just way too acardey.

[RockStar36]

huh? are you serious? have you ever played madden2004? it is damn near real life. you assign all ticket prices, concession prices, as well as renovate a stadium, rebuild a stadium, or relocate a team.

you also sign your head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, and ST coach.

those are only a FEW of the many realistic details included, just in the off-season. I have owned nfl 2k2, and it was an absolute joke. complete garbage.

[RockStar36]

I will agree that the sega kicks EA's ass in NBA, NHL, and MLB. but no way in NFL! no way! it isn't even close.

[MVDaBomb]

Originally posted by billsfan4life2003
huh? are you serious? have you ever played madden2004? it is damn near real life. you assign all ticket prices, concession prices, as well as renovate a stadium, rebuild a stadium, or relocate a team.

you also sign your head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, and ST coach.

those are only a FEW of the many realistic details included, just in the off-season. I have owned nfl 2k2, and it was an absolute joke. complete garbage.

You're comparing 2k2 to madden2004? That's fair.

I really don't give a crap about hot dog prices; I want realistic gameplay. Playmaker is a cool feature, but there are WAY too many interceptions for both the user and the cpu. 40 year old DE Anthony Pleasant outrunning Eric Moulds and the rest of my offense for a 95 yard TD return is not anywhere near real life. That's not sour grapes on my part - I'm 9-1 in my All-Pro season and I've won my share of games in similar cheezy fashion.

[Denverbillsfan]

2K4 all the way, I to have been converted from Madden to the Sega series. 2k4 rocks.

[RockStar36]

I'm not saying hot dog prices....because I really don't care about that either. But it does have a lot in owner mode that I love. The chance to design a new stadium is awesome. And the Training Camp feature to boost up certain players is awesome. I know there are a lot of interceptions in the game, but if you think about it, in real life if you make one bad read or one bad pass, it will be picked. So in my opinion that just makes it more realistic. I have the game on All-Pro and I really don't throw to many picks, because I'm used to it and I know where to throw and where not to throw.

[Denverbillsfan]

When you play first person on ESPN Football it is just incredible. You actually see throught the helmet. The only way you could get closer to the action would be through virtual reality playing.

[Psychosis]

2k4 is better.

[MVDaBomb]

Originally posted by billsfan4life2003
I'm not saying hot dog prices....because I really don't care about that either. But it does have a lot in owner mode that I love. The chance to design a new stadium is awesome. And the Training Camp feature to boost up certain players is awesome. I know there are a lot of interceptions in the game, but if you think about it, in real life if you make one bad read or one bad pass, it will be picked. So in my opinion that just makes it more realistic. I have the game on All-Pro and I really don't throw to many picks, because I'm used to it and I know where to throw and where not to throw.

I get what you're saying. Don't get me wrong - I like it better than past Madden's where you can constantly throw into double coverage without being picked. This year's game definitely makes you play smarter and read the defense. When a defender whom I don't see is sitting in a zone picks off the ball that's my fault. But there are other times when I see the that my WR is 7 yards behind the MLB, and I intentionally tap the button for a lob pass in order to get the ball over the LB's head.....and the LB STILL leaps into the air 50 feet and makes a sick fingertip grab.....that just really bothers me.
It's also too easy for me to get int's - not just the cpu.

[Mouldsie]

2k2 > Madden02
2k3 < Madden03
2k4 ? Madden04


I'll have to check it out.

[GrapeDRINK]

Yea I got both and I gotta say 2K4 hands down is much better. Don't get me wrong Madden is sweet, but when you get used to 2K4 nothing compares.

[RockStar36]

Maybe it's just me, but I had NFL 2K2, and it turned me on to Madden and I can't go back. The off-season on that 2K2 game was disgusting.

[MVDaBomb]

Finally picked up ESPN last week. It's pretty sweet I have to say. They still can't get the uniform options right, and the coaches don't look as good as Madden's but otherwise the graphics are 2nd to none. The player models are great and the crowd looks the best of any sports game I've ever seen.

Overall it's just a really fun game to play as pretty much all of the flaws from last year have been fixed. They corrected the dropped passes, the lack of a pass-rush, the super dive tackles, etc. The only thing they didn't fix is the lack of deep balls thrown by the cpu.
Runing the ball is a little too easy for both the user and the cpu (at least on the all-pro level....I don't think I'm ready for "legend" just yet). Still, I'd rather have that than no running game at all which applies for just about every other video game I've played.
I'm struggling with the passing game a little bit, but I think I will get used to that in time.

I like the fact that you actually have to kick FG's and punt on this game. Every possession is not feast or famine (TD or turnover). The main thing is I'm actually getting very realistic scores&stats on 7 minute quarters after 5 games. My offense did about as well as the real Bills did against Miami in getting spanked, but otherwise I'm 4-1 after winning close ones vs. NE & Philly and pulling away from the Jags&Bengals late.

[TheGoodShepherd]

who wants to play me ?

I can beat all of your asses in every game mentioned here.

lets play

[TheGoodShepherd]

If any of you want to dowload demo's so we can play against each other go to www.megagames.com.

best gaming site out there, i know who runs it


Praetorians is a good demo

here is the link to go right to the demo gamelist...http://www.megagames.com./news/html/demos/demos.shtml

might have to wait a bit

plus they have every other demo...download them tell me...and we can start a Bills video game league, i can host it or if someone has a faster computer they can... i just want to play

[Denverbillsfan]

Originally posted by MVDaBomb
Finally picked up ESPN last week. It's pretty sweet I have to say. They still can't get the uniform options right, and the coaches don't look as good as Madden's but otherwise the graphics are 2nd to none. The player models are great and the crowd looks the best of any sports game I've ever seen.

Overall it's just a really fun game to play as pretty much all of the flaws from last year have been fixed. They corrected the dropped passes, the lack of a pass-rush, the super dive tackles, etc. The only thing they didn't fix is the lack of deep balls thrown by the cpu.
Runing the ball is a little too easy for both the user and the cpu (at least on the all-pro level....I don't think I'm ready for "legend" just yet). Still, I'd rather have that than no running game at all which applies for just about every other video game I've played.
I'm struggling with the passing game a little bit, but I think I will get used to that in time.

I like the fact that you actually have to kick FG's and punt on this game. Every possession is not feast or famine (TD or turnover). The main thing is I'm actually getting very realistic scores&stats on 7 minute quarters after 5 games. My offense did about as well as the real Bills did against Miami in getting spanked, but otherwise I'm 4-1 after winning close ones vs. NE & Philly and pulling away from the Jags&Bengals late.

I got beat by Miami too, its a conspiracy I tell you.

[RockStar36]

I can't seem to pull myself away from Madden, no matter what I read about ESPN. I just built a brand new stadium for the Bills, Jim Kelly Stadium", I went into debt hardcore, but dug myself out in 1 year because I sold out every game, and the stadium is huge. I just love how you can do that, built new stadiums, along with building a new team.