Review by: Rob van Alstyne

Madden is back! After a two year hiatus, the king of the gridiron is finally gracing the 32-bit Sega Saturn. Unfortunately it appears to have a lost a few things along the way. Though by far the best football game available on the saturn (look at whats out there) the game is not without its flaws. The crowd noise is almost non-existent except for occasional chants of defense and a small (very small) roar when a touchdown is scored. And although it may claim to have all 30 NFL stadiums nothing really differentiates them from one another other than the logo at midfield and a few drapes on the sidelines. Like I said though these are only minor complaints. Where Madden continues to shine is realism, playing with my favorite team (the Buffalo Bills), QB Jim Kelly just like in real life got picked off at least once every game. But this realism can also present a problem, just like in the NFL there are tons of penalties inthis game, which is OK. The problem with this is that the penalties are called too frequently and almost never against the computer.

Another strong point of the game is the graphics the standard cam given is the best available but you can cycle through other options to find the best one for you. The players are magnificently animated, this is where the upgrade from 16 to 32-bit really shows. There are a myeiad number of endzone dances that never get old and always entertain! The graphics as I said are fantastic and the players move quickly with ultra-fluid animation. The only weakness is that all players have the jersey #88 on their backs. But that is completely irrelevant since players can be identified either by name, position, or jersey # on the options screen.

The statistical tracking etc. is there as expected along with a record book keeping track of the best statistical performances (yards passing in a game, etc.). This adds a great touch but in order to save any season without the ram cart you have to completely wipeout the systems internal memory. Madden '97 is great not perfect, but for the first time being programmed on a 32-bit engine I can only dream as to what the wizards at EA sports will be able to do in '98.

Graphics:10/10 Tons of camera angles, great animation. (Love those end zone dances!)

Sound:8/10 would be good if it was LOUDER!

Control/Realism:9/10 Everything is hear that you could ask for. (Except for a good ref!)

Overall:9/10 EA comes through with a TD in the clutch.