Well, it’s September, and we all know what that means... FOOTBALL!! And what better way to kick off the season than a brand new release from EA Sports. The graphics in Madden NFL 2000 are the best yet that I’ve seen from EA. Everything from the Options screens to the players is very crisp and clear. Not to mention that when viewing a roster from any team on the NFL, there are real life photos of each player and their descriptions.

The sounds are much like that from any other football game. The best though is the added comments by both the players and the commentators. It adds some humor to the game, and that helps especially when you’re losing your game.

The gameplay for Madden 2000 is pretty basic, although there are several options to the game that you can pick and choose from to customize it to your liking. First off, you have your choice between Traditional and Arcade mode of play. The Arcade is exactly what it sounds like, only it adds some more comments from the commentators, and the sounds are a little more unique. But wait, I’m just getting started. There’s Season, which allows you to control your team(s) of choice through a 16-game NFL season. Then there’s Franchise, which you can control your team through 30 seasons, as well being allowed to change your coach and basically become a real NFL coach for your team. There’s also the Tournament option, which is just for facing off against any team of your choice, and Practice mode, so you can get all of those control configurations down pat. Lastly, there’s Situation which allows you to re-live those great NFL moments in history by replaying them.

Once again, learning the button controls is the most difficult part of Madden 2000. You can set the level of difficulty from Rookie to Madden, the man himself -- it all depends on how well you feel you’re doing. But like all other games, the more you play, the better you become. Enjoy!

Oh boy! You better have the book open on this one. Basically, every button does something different, and then it changes. This was the only problem I had with the game. But after a couple hours of practice, I had it pretty much covered. The combinations are just too many to mention, so trust me when I say have the book on hand. There’s also a Command Summary on the inside of the case underneath the CD, just in case you need that quick reference during a heated situation. But all in all, Madden NFL 2000 is definitely worth purchasing. If you like football and everything that goes with it, you’ll want to pick this one up.