Madden NFL 2004
You don’t have to look much farther than the cover to understand what made this iteration of Madden so great. Michael Vick. Those two words create two emotions in long-time fans of the franchise. Either the joyful memories of running for hundreds of yards on your opponent because they couldn’t keep the former Falcons quarterback from making big plays, or the feeling of frustration as that red and black blur went streaking past your defenders on his way to yet another touchdown.
Outside of just featuring the dynamic quarterback, Madden 2004 was also the year that owner mode was added. As if controlling a teams roster weren’t enough of a simulation of NFL, owner mode added the ability to set ticket prices, build onto your teams stadium, or completely move them. The mode came complete with drawing up proposals to the city the player wished to move the team to. If the citizens of that town weren’t satisfied with the tax burden a new stadium build would place on them, they could reject it. The dream that John Madden and Trip Hawkins set out with in the 80s was giving players some of the truest NFL experiences from every angle.
