Weapons were mostly a way of identifying great players, and while some of the implementation of weapons were actually really interesting (smart linebackers being able to read play art, for example), possession/speed receivers were just more like the 'unique moves' we'd see players be able to make in 16-bit versions of NBA Live - basically, random qualities assigned to certain players that would be out-of-date halfway through the season (did anyone think Shaun Alexander was a weapon by Week 5?).Electronic Arts is one of the largest video game publishers there is, but as evidenced by Microsoft's enormous takeover of Activision Blizzard, that doesn't necessarily mean it'll remain independent. While older versions saw a Fantasy Challenge Mode that simply was a way to implement the fantasy draft alongside a scoring system, the other features in the game wouldn't sell a single copy.

The focus with Madden '08 was all on AI, which left very little in the way of new features for next-gen consoles. Madden NFL 2008 (360, DS, Gamecube, PS2, PS3, PSP, XBox, Wii) New Feature(s): Weapons, Trophy Room, Fantasy Challenge Mode (PS2/XBox/GC) Success: 2.5. The Coaches Club license added personality and the infamous strategery (just in time for the beginning of the Bush administration) to coach's decisions and playcalling, but it was a feature that was already half-implemented with specific playbooks and should've been confirmed years prior, anyway. Madden Cards unlocked power-ups you could use in games, but unless you were under the age of eight, they were generally unfun.

Madden NFL 2001 (Game Boy Color, N64, Playstation, PS2) New Feature(s): Madden Cards, Coaches Club license Success: 2.5. Madden Challenge foretold the rise of achievement points and trophies, but we've never really cared for those, either. Extending franchise mode out to 30 seasons turned it into a much-truer simulation, but as the franchises went on into the future, the game struggled dramatically to accurately represent the future.

Madden NFL 2000 (Game Boy Color, N64, Playstation) New Feature(s): Cleveland Browns, Hot/Cold players, extended franchise mode, Madden Challenge Success: 6.0.

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