For those that picked up Madden 2003 last year you will know what a great game it was. The gaming press loved it and it sold pretty well also. There were one or two small niggles with the game, but then the perfect gridiron game still doesn't exist… yet. In the latest addition to the series however most of those problems have been removed and a couple of great features added. These features that have been added are the 'Ownership' mode and the 'Playmaker' mode. Both of these are welcome additions and really add to the game.

Ownership mode is an extension of the already popular Franchise mode. Franchise, for those that are not familiar, allows you to choose a team and mould them any way you see fit. Take your team off to camp to expand their skills with a variety of modes. Train your QB to throw more accurately, or your defensive linemen to tackle. Pass these successfully by getting either a bronze, silver or gold rating and you are given the chance to go to the next level of training in the same field. Of course if you fail you lose everything you just gained, but win and the rewards will really improve your player. After all the training modes are complete you can enter the pre-season games or even trade some of your players, as long as you do not go over your salary cap.

Heading into the season is where the Ownership mode comes in. Manage everything from the price of food at the game, to the price of team memorabilia and even ticket prices for allocated seating. But it doesn't stop there. Advertising plays a big part as well so you will need to decide how much you would like to spend on radio, billboards and even arranging fan appreciation days so fans can meet your teams. Then of course there is the ability to design your own stadium. In here you can choose the shape, the amount of seats, even an EA arcade to keep kids happy.

Playmaker allows you to tweak your plays either before the snap, after or even both. For example, you have chosen a TE quick out play, but you can see that all the zones are covered. So you tap the right thumbstick up to tell your receiver to go deep. As soon as you snap the ball the receiver runs down field ready for your pass. This is an awesome feature, but it gets better. As you are running with the ball you can move the right thumbstick to tell one of your blockers which way to block so you have a better chance at making some yardage. Your player will actually point in the direction you want him to block; now that's innovative.

Of course it doesn't just stop there. You can also use the Playmaker controls on the defensive side as well choosing which areas to zone for the pass, or blocking the running game. This may take a little while to get used to using two analog sticks at once, but the rewards are endless and can really add to the overall enjoyment of the game.