ESPN NFL 2K5 vs. Madden 2005

This is a serious topic. Stop thinking about work, the election, and whether or not your boyfriend/girlfriend is going to catch you cheating.

Madden football games have always been the undisputed king of football games in video game world, well, at least after the original Tecmo Bowl(featuring the greatest video game athlete, Bo Jackson).

Every year the release of Madden is highly anticipated. For instance, we were all shocked at the lack of respect the Patriots have gotten the last couple years on Madden. This is a big deal to Patriot fans everywhere. However, it is a great football game many hours and brain cells have been lost on.

Anway, I was planning on picking up Madden 2005 for my Playstation2, when I stumbled across ESPN NFL 2K5, and found out it's only $20(!) compared to $49 for Madden. I then compared the reviews at my bible of video game reviews, gamespot.com, and found out the two are very close, and some say ESPN is arguably better:

ESPN:
http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/sports/espnnflfootball2005/index.html

Madden:
http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/sports/maddennfl2005/index.html?q=Madden+2005

So to continue my Madden/ESPN debate, I emailed a few of my buddies who are video game/sports fans. Two think I'm a complete retard for thinking of not buying Madden. They automatcially assume no other football game can touch Madden.

One friend points out Bill Simmons, writer of Page 2 for espn.com, endorses Madden, even though "he works for ESPN."

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/cowbell/040811

I concur, he is only a writer, not a video game salesman. My friend still thinks I'm a retard.

My mind is made. I'm going for ESPN. Does any of the other 4 people that visit this site have either of these games? Thoughts?

Have good time.