Based directly on the gameplay of EA Sports' classic 16-bit series, Madden NFL 2002 brings the long-running Madden franchise to the Game Boy Advance for the first time. Players can choose from the 31 NFL teams of the 2001-2002 season, as well as the All-Madden Team and the expansion Houston Texans. The Play Now mode gets the player into the action quickly with a single-exhibition game, while Season Play allows the simulation of an entire 16-game season or just the playoffs. Progress in this mode is saved to the cartridge's internal memory. Game options such as location, quarter length, and weather conditions can also be customized.