Janus. Eve (as in "Three Faces of..." not "Adam and..."). Dr. Henry Jekyll. Jim Carrey in that movie that caused all those angry schizophrenics to go off their thorazine. And now, Madden NFL 2001.

Yes, the most recent addition to the long-running EA Sports football series is a card-carrying member of the Multiple Personality Society. Almost every positive aspect of this title is mirrored by a negative one. Each exciting, realistic contest on the gridiron is countered by an irritating one that resembles real NFL football as much as a duck resembles an aircraft carrier. Career play is as deep as the Marianas Trench in some spots, and as shallow as little Billy's wading pool in others. Still frames of the visuals are as pretty as anything this side of NFL Films, but the often sloppy, herky-jerky animation recalls Walt Disney's first "Silly Symphonies."

In short, Madden NFL 2001 is all over the place. No other sports game in current release is so certain to cause raise-your-fist-and-yell excitement and compact-disc-shattering rage in equal doses, sometimes within just a few minutes of each other. It's the closest thing to a roller-coaster ride on the PC since, well, RollerCoaster Tycoon.