The Madden football franchise has been one of the most popular titles in sports video game history, if not the most popular. With this year's installment to the franchise, Madden NFL 10, EA Sports has raised the bar not only a little bit, but they upped their game to an incredible new level to not only make this the best football video game ever made, but possibly the best sports video game ever.
The first thing that catches your eye is the Welcome/Start Screen Display - The typical flashing press start button appears in the middle of the lower half of the screen has been replaced by fans in the stands holding a sign that tells you to press start. Not that big of a deal, but something that told me that EA actually took time to redo some things instead of basically copying the same game model year from last year.
Into the welcome screen, the same expected game modes are all there (franchise, play now, online, superstar, etc..). Those are all expected to be there since they make Madden the football game that it is. What I wanted to see is what they did with the gameplay and franchise mode. So, the first thing I did was log online and downloaded the most current rosters and then started up a franchise with the Washington Redskins.
To my surprise, the franchise mode was completely revamped with a new look and it looks awesome. Everything is included in one place in a handy format on the right side of the screen, making navigation a breeze. From schedule, stats, roster management, funds, and franchise options, it's all there. Already liking this, I start up a game and am wowed even further.
Like MLB The Show, the fans are shown outside the stadium walking around, giving the game a true sense of authenticity that football video games have been missing. Since I was the Redskins, Jason Campbell was shown tossing the ball around before the game. Hopefully now that he is warmed up, he won't suck ass like I am used to seeing in real life. However, if he didn't suck, the game wouldn't be very realistic... Right?
Once the game starts, I am blown away. The players look awesome, the game moves fluidly, the plays are accurate to the real NFL playbooks, the tackling is realistic, etc.. I could go on forever about the great things EA has done with this year's edition of Madden, but I will just let you find out for yourself when playing the game. However, one thing I will go on about a little more is the ratings given to the players this year. Finally, All-Pro caliber players stand out from average players in this game thanks to the rating system. If Santana Moss is matched up with a third or fourth string corner, he is going to free himself up enough to have a big day. EA has embraced this fact and this happens in the game. If Skins' 285 pound fullback Mike Sellars is at the goaline, he won't be stopped by a 195 pound cornerback before plunging into the endzone anymore. The realism in this game is sick.
Overall, this is the best sports game I have ever played and that is saying a lot since I play a hell of a lot of sports games. Until this game, MLB: The Show 08 and 09 were hands down the best sports games I have ever played. I have often wondered what a football game would look like if it was similar to MLB: The Show, and it looks like EA has basically answered my question. The game is fun as hell and it still maintains the realistic element of football. After about five years of mediocre Madden games, EA finally buckled down and put some effort into this year's edition - and they nailed it. This game is definitely worth the $60, so pick it up if you haven't already and start playing. The only reason I don't give this game a perfect score, because that's saying that there is no room for improvement, but this is as damn close to perfect as I have ever seen.
Knox Animal Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Other reviews on Madden NFL 10
Loot Ninja knows that this year's Madden is awesome...
Couch Potato thinks this year's Madden is worth your hard earned $60.
Read more...
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre admitted that he thinks he has a cracked rib. The 39-year old said that he has trouble breathing, but he isn't expected to miss any time because of this. There has been no official diagnosis, but because Favre is Favre, he can also be a doctor when he wants.
