Madden NFL 10 (Sony Playstation 3, 2009)

I used to be one of those guys that would wait in line the day it was released to get my pre-ordered copy. Me and my brothers would play Madden througout the 90s and into the new millenium. The addition of franchise mode in 2000 cemented Madden as a staple in my gaming diet for years.

Then somethings happened. Madden stagnated. It got harder, it cheated, there was a lack of innovation. It became more of an arcade game and less of a simulation. I was either beating it 70-3 or fumbling every time I ran the ball; no middle ground. I began playing NFL 2K5 and quickly realized it was the best football game ever created. Ever.

For the last 4+ years I've played NFL 2K5 and basically swore off Madden, waiting for their 10 year lock on the NFL rights to expire. I've tested the Madden waters a few times only to sink and swim back to the welcoming shores of ESPN, with their gameplay and difficulty sliders able to adjust the game to my level of desired difficulty.

A chance encounter with Madden 10 at my cousin's house opened my eyes. Madden 10 is good. Very good. A few too many broken tackles and a few too many coverages breaking down allowing groaningly unfortunate scores still exist. Putting together a dominant defense seems nearly impossible. I've noticed an unusual tendency to fumble in the red zone...but maybe that's just me. The presentation is nice, and controls are good. The hit stick is a joy. You can lead receivers and strip balls (as well as try to maintain control when getting hit.) You can guide tacklers or tackles when falling. You fight for the ball at the bottom of the pile (which at first I thought would be a novelty or gimmick but actually makes for a neat change in pace.) The ability to save and upload highlights is a nice option.

Overall, a lot of the AI issues seem to be corrected by using the MADDEN IQ difficulty setting and test. Madden has always had the talent, it seems now it is finally being coached up to its potential. Only time will tell if this is a flash-in-the-pan receiver or a sign of good things to continue for the franchise. Either way, ESPN NFL 2K5 might collect some dust this year.

This game really improves on game play. In Franchise Mode the training camps have been removed. The improvements in the game play will justify this. As a Technical Programmer I can see and understand why. Sometimes when working with massive amounts of lines of code when you fix somethings that leads to another problem. This will continue on for ever. Eventually a person has to come to terms with somethings will not work right with that program and find a happy medium and move on. I think that with removing the training camp this has lead to the improved game play with gang tackling (up to 9 players can tackle one) the bringing back of the accelerated game clock. And a few other tid bits. If you were like me and hated the last couple of years since Madden(2005 was the best ever)you will appreciate this version. All time this will rank number 2 on the list. A large improvement from the last couple of years (when each new game set the record low as far as rating) Excellent game will be worth the purchase.

This one is the best of the bunch so far, with so much happening in cutaways (from brawling refs to coaches yelling from the sidelines) that it's easy to temporarily lose focus on the plays themselves, which would be a crying shame given how very impressive they are.

Graphically, Madden 10 is something to behold; fast, fluidly animated and almost broadcast quality on PS3. Technically, there's plenty to get to grips with, including the new Pro-Tackling system, designed to show off massive pile-ups and gang tackles while allowing your quarterback to shimmy round tackles or pass the ball right up to the moment of sacking. There's even a mini-game for when two players simultaneously dive for control of the same ball.

All this combined with improved offensive AI (although there's still a few quibbles in defence), excellent online modes and an improved Franchise Mode that positively blitzes you with content; from team news, injuries and star signings to dealing with the media, setting salary caps and designing whole new stadia. Not every change yields a clear improvement, however. You can't schedule practice sessions before a game in Franchise mode and what you can arrange involves the same plays repeated over and over with no corresponding improvement in stats. Arguably, this may also be truer to real life but it's hardly satisfying if you're stuck with anything less than star players.

The new two-joystick control for ducking out of tackles is also unlikely to please existing fans when it's still easier to use left joystick and right trigger to pass while retaining control of the ball. And like the recent Tiger Woods game, audio commentary is still repetitive and disappointingly random – fast becoming a trademark of recent EA sports sims. So no, Madden 10 isn't perfect, but there's so much in there that is genuinely jaw-dropping you have to give credit where it's due. Crisp, photo-realistic animation, better balanced player stats and PSP support for planning plays offline make Madden 10 possibly the best reason yet to take time out to master the intricacies but considerable rewards of NFL.

The only thing I would change is the price!!! :)

Madden NFL 10 packs a lot of football under its 60 dollar price tag, especially if you have both the PS3 version and the PSP version. While some of the modes don’t perform as well as I’d like, every football fan will still be able to latch on to something for months of fun. The graphics have taken a nice step forward from Madden 09 and the presentation does a wonderful job of emulating the experience of watching a game on Sunday. Commentary and general voiceover work is pretty bad, but it doesn’t overly dampen the gameplay. Madden NFL 10 doesn’t redefine the series or innovate in any monumental way, but that doesn’t stop it from being a truly great football game.

9.0 Presentation
So good you’ll think you’re sitting on your couch watching a game on Sunday. A few issues hold it back, but most of the additions are great.
9.0 Graphics
Without the slowdown, occasional clipping and texture issues this game would be pretty damn close to perfection.
7.5 Sound
The soundtrack is a solid compilation but the commentary duo needs serious work before hitting the gridiron next season. Stadiums are as alive as ever.
9.0 Gameplay
Some questionable structural decisions in a few of the modes hurt an otherwise extraordinary package. On-field action is fantastic to behold.
8.5 Lasting Appeal
If co-op and Superstar were designed better, this game would have a nearly limitless lifespan. As it is Online Franchise, Franchise, standard online play and Madden Moments will keep you plenty busy.
8.9
Great OVERALL

This game is available for sale in my eBay store at a good price:
http://mariio128.com

There's a real sense that EA wants to get back to the fundamentals of football with Madden NFL 10, and many of the changes it has made in that respect are good ones. The running game feels great, and the passing game is much improved over previous iterations. The Pro-Tak system works just about as well as you'd want it to, and the inclusion of online franchises (while featuring some dubious options) is a pretty good reason to dive into this year's game. Even the new online co-op option, which lets you and another player take on the computer, is a nice addition. There's just something satisfying about completing a bomb to a receiver controlled by a friend and not the AI, but this mode still needs some attention when it comes to camera work and positioning--it's a little too disorienting and a little too close to the action. But for all of these improvements, there are seemingly an equal number of nagging setbacks, ranging from the frequency of turnovers to inconsistencies in AI-controlled defenses. Of course, these don't sink the entire Madden 10 experience, since it's still a fun game to play, but a little more tweaking in these areas could have gone a long way in making this the best Madden to date.