Madden NFL 09 Review - Xbox 360

7.5

Gameplay: 7
Graphics: 8
Audio: 8
Multiplayer: 5
Innovation: 7

Introduction

Madden NFL 09 marks the twentieth anniversary of the hugely popular series (in the States anyway). It’s both pretty damn ridiculous and impressive at the same time. The Madden NFL games have always had a reputation for being a tad inaccessible for someone who doesn’t know the first thing about the sport, with a lot of gamers just wanting to throw the ball, crunch some tackles and score some touchdowns. EA Tiburon are finally doing something about it - making what is easily the most user-friendly version of the game to date - but are they able to balance it against the desires of the hardcore NFL gamers out there? Let’s kick it off!

Gameplay

Right from the start you can tell that EA was really trying to address the steep learning curve associated with their NFL monster. Upon beginning the game you’re greeted with a Madden IQ Test, which basically tries to customise the difficulty setting (“My Skill”) to each individual gamer’s ability. Not a bad idea for those that have only had brief exposure to the Madden games over the years - the problem is that the first two tests are extremely easy even for novices (essentially offensive tests) while the last two (defensive) are about right. It’s a great idea, but I felt the result was a tad skewed and the tests themselves probably needed a touch more refining.

As you progress through the game your My Skill level increases and decreases depending on your in-game performance in four categories: running, passing, tackling and pass coverage. If you constantly play the passing game (increasing your Passing IQ) then the defence coverage becomes a lot harder, almost forcing you to start with a few running plays, which essentially teaches you the basic principles of a solid offensive strategy. It takes a while until your IQ score is balanced at the right level, but the mechanics behind it are extremely good at teaching any new user the basics of the sport.

Another new feature aimed at beginners is the ability to rewind a play. They can be set incrementally up to five (or turned off), and while they’re extremely useful for rewinding an opponent’s crucial touchdown or giving you another shot at the game-winning play, it doesn’t entirely sit right in a sports game that prides itself on those make or break moments. What does work well is the new ability to create a rivalry with a particular opponent. Rival games provide even stiffer competition from the CPU opponent, and while it could be expanded further in future instalments, it’s a nice touch.

NFL is based around playbooks and selecting strategies for certain situations in game, be it offence, defence or special teams. While there are plenty of plays to choose from, this is where the casual gamer can get a tad overwhelmed by it all. If you don’t know what it all means, after scrolling through page after page of plays you’re basically going to be just guessing which one to take. Thankfully, (continued next page)