It’s football time in video game land with the release of Madden NFL 10. The excitement of an autumn Sunday, where any given team can beat any other, fuels the popularity of the biggest sport in America. With Madden NFL 10 you can take your favorite team to the Super Bowl or create your own franchise, building the team as GM and coach, to compete against the AI or online versus real players. And as always, updated rosters using the previous seasons stats lend realism and accuracy as you battle for the title of Super Bowl Champion.
A renovated play-calling system complete with new menu options allows for quicker games taking you to kickoff faster than previous versions. Online play now allows for accelerated clocks touted to make for more enjoyable gameplay. And a new animation technology, Pro-Tak, provides for unique control over the outcome of every play. Dragging defenders for those extra few yards to get the first down, fighting for a fumble in the bottom of a pile, and 7 and 8 man gang tackles are just a few of the many new playing options avaliable with Pro-Tak. You now have more control over the defensive pass rush while your opponent will have new blocking systems at his command giving the QB the opportunity to step up in the pocket or avoid the rush in ways not possible with previous Madden games. With Madden NFL 10 the play doesn’t stop until the whistle blows, literally.
Big changes in online play highlight this years version of Madden. You can now team up with a friend in online and go against the AI in online co-op mode. Featuring support for headset communications between players both in and out the huddle, you can play cooperatively in new ways. Players also can play any position on the field and can switch between positions at will up to the snap of the ball. You can utilize specialized camera angles unique to each position allowing players to develop specific strategies designed to fit their particular skills. You can also take your custom created franchise team online to join in on the all-new online franchise mode. Featuring a an NFL-style draft with up to 32 teams and a custom league webpage, Madden NFL 10 is the next best thing to being there.
Madden NFL 10 is the most customizable version yet. You are given many options to create a game just the way you like it. But new play-calling systems and menus do nothing more than confuse long time Madden fans. And EA has taken out many of the features, like the hit stick, that has always made Madden the cream of the crop of football games. Admittedly this game does have some very good graphics. But you have lost the ability to skip past the cut scenes so while fun to watch the first couple of times, gets old very fast. There is also a vastly reduced number of replays. Hit a 80 yard TD pass and no replay unless you go to the menu and manually select it. Madden NFL 10 has many benefits, but with so many changes it just feels different than previous Madden games, which honestly are basically all the same with updated rosters. Only time will tell if this move will pay off and see Madden NFL 10 at the top of the bestseller list. Madden NFL 10 is fun to play but get ready for a new and slightly different feel than previous entries in the Madden franchise.
Available on: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PSP, PlayStation 2
