Madden NFL 09

I've loved Madden's football games for years. Usually I'll buy the most current Madden game every year. Unforunately I bought Madden 09(PS3) before renting it expecting it to be good like the rest have been. Wow, was I shocked at how poorly this game was put together. It was like they were in a rush to put this game out on the market. All the finishing touches are missing. I felt cheated for giving Madden my $60.00 for a game that plain and simply sucks! I went right back on Amazon the day after buying it and sold it for $35.00. Don't waste your money! As for the other Madden games coming out in the future, I'll be sure to rent before buying.

Must be played in High Definition mode to enjoy the full capabilities of this game. I particularly like the Madden IQ test and the virtual training features. The Superstar mode isn't something I would care to play initially but after mastering the game in the franchise mode I think I will attempt the Superstar mode. There are game freezing issues that has to be resolved with a download from EA sports but overall this is a must buy. Go Falcons!!

Pretty complicated game with so many buttons to press simultaneously but enjoyable and graphics are good.

I don't know where EA got the idea that getting sacked and intercepted is "fun". They really need to re-evaluate this franchise. I've been playing Madden since it came out on the Super Nintendo. There have been good versions and bad ones. This is one of the bad ones. The All-Pro mode is ridiculously hard. The "Adaptive Difficulty Engine" that it proudly trumpets just allows the game to beat you more easily. I have yet to win a game using the customized skill settings. Typically, you will get sacked numerous times a game, no matter how good your o-line is, and you will rarely sack the AI player. Magically, it always seems to happen on 3rd down. It's not like you are hanging in the pocket all day. When looking at the replays, you will often see your offensive linemen just step back and allow the defense to come through untouched. AI Linebackers will out jump wide receivers to make interceptions, even if their back is to the ball. The defensive linemen have the ability to bat down your passes while engaged, you wont. Your fastest wideouts will jog their routes while the AI defensive players will zoom to anywhere on the field as needed. Maybe it's just me, but I don't want to play defense for 80% of a game. It's just not fun watching the AI player run through gaping holes in your offense, catch passes in triple coverage, sack you with ease on third down, run a perfect 2 minute offense every time, and always able to out guess your play calling.
On the plus side, I think the graphics are decent. Playing against another human is decent fun. There are a lot of interesting extras. It's somewhat fun on Pro mode.
Overall though, I regret buying this game. I would recommend you rent before you buy.

Alright, first let me say this is a HUGE dissapointment for me. A lot of people have already pointed out the big drawbacks. Let me just add some more now after playing this title for a little bit.

One, I can't run against anybody in this game! Now maybe you think I'm bad at it and griping, but on pro level or higher, it is just impossible for me, and isn't fun at all. Using the pats, who for some reason have all of their lineman at 90 or higher, just don't block. Before the ball is handed off, their are two players already on me. It never fails. The AI cheats in this game so big. If I call a Run play, they will always knowingly have 8 in the box. If I call a pass play, they always have the perfect defense setup. If I audible from one to another in the same formation, you see the defense setup accordingly. For example, I'll come out with two wrs to the left, one to the right on a pass play. I Audible to a counter, no motion on my players. But suddenly they run around the field and are set up with the perfect stop. This is just ridiculous already!

Two, The way the menu is configured for this is bizarre. Sometimes, I get lost amongst all the options, and have no idea what the heck i'm doing, then the menu dissapears, and aaaaahhhhhhh.

Three, People have talked about the no refs, no chaing gang, broken instant replays not working- they look cheap. Well, something I haven't seen mentioned is while your playing a game in a season, YOUR the ONLY one playing a game! No updates from around the league, no AI games going on like in previous versions past. If you are on MNF, after the game is over, there are still the sunday games to simulate. It's dumb.

Four, the player movements at the snap and other gameplay features, I don't know, i try to be a defensive lineman, and it recommends a button to press to beat my current opponent off the line. Intead my guy just launches to god knows where, before he can recover. I can't play any one on defense, because this little random launch with a DB means blown coverage! Also some buttons were switched around like the jukes, so i'll still try to juke with L2 and for some reason the ball is laterralled ten yards downfield! The laterall shouldn't even be a button unless it's part of a called play where it wouldn't need a button. By the way, i've yet to come across any trick plays. Another gameplay option is sometimes the opponent AI will punt the ball with under a minute to go on first down, bizzare to say the least!

There are many other things to complain about, but my primary thing is I NEED A GAME WHERE I CAN RUN THE BALL! It's so frustrating, and I'm just dissapointed in this game right now. I'm getting rid of it, every time I pick it up, I think maybe i'm over reacting, and then twenty minutes in, AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Do the people that make this game actually enjoy playing football at all? I get the feeling the people who made this never touched a football on a playing field in their lifes, and always root for the winning team. This isn't something a fan of the game would enjoy playing!

I played Madden '05 on the Playstation 2, so naturally when I heard '09 was coming out for my brand new PS3 I went and bought it right away. Big mistake. This game regresses from the fabulous balance of control and complexity presented in Madden '05. The controls are poor, the AI seems to cheat, rather than simply get better, the in game QB controls are awful, the camera controls offer LESS than the PS2 version and in general the play feels sticky and awkward.

The various game modes are different too. Rather than capitalize on successes, the designers decided to re-invent the wheel, as a square.

For example, in Franchise mode, rather than fixing the balance that the previous training schedule offered, they re-implemented it as "practice drills" which include a bunch of different very difficult to control set of kludgey camera angle or just plain lame drills (a bench press drill which involves hitting seemingly random controls on the controller, for example). It is in training, testing and simulation that the game really grinds to a halt. You cannot change the perspective to view things from a defensive perspective, you cannot have a pass play zoomout, you cannot even SEE down the field when playing on defense, let alone have a reasonable chance to actually try to cover run or pass plays (better hope the simulation engine thinks your player can do it on his own, and just not touch anything).

Finally, seemingly for no reason, most of the "Madden Moments" (essentially historical mini-scenarios) have no "restart game" button, to allow you to retry when you mess up. Therefore instead of being able to quickly try again (and learn from the experience) you have to sit through the remaining game clock while you get walked all over, or quit, wait for the game to quit after prompting you, then re-enter and wait for the game to load, and wait, and wait, and wait.

This was a big let down.

If you liked previous Maddens, and are content to have more of the same, then Madden '09 will be a success. If you've never played a football game before, you'll like Madden.

However, if you're a Madden afficianado and wanted to see improvements and innovation...well, it's sorely lacking.


GRAPHICS

Considering this is on the most powerful console gaming platform out, the graphics are a huge let down. They're good, but not great - nothing impressive at all. I'm also sorely disappointed in the animations. While you're playing, just stop and watch the players run around. It's not even close to natural. It's terrible, actually - I find it reminiscient of an SNES game.


GAMEPLAY

For the most part, the gameplay is fairly good. There are some things that piss me off, though. I'm amazed how often I'll get a pick with a CB and then actually be tackled from behind as I run for the end zone. There's only a handful of guys in the whole NFL that are going to catch a CB from behind if he's gotten a 10 yard lead. In Madden, it happens routinely. Similar things will happen with my RBs or WRs - I'll get out into open space, but guys will catch me from behind. It's like the guys in pursuit get cheat speed or something. Very annoying and not realistic.

In general, the gameplay just doesn't feel "fluid" to me. The game feels too arcadey. I'm definietly not impressed.


COMMENTATORS

Hammond sounds canned and completely unnatural. Collinsworth, on the other hand, is fantastic. He genuinely sounds like he's there commentating live. The problem is, the things he actually says are as canned as tuna. He rarely names the player in question - in fact, they often won't even reference the team name. That's just unforgivable.

Collinsworth is a great voice talent in '09, but the script he was given to work with is disappointing. Hammond is just boring in general.


IMPROVEMENTS/INNOVATIONS

None really. The graphics were improved a bit, but are still well short of where they should be. None of the new features are really worth anything...they're little better than cheap gimmicks and are advertised as much more than they actually are. Madden IQ is a waste of time. The test is divided into four parts, but you can't choose to retake one individual section - for instance, you can't choose just to do the passing drills again. You have to retake the entire thing. Screw that. The "Rewind" thing that lets you re-try the last play is alright I guess - personally, I just disabled it and don't plan to use it again. It cheapens the competition.

I've also found the autosave feature difficult to work...or in other words, I haven't gotten it to work at all. I'm not sure if I should fault the game for this...it could just be user error. But so far, I haven't been able to figure out how to get the game to automatically load my profile each time I start the game, and to automatically save game results and stats. When I try to set autosave to on, it won't let me for some reason.


RESULT

Anyway, long story short...this game is more of the same. Nothing new or innovative, and nothing that's really going to impress you or make you say "wow." I really think EA's exclusive NFL contract is stifling creativity in the genre. They're not really even trying. This may be the last Madden game I buy. I love having that new update roster with updated stats...but sheesh, it ain't worth $60 anymore.

What happened Madden?Make my review short,Madden is ok this year,with the basically the same minuses that are not addressed.I myself have bought Maddens since the Genesis/Super Nintendo days,and all I can say is,why is Madden hyped every year when NHL(07,08,09) has been the better overall game the last three years.
P.S. Its not even Xmas and the price of the game went down.I bought it this year,next year,needed improvement or I'll just stick with NCAA and NHL.

I would like to first point out that, in general, the game has been improved over previous versions. There's no doubt about that. Not only is Madden gaming incredible in high definition, but the way the game analyzes and adjusts to you is simply amazing. Because the game's difficulty level automatically adjusts based on your gameplay, the game is constantly challenging. All of this makes the game worthwhile.

My biggest gripe, though, is that they have all but done away with the so-called "front office," where you can manage your team, tickets, and finances. And while I understand that the new graphics mean a ton of data to load, the amount of time you spend waiting for the game to laod quickly becomes annoying.

Overall, though, 2009's version of Madden is greatly improved over anything else ever released, and if ever you buy a copy of Madden, make it this one because it's simply unlike anything else you've ever played before in your entire life.

I wrote a review of Madden 08 on here last year so I'd thought I'd follow it up with a review of this years edition. Or should I say Madden 2000.9?

Now before you pass this off as a Madden-bashing review let me give you my qualifications. I bought every version of Madden from the Genesis all the way to Madden 05 on the PS2 (which I happen to believe is still the best version of Madden ever made) and then Madden 08 last year on the PS3. I have been a Madden fan since the first day I could get my hands on a three button Genesis controller and threw a pass to an open receiver in the window based passing back then.

So first lets start off with some nitpicking and EA's famous saying, "If it's in the game, it's in the game."

Here is what is not in the game:

*Once again, EA bought up the ESPN license a few years ago and they have yet to implement any ESPN presentation into the game like 2KSports did so well before EA got the exclusive license. The absence of any ESPN presentation in EA's flagship game certainly solidifies that EA's agreement with ESPN was an anti-competitive move.

*No on-field referees or chain gang on the sidelines. Two staples of football once again ommitted from the game. Sure they added unnecessary security guards and even more players and non-player personell on the sidelines, but the most important staples of the game are not there, even though they were there in versions prior to the current gen systems.

*Instant Replay challenges of sideline catches are still ridiculous. Every year whenever I challenge a sideline catch and a receiver has one foot clearly out, the call goes against me.

*Sideline animations - Yes there is a two feet in animation when you throw to a receiver near the sideline but if a WR's route takes him towards the sideline and you throw towards that receiver his animation more often than not will take him out of bounds and result in an incompletion. Unacceptable.

*Clock stopping on defensive penalties within 2 minutes of the half or 5 minutes at the end of game. I drove to my opponents 20 yard line with 20 seconds left, got an encroachment call on the defense, accepted the penalty and figuring the clock was stopped, I took my time selecting the next play, only to have the clock run out as I broke the huddle. Unless there is some new NFL rule regarding clock stoppage, this is a severe oversight.

*Stable playing surface. Where did EA get the playing surface model from? The old Veterans stadium? When viewing replays from the game, you can clearly see players feet sink below the playing surface on a dry gameday.

*NFL ice-capades. This is definitely still in the game, even with today's precision controllers. If you jump just a little with a DE pre-snap without encroaching, good luck getting him back even close to his original starting point. This is frustrating to say the least.

This so far might sound like petty griping but here is the thing, this Madden franchise has been around for 20 years now, it is the #1 selling football game and the only game on the market. These little details should have been long since addressed, yet they continue to resurface with every version of Madden.

EA is great at repackaging Madden every year with a new gimmick to make it look fresh. Anyone remember QB vision a few years ago? This year Madden IQ is the latest and greatest invention. What this IQ system does is evaluate your skill level and adjust the AI sliders accordingly to tailor the game for your set skill level. However this system completely replaces all the specific AI sliders that were available to players to adjust freely. There are some very general sliders that can still be adjusted but nothing like in years past.

I would be all for this IQ system if there was a way to turn it off and adjust multiple sliders to the specific way a player wants the game to run. Look, anyone who has played Madden for any extended amount of time knows exactly where they stand as far as skills in the game they don't need the game to tell them where they stand. Other human players will be sure to remind you of that.

What is the most irritating of this new system is you cannot adjust any sliders for an overcompensated AI. In the past I was able to tune down the AI QB accuracy and AI WR catching, especially when the AI's second string QB would complete 20 straight passes on me. The ability to adjust the sliders allowed for a more realistic simulation of the game.

Not anymore, unless you dumb down the generic sliders all the way, be prepared for the opposing AI QB to march down the field with Joe Montanaesque accuracy against every nickel and dime coverage you have in the playbook.

Now for the good:

The graphics are a nice improvement from last year. The stadium models are clean and the lighting effects are top notch. Though I think the player models seem a little more "stiff" from last year and it really often looks and feels like the players are running in mud compared to last year.

The branch animations have improved fairly well. Last year this feature was very impressive and this years crop of new animations improves on it. Well done!

The commentary is vastly improved. Gone is the radio announcer who I felt sounded like he was yelling into a tin can. And in his place is a new broadcast crew featuring Chris Collinsworth. As much as I despise Collinsworth on TV, he does an excellent job as color commentator in this years Madden.

The players models are properly proportioned for each postion.

There really is not a lot of good to report over last years version and that is unfortunately how little EA has went to inmprove the overall game experience. Madden 05 was the last year that EA truly innovated their game and brought a deeper experience to it's faithful fans. Is it any coincidence that was one the last years the 2K sports NFL game was around to push the EA team?

Next year, EA is going to have to show me something good in order for me to dole out any more money, paying for the same repackaged game. I've learned my lesson, 20 something years later....

Been playing Madden football ever since it first came out 20 some years ago- long story short: Madden '09 isn't nearly as good as several previous years' versions, mainly for the following reasons.....
1- The lack of slider bars for gameplay adjustments (instead relying solely on how you "test out" on your skill level drills)is a MAJOR negative aspect to Madden '09. Mainly because of this: say you play at an all-pro level in every area but one (how about pass defense, where no matter how hard you try to improve by retesting, is still totally impossible against the CPU)- do you REALLY want to spend all your time testing, or would you rather just have the option to tweak ONE slider bar, to make pass defense a little easier? I find the %completions for the CPU (and the human controlled player, for that matter) to consistently be way too high: usually 80% of passes are completed, regardless of who the QB is, too. Bring back the slider bars!!!!!!!
2- The commentary is awful, particularly the play-by-play guy: incredibly canned dialogue, and Collinsworth's droll voice also gets old way too fast. You'd expect more after 20 years, but apparently this is one area that EA Sports just doesn't care to improve.....and it's real possible to do, too: just check out the hockey game series, for one example of how good this can be, and how much it can add to the gaming experience.
3- There still is the very frustrating CPU-will-catch-up-with-you-no-matter-how-well-you-are-playing thing. Example: I'm leading the Panthers 27-9 (with the Bears) late in the fourth quarter- I've played a sound game on both sides of the ball, and deserve to coast home with an easy win. But NO: the CPU suddenly is unstoppable, goes down the field like it's a practice field and score, AND THEN: they recover not one, but TWO successive on-sides kicks, and I only wind-up winning by the skin of my teeth, 27-22, stopping them on my 7 yard line as time runs out. Was this enjoyable because it was exciting? Big-time NO, because it was so unrealistic (I was in an on-sides kickoff set both times, and they STILL get both kicks....yeah, RIGHT!!!!). I'd rather save the nail-biters for a game where both teams DESERVE to be in a nail-biter.This aspect of Madden has always been frustrating- but '09 seems the worst yet.
There's more, but that's enough for now.
Don't get me wrong, this is still the best football game out there, but it should be better, particularly for $60 bucks.

Same old problems that have plagued Madden for years. Biggest complaint is that the CPU never misses a field goal again. 55 yarders, no problem for the CPU. 50 yarder in 12mph wind? Right down the middle. Until this is fixed, this will never be an accurate game.

Secondly, the conveniently timed fumbles. Edgerrin has fumbled 4 times in 2 games so far. He doesn't fumble that much in 2 years.

Thirdly, they really need to allow us to set up a schedule so that we can choose who we play. I understand why, but they should still allow us to do so.

Lastly, the rush up the middle, I can never rush interior lineman what so ever. This also needs to be fixed.

Until at least these three things are fixed, this will continue to be a subpar game.

I can't believe that after twenty years, EA still produces a game with so many glitches and flaws. A linebacker should not be able to jump 3 feet and catch your bullet pass. I should not see the opposing team get called for a encroachment penalty, then have both teams refuse to go to the line then i'm called for a delay of game!! I really miss the 2K series, at least they seem to have a little pride and QA in their work. EA should be ashamed of theirselves for dropping this bat guana on the market. i'm gonna call Matlock so we can start a class action lawsuit. Since this is EA make it a "no-class" action lawsuit.

After the last couple years being slightly disappointing to me. This years Madden has really brought back the excitement for me. I love the new Madden Test, it really helps make the game a fun nfl experience for me. I strongly reconmend people who like past Maddens but gave up on 07 and 08 to grab 09.

I'm a long time Madden fan, I admit I have not played in the last 3 years or so, but I own or have owned all the others before it. The biggest concern I have is that the controls have changed so much that I find when I play I still go hitting the old buttons to do what I want and it dosn't work. I can see how this game could be great, but it's going to take me a while to get used to the new setup.

I am a hard core madden fan and I love this game. I think it is better than last years. However the franchise mode still is lacking items from the ps2. For example having to make a profit, newspaper updates, nfl icons,
nfl radio, charging food & ticket prices, etc. How can we be next gen and take items away? Also they have the espn contract with ea why not have sportscenter highlights like nfl 2k5. If you look back at the big innovations in the madden franchise is when 2k made a football game. I think it would be great if the nfl got rid of the exclusive contract with ea. Just like I feel about 2k getting the baseball exclusive. Their baseball game has gone downhill. I was impressed with the graphics of madden. I also enjoyed the new intros and new commentators.

I will try to be to the point with this review and address the things that have changed and/or are different from the last few installments of the franchise.

[Madden IQ / Virtual Trainer]
The first thing you will do when you start up Madden is get your Madden IQ. The Madden IQ is basically an overall rating and assesment of your Madden skill level. It is used primarily in the game as a way of letting the game constantly stay up to part with how good you are, but always be just tough enough to help you improve. For example, if you have a very strong running game, but lack skill in the passing game, the AI will auto adjust and have a more stout defense and give you opportunities to make plays by passing the ball. It makes these adjustments very well and it is never overly easy or overly difficult on you.

The Madden IQ is also useful for playing relatives and friends. They can obtain a Madden IQ by running through the same assesment program you did when you first started up Madden. This will make sure that even a veteran madden player can have a good game and a good time playing with somebody who is new to the game. The virtual trainer is a good way of improving specific skills that you have trouble with that are keeping your Madden IQ lower than it could be.

[Graphics Engine / Animations]
The graphics engine received a much need and well done graphical overhaul. Overall, the player models look very clean and not every player's build looks the same.

The animations in this year's installment are top notch. A new and improved branching animation system combines with a slight ragdoll system to make sure that tackles are very realistic. Being wrapped up by a tackler and attempting a dive at the same time looks very realistic and the physics work just as they should. A situation like that shows a player stretching forward and losing momentum and the tackler drags them down. This also goes for gang tackles, mid air hits, and even low tackling. The players on the field tackle, get tackled, and get smashed the way they SHOULD.

There is STILL room for improvement though. Players still occasionally get stuck in catching animations that lead them out of bounds. This is a frustrating issue that has been in the game for years now and still has not been fixed completely.

[Beefed Up Defense]
This year's defense is the toughest to run and pass against of all the years of Madden. Gone are the days of tossing the long ball all game long and rare are the games that end up looking like NBA scores. The defense is smart and learns your playstyle better than ever. Safeties are smart and will stay put and over the top when they SHOULD. It takes a good running game to set up the medium and long balls. Good running is also rewarding on the end up being able to set up the play action pass. This year, it is to your advantage to hit the practice mode to improve your running and passing games, it is the only way you will be able to consistently see the W at the end of the game.

[Online Mode]
The online mode has seen the inclusion of online leagues. The leagues work exactly as you would expect... but ONLY that way. You can get 32 people together and play through a set of games that lead up to a champion trophy but that is pretty much as complex as it gets.

Normal online games still suffer from slight lag issues and there are already a few cheap glitches that hurt the online experience when you encounter people who use these religiously.

[Madden Moments]
Madden moments take you back to some of the best moments of the 07-08 season and recreates them for you to finish and make come true. For example, you will find yourself playing with the giants with just under 2 minutes to play and are expected to put together the Super Bowl winning drive, just like Eli Manning did. This mode comes complete with special animation like the miracle catch made by David Tyree to help get a critical first down. You will see all the year's greatest moments here, but it essentially boils down to you winning the game with however much time left. There are no special requirements for you to do (you can win the super bowl without even having Tyree in the game).

[Everything Else]
Beyond this, much of Madden 2009 remains the same as the past. The controls still feel just as tight as they always have and even with Madden IQ and Virtual Trainer, newer players will still find themselves battling to stay on top of the gigantic learning curve.

The reason the game receives only 4 stars from me is because even though it is probably the best Madden game to date, it still feels very much the same and does not pull me back night after night, weekend after weekend wanting more. After a week and a half, I found myself feeling like I did in September of 07 holding a copy of Madden 08: underwhelmed.

If you are a hardcore Madden fan, you can't miss what is the best installment of the game ever. If you are new to the franchise, there is no better time to jump in and get playing. If you are a Madden fan who found himself feeling underwhelmed the past 2 seasons, this game may not be for you. It STILL feels like the same old Madden... and I don't know how much of a good or bad thing that is.

I got this game a few days ago. I tried to play the franchise mode. The game kept on freezing for a second then continue running. It became unplayable after a while. Too much freeze.

Wow football fans another year is upon us. And here we are with another madden football game. First why do I not like it? because I don't really like Bret Farvreh. I didn't say he is a good player I just do not like him or the fact that he is on the cover in the wrong uniform. Packers is past for him. Plenty of other talent to choose from for the cover why not a bunch of players on the cover? DUH! Second too much flash and not enough substance. From the backtrack to the replay why is it even there? You know you make a mistake when you actually make a mistake. It sounds like cheating to me especially if you are playing someone else. What's with the ball jumping into the centers hands and the QB skating/floating under the center. You would think the programmers or someone in there EA quality control center would have caught this a long time ago during the pregame development stages. After I have seen this I can't help but chuckle every time I have play a game, which has only been a few games as I grew tired of this incarnation quickly. As with other reviewers it seems Madden is in love with himself and not in a good way, but in an arrogant one. As of now I suggest anyone looking to play this be beginners or little children because hardcore video game footballers might pass on this one. I sure wish I waited to spend my money on this seasons NBA LIVE boy I hope that at least a little better than the last one cause these poorly made football games are killing me. Goodluck.

just bought it for my ps3 instead of my 360, seems like i wasted 60 bills again,starting to think this particular series is going backwards,no more hasty buying decisions, purchased it amidst poor reviews,is it better on the 360? don't even care anymore, why did i buy a ps3? why did i buy this game? madden 09 is ''bad in 09.''

The game is not fun,
The game play is horrible at best
AI is very stupid (WR's running sight seeing routes)
AI is too smart (DB jumping routes before the play is developed)
Franchise Mode is a mess- (forcing you to now buy NFL Coach)
Graphics are nice but Id rather have GOOD GAME play then nice Graphics..
The gameplay, the realism is just pathetic- Its unreal how horrible it is-
I've played every Madden that has been out since '95 and Ive enjoyed them all for some reason or another- not prompting to go out and quickly sell it- But I have to say that this Madden '09 - Im putting it up on Ebay and Craigslist now I need to recoup some lost money and lost time on this [...] game.

Madden development has been coasting ever since EA bought the rights to the NFL - that's pretty much understood at this point. But they've now been coasting long enough that the cumulative effect is it is a better game than it was three years ago. The presentation quality is still not as polished or deep as NFL 2K5, but it's gotten better. There are definitely some critical gameplay issues, some of which are new.

PROS:
* Nicer graphics and more variety in the animations
* Much more interesting camera angles both during plays and in between
* Resuming a franchise is a single menu option rather than a manual file loading process
* Finally have gotten back real play by play commentary

CONS:
* The ability to challenge plays seems to have been removed
* Often the clock will continue to run after the ball carrier has run out of bounds
* The half time and post game recaps are nothing close to NFL 2K5's TV show presentation quality - I usually skip the replays because you have to navigate through them rather than enjoy a polished recap

So they've made several steps in the right direction but some critical missteps as well. All in all expectations are pretty low at this point for Madden, so any improvements were welcome. Since EA charges full price for these annual releases of the game build it's hard to justify buying this one. It's a fun rental, and if they continue to flesh out the presentation elements and fix the glitches it may be worth purchasing next year.

I bought the Collector's Edition because I thought it was a great deal.
I hadn't played Madden religiously for a few years.

I was ready to dive back in. I wanted the Xbox version, but the friends that would actually
play on-line only owned PS3s. So I gave up the achievement love and got the PS3 version.

I was hesitant because last year's PS3 version ran at a slower frame rate.
I did some quick research and I didn't see reports of any differences this year.

Before I called my buddies up, I wanted to try a quick game. I jumped in and started playing like I never stopped playing. The game played almost exactly the same as 3 years ago. I had to get used to the hit stick and such, but it is still pretty much the exact same game. I'm not sure if I liked being good already, or if I wanted more of a learning curve. It was a little odd.

So I fired the PS3 up and that was when the problems started. The game only plays in 720p. My HDTV in my game room is a 40" Sony that only displays 1080i, not 720p. I had thought that after the PS3 launch titles made this mistake, EA and Sony would have fixed the issue. Nope. So there I was, stuck playing in 480i in 4:3 mode on my TV. So the graphics were bland and I couldn't play in widescreen so I couldn't see the whole field. My wide out WRs were off screen.

The Xbox version will play in 1080i on my TV just fine.

I still decided to suck it up, because the only reason I got the PS3 version was to play with buddies who lived in other states.

This is where it got horrible.
The PS3 online experience vs. Xbox live is night and day.
The PS3 was horrible.
It took us forever to get a game going. There was some kind of glitch that kept changing both of our playbooks as we started the game to Chicago's playbook. Also, the only way we could start the damn game was to hit the X button exactly at the same time. We had to synchronize our button pushing. Literally saying to eachother , "ready, one, two, three.hit X". This was so stupid. But it was the only way we could get the game to start.

We had all kinds of problems with my ear piece going in and out. Not sure if it was a Sony thing or EA servers.

Once we got the game going, it was fun. My Raider's beat the Chargers :-)

I will never choose a PS3 version again. It just feels so unpolished.

Madden 09 started off better than 08 for me. But that didn't last long. It freezes quite often in the middle of games. It also bombed my PS3 last night. I contacted Sony and the first question she asked was, " Were you playing Madden 09?" I said, "Yeah, how did you know?" Apparently the number of PS3' crashing is up by about 60% since Madden 09 came out and the common factor is people were playing Madden 09 at the time their unit crashed. On a side note, Sony was very helpful and is sending me a new unit.

I will update this review with more game play once I can get far enough in the franchise mode to see if they fixed all the bugs from 08.

yes i can see a graphic overhaul in the game for sure. why all the lock ups. i cant get threw one game without it locking up on me. they havnt come out with an update for it yet. passing is so hard to do on this, and as soon as you push the speed button all the defenders speed right to you lmao, if you ever notice when your in the huddle, the widereciever keeps running around the field LOL. it looks so not polished it is pathetic

Maybe my hopes were too high since this is the first Madden game I bought since getting a PS3, but I'm not just not overly impressed by anything in this game. The Graphics are very good, not great. The animations and physics especially on pass plays IMO are no better than Madden on the PS2. Gameplay is nothing special either. Is it a bad game? No. It's just a decent game that leaves a whole lot more to be desired.

I love to play this game with the surround sound on. The graphics have improved. They have added a Virtual Trainer for passing, rushing, blocking and so forth - which was interesting. The announcers could use some work. I quite often wonder where they came up with some of the comments that are made. Overall, the game has improved for the better and I am happy with the release.

EA has done it again. Takes your money for an inferior product. If you don't mind the system crashing frequently it's a great game. If you don't mind losing your progress, buy it. If you don't mind a software company who doesn't have any care in the world about it's customers, have at it. The game itself is fun but the buttons don't respond quickly. There is a new play that drives everyone on line crazy: HB DIRECT SNAP (TB playbook). BEWARE online gamers. EA has corrected the DC glitch and pause glitch (maybe?) but they have added new glitches. Oh, and have mentioned the games constantly crashes your system? So either live with the old glitches of 08 or buy this piece of parc and live with the new glitches. EA has yet to come out with a glitch free game of Madden.

I didn't buy Madden 08, so i don't know what kind of 'progression' can be seen from the last incarnation. But, i was a diehard Madden player for years before 08. I bought 09 on day one. My first reaction was "WTF?"

I really don't understand this. If one had never played a Madden game before, this one might be a reasonable game. But, the designers have a terribly flawed scheme: They Make Changes Simply for the Sake of Making Changes. The design does not Evolve or Progress. It's just different each time, just so that they can market a 'new experience.' But, hey, here are the fundamentals of good design:

If something works, continue it. REFINE IT. Don't scrap it and do something different, and likely ILLOGICAL. There was a point when the menu systems and playcalling scheme were ideal. A few years ago. Things WORKED. In 09, they just don't make sense. Design is convoluted and arbitrary. SIMPLICITY, folks.

Secondarily, i was shocked to see the game animations and graphics. I have not made a direct comparison to any previous edition. But, what i see in 09 simply seems like the same or a step BACK from what i expected or what i was used to. I'm sure there are some technical advantages in the current game, and perhaps the detail and resolution is enhanced. But, the animations don't look more realistic. They seem more cartoonish. I expected an evolution toward realism, but 09 is a terrible disappointment in that respect.

I have a new 58" 1080p plasma, and i was expecting to be blown away by the game image quality when i started up 09. My previous gaming experience was on a 360 and PS2, on a OLD rear projection tv. But, 09 does not impress in any aesthetic criteria. Maybe i'm expecting too much? Seriously, on the day i first ran 09, i was wishing i could go back to Madden 07. THAT is a significant indictment of 09.

I was so looking forward to 09, as i had skipped last year due to the framerate and other issues. And, with the new hi-def tv, i thought i'd be in gaming heaven with 09. But, i am totally disappointed. I believe this has put me off the franchise entirely. I certainly will not ever buy a game sight-unseen, based only on its heritage. I should have taken some time and read the reviews.....

The last Madden I played was a PS2 version a few years back, and it seems like I've been left in the dust with 09.

My main complaints:

1) Clearly tailored to those who have been playing the games of the past few years, very difficult to jump into as a beginner, and it's not that I mind the difficulty, it's that it doesn't give you the resources to figure out what's going on - this is exemplified by the fact that many modes are marked "NEW!" (it's all "NEW!" to some of us!). There is just very little help in the instructions or elsewhere for someone just getting back into it.

1 b) - I had never played online, sounds like fun, but no help in terms of what to do, should I go to a lobby to find a match or just choose online-play-now? It gives me the option of ranked or unranked with NO explanation of the difference; i.e. what factors into the rankings, can i reset them or should I be really careful in what ranked games i play? and again there's basically no mention of this in the instructions or in-game...

2) You would think the my-difficulty would help for someone like me, but it's terrible - the passing and rushing tests were really easy, much different than in-game, to the point where i threw 5 straight interceptions based on my all-pro passer rating. I don't really like the idea of a "my-difficulty" level even if executed properly, which they didn't.

3) I've had multiple freezes

4) The views are terrible at times, especially after kicking a field goal... is it so hard to focus on the ball and not cut to your stupid view of the net!!! you don't have a clue where it's going until you hear the announcer make the call... we get it, you animated the net!!! want a cookie!!?

5) When kicking (punting specifically) the arrow on the screen does not indicate whatsoever where the ball is gonna end-up (the arrow will appear pointed at the corner of the endzone and the ball will go almost 90-degrees off the side of your foot, I eventually figured this out but not until after a few needlessly terrible kicks).

6) I know there's more that I can't even remember right now...

Having said all of that, the game can be fun between the bouts of frustration. I just get the feeling that the learning curve is gonna be really long, and that there could have been some really easy and quick additions to the game and instructions that would have made it a lot less frustrating to get into.

First I would like to say to all those people that hate Madden stop buying it. You people either suck at Madden or have no idea how far this game has come. There is a reason why this was and is the best selling game every year(even when 2k was out and just [...]$)
The core gameplay of madden is what has kept it alive and kicking all these years. I played 2k back in the day. To me the gameplay was not as smooth as Madden. Its a matter of personal preference but it never held my attention too long.
I pesonally play madden at a competitive level and once you master this game there is nothing like knowing you are 1 of the best madden gods in the world.
I will admit that last years version was full of bugs and the framerate was not up yo par on the PS3 version. Most of these problems have been fixed this year and the cometary is better than any madden in the past. 2k7 still did a better job with the halftime show but like I said earlier the gameplay was never as fluid as Madden.
This year the game adjusts the difficulty depending on how you perform. I thought it was going to suck but it actually does a decent job of rating you. The drills are easier than a live game so your rating will adjust during and after the game. If you sucked at a paticular category you have the option to practice that area after the game. I personally am rated at all madden at every level but I know alot of people arent as good or have the time and patience to get better.
The rewind feature is for rookies that dont play this game much and the back track doesnt get the call right every time but it lets you learn from your mistakes. The problem with madden in the past is that some people thought they were good but never had a real time gage of their performance. This year solves that problem.
Animations are silky smooth at 60 fps and there isnt a delay in when you hit the button and the player reacts like last year. This is a tip for rookies hold down the button to play the ball. This is how it was last year but this year you can hold the button or make a play at the last min. Just make sure you are in position and press the right button. If you hold it the animation will take over and sometimes take you out of the play. Practice this and i garuntee you will be better.
In conclusion it is making progress If you liked Madden before you will love this game. Only thing missing are on field refs and ESPN inergration. I used to like the PS2 version better in 06 but once I moved to next gen My eyes were opened to all the PS2 version flaws.

If you're used to the PS2-style Madden games (like I was), PLEASE do yourself a favor and pass on this horror show. The animations are extremely awkward; the user picks, user catches, and stick moves that made the PS2 versions of Madden so much fun are now gone. The presentation is overwelming at times, and the entire game feels watered down to cater to the unskilled masses.

I'm really, really angry that I got conned into buying a next-gen version of Madden after I saw how atrocious 2006 was.

Better graphics, some improvements, the IQ thing helps beginners, pretty much the same game as last year. Still needs work. playing online I see a lot of players doing same thing, run there QB around in the backfield almost in circles, forever, and somehow always hit the open man even if he's across field and triple covered. The defensive pressure is a joke, you better blitz every play or the QB will have all day...

I am surprised there wasn't like 15 fabulous reviews weeks before release date, I guess Amazon finally cleaned up there forums

I have been buying Madden games yearly for about 10 years now, and it was getting to the point where the changes were just not worth the money. This year i was really looking forward to playing this game because it had a lot of features. The one that really stood out was the REWIND feature. If you mess up on defense, you get an option to rewind the play and start over!

The graphics are amazing, even though i hate the fact it can only go 720p. This game is a really nice improvement from the last couple years and definetly worth buying.

I just got the game and played it for the first time. So far, it looks awesome!!!