By now we all know what a behemoth the Madden franchise is and the impact it has had on sports gaming in general. Some cherish it and some loathe it, but it’s the only licensed NFL game available, so play it you must.
I remember a time when football gaming was competitive. Visual Concepts and Sega had released ESPN NFL 2K5 for $20 and EA Sports must have been straight spun. But alas, no more.
Soon after that I read in utter dismay that EA had monopolized football gaming through an exclusive and costly NFL license. In the years that followed, all the Madden reviews that I read couldn’t help but mention that EA was just dialing in their biggest and most lucrative franchise and that the series never really stepped it up from year to year.
While I agreed with these reviewers whole heartedly, I never stopped playing Madden. It was firmly lodged in my gaming subconscious from the days of the early 90’s on the Sega Genesis to the late 90’s on the Sega Saturn to every other console after that. I would never abandon it. I loved NFL 2K5 for the strides the developers took to give EA a run for their money in regards to gameplay, presentation, and fun-factor. But by no means was there ever a “bad” year of Madden, and it was often just a case of misallocated focus. But, in the end, it was never the best it could be.
With that said, Madden 2010 is by far the most impressive rendition of football gaming EA Sports has created in years, but one can only hope and wait for what will someday be a truly complete and epic John Madden NFL Football experience. Fingers crossed right?
**Before I get started on my review of Madden 10 I just want to note that I have been playing on an 2005 Xbox 360 that has already seen the three red lights.**
Presentation:
Receiving a positive and fresh overhaul this year, the whole look and feel of Madden NFL 2010 has a TV style sheen to it. Each game information about the stadium is given and there are some animated tie-ins that show tailgating, consumerism, and social banter. The in-game advertising is present once again but it would have been nice to have more of a variety instead of the same brands we’ve seen for years. And I’m not talking about Snickers.
I would have liked to see some major networks (ABC, NBC, FOX, EPSN, NFL Network) involved in the process with each game being broadcast by the corresponding network with all the appropriate graphic, such as that stupid FOX football robot dancing around (never gonna happen). Now that’s what should be the future of Madden, right? I swear I just cursed myself.
There could even be the specific announcers for each network. While this review is traveling down a wish list path already, I can’t help but think about all the possibilities. If EA truly wanted to champion an all great version of Madden NFL Football they wouldn’t have to make one every year. They could release roster updates and other downloads, and a perfect game of Madden wouldn’t require you to buy one every year. Would you pay $100 for a Madden NFL game that lasted you 3 or more years? Not that EA would ever do this (-$$$), but it’s not a bad idea to ponder from a non-technical/financial standpoint.
At the end of the day – let’s make that day be Sunday – the TV-style presentation is truly evident and a nice leap in the 2010 version. But with EA’s big slogan of the year being, “If It Happens On Sunday, Then You’ll See It In The Game”, what happens if I see it on Monday Night Football? …Continue reading: Madden NFL 2010 Game Review (Xbox 360)
