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I bought this game for my six year old Grandson who plays flag football for his school team. He loves the game and carries it everywhere.
There is a ton crammed into the cartridge. The only negative I have seen on offense so far is that the Strong I formation, quick toss play is literally undefendable, no matter the difficulty setting. It's packed with gameplay options, from mini camps to franchise mode (haven't played a whole season yet so I'm not sure how the offseason is) to DS exclusive games using the stylus. Now on to the review:This game to me is almost perfect for a handheld version of Madden. First of all, let me start by saying I haven't played any previous versions of Madden on the DS. Anyway, if you have a DS and want a somewhat realistic football experience on the go, do yourself a favor and pick this up. Against bad defenses, the middle will open up, even on draw plays, but try it against the Steelers and you will have much less luck. Running is pretty good.
If you don't drop 4 defensive backs into deep coverage, it's almost a sure bet that the qb will throw deep and connect on you, but it's honestly one of the first Madden games I've played where I'm not a sure bet to be #1 in total defense year after year by several hundred yards. I can swear that I see similar cutscenes to Madden 2001 for the PC (which I think is a crazily fun game) so I think it's using a similar engine. I hear this one is identical to 08, so you probably should save your money if you already have that. I've had to remedy it by choosing a playbook that doesn't have the play, and that seems to have made a difference.Defense is really tough, especially on Pro setting. Gameplay is actually really excellent as well. At times you will throw a pass to a receiver that will just miss by a mile, but it seems like the QBs with better accuracy ratings actually miss less of the time, and generally you won't miss if you throw the pass at the right time in the receiver's route, so QB pressure actually seems to mean something in this game (which is less than I can say for almost any other Madden I've played). Graphics have never been that important to me, but I think these suffice just fine. I recently played it a ton on a long trip, and I'm still really satisfied with it.
Like other versions of Madden, key maps are shown to choose receivers and plays, etc, but the maps are so small you'd need a magnifying glass to read them. Visually, EA could not have done much better with the realism of the game, and as always I love hearing the announcers talk. I've played Madden for the PC, PS3 and the Wii, and all are great games, requiring a significant learning curve to fully enjoy, but once I got the hang of it, these are among the most fun games I've played.But I was doubtful of Madden on a portable device, because the screen is just too small to hold all of the Madden details, and after playing it on the DS, my doubts were proven correct.On the plus side, I was impressed with all the technical aspects of the game. EA tried to limit the complexity of the play lists, but that was not the main problem --which is, the screen is just too small.So far, the only good football game I know of for the DS is Tecmo Bowl, which does not suffer from the same problems as Madden. The game is loaded with features.But the size of the screen is simply too much to overcome. In Madden, you need to see the whole field, and that is simply impossible with the DS. The game itself is much simpler, and the field is shown from above with less realistic but clearer visuals. So if you need a football fix on your commute to work, or at lunch break, Tecmo is the game I'd suggest.
Second, the graphics are terrible. But I was wrong. When I first got this game for Christmas, I thought it was gonna be great. Third, it is nearly impossible to kick a field goal. First of all, when the ball is hiked, you are supposed to hear players' pads hitting. Instead, it feels like you're in Iraq with a guy next to you with a machine gun. The REC center is fun, though. If it wasn't there, I would definitely have to rate this game one star.
Graphics for a small console is actually good. Game play is quite good where you can use the standard rosters or customize your own team. I have played Madden Football since I had a Sega Genesis in the 1980s. Passing the ball utilizes the various buttons (A,B,X,Y, L, and R). There are real time statistics, as you play the game, to evaluate your performance and your competition. Sound effects are good for a portable with the voice of John Madden, the crowds and grunts from the players.The interface is the same as its predecessors when choosing plays. You can call audibles and no huddle offensive plays.
Players can be created and rosters can be customized. After acquiring a Nintendo DSi, I had to try out the Madden 09 on the this platform. You can play an exhibition, season or franchise. Punting or Kicking a ball takes a steep learning curve to master. Artificial intelligence can be adjusted for your level of play. Practice mode lets you learn the mechanics of the game, including punting and kicking (the hardest part of the game to do well). PROSRobust game with many optionsCustomization of rosters and difficulty levelGameplayCONSNone for a handheld consoleOverall, this is entertaining with a high replay value.This is one of my most favorite games.
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