Which version of Madden 10 should I buy?

[Doobie1357]

Should I get Madden 10 for the XBox 360 or for the Playstaion 2?

I always enjoyed how on PS2 the players got upset when you wouldn't play them, the training camp mini-games before each season (360s TC mini games pale in compairson, IMO), and how the game would tell you how to attack each team the week before the game. It made it feel like there was more than just game after game. I liked the practice plays every week, too. I also loved the accelerated 15 minute quarter clock which would allow for more realistic stats and took about the same amount of time to play as 5 minute quarters. Do they have any of these features in the 360 version?

Basically those are the reasons why I WOULDN'T want the 360 version but that group tackling feature looks pretty cool in this year's game. Plus the graphics look amazing!

What do you guys think?

 

[Jason_Venter]

I just have a hard time saying "I think I'll get the PlayStation 2 version" when the Xbox 360 version will have the best graphics and the best online. It's one thing if you're looking at two entirely different games, but when the same game is basically the same on two systems aside from superior Xbox 360 perks, it's hard to imagine a choice even needing to be made.

 

[Doobie1357]

I don't know...it seems to me that EA was going in the right direction with the Madden franchise for a while but then decided (like a lot of other game developers) that graphics were more important than gameplay. I was dissapointed by last year's 360 version and thought the PS2 version had a better presentation for those of us who like to play what appears to be actual football and not some arcade simulator.

You are definately right about the graphics though. They were amazing on the 360 last year and I'm sure they'll be even better this year!

 

[Jason_Venter]

I'm one of the guys that would probably be happier with an arcade approach, so that probably makes me the enemy in one sense, but I also don't see the point in changing the core values of a franchise to appeal to the masses. The sim approach got the franchise where it is today, so hopefully Tiburon will continue to focus on that while the visuals continue their remarkable improvement.

To me, it's the online play that would make one choice better than the other. If you have a lot of local friends and the PS2 version fits the style you want, great, but otherwise I would think that the online component for the Xbox 360 version would be the only selling point you should ever need.

 

[GRColin]

You really don't need to post this in two different topics. Just place it in general next time.

This one has better responses so I'll go ahead and close the other one and move this to general gaming.

Oh wait. I can't because I'm not a MS mod. Fail.

 

[MattAY]

Damn you Lethean! I posted an epic response in the other one whilst you were deleting it (PS - fail)

Anyway, it's not that epic. Doobie - you'd think the 360 would feature those things you mentioned...and more! Since, obviously, the 360 is capable of more.

 

[BigZell2020]

The review for Madden 08 and 09 on this site pretty much sum up the game. Whoever it was that reviewed it this year (sorry, i forget the name) failed to mention that the EXACT same AI glitches that have been in Madden since the beginning of time are still there...and still make the game unrealistic and aggrevating as hell.

The gang tackling is kind of cool, but EA's claim that it is based on momentum is complete BS. You can be standing still and suddenly lurch right through 2 d-lineman...yet you can be running with a full head of steam with a RB such as Brandon Jacobs and get knocked backwards by a safety. The animations are pretty choppy too...it doesn't happen all in one smooth motion most of the time.

What I'm getting at is the game seems kinda cool at first but you realize quickly that they really need to revamp a lot of stuff to make it a true football sim. I wish the NFL didn't give EA exclusive rights, that way Sony Computer Entertainment (maker of MLB's "Road to the Show" series) could have a crack at showing EA what a sports simulation should look and play like. /rant

 

[KoalaRainbowPoop]

how about last years version, or the year before that or the year before that? and why the hell pay 60 bucks for this rears version when they are all the same? that series is so stagnat now that you could use it for fossil fuel.

 

[keepithowitis]

I think Madden 10 is the best game of the ones I've played in the xbox Madden series. To be fair, I've only played Madden 10, 08, 07, and 06, so I can't judge between last years and the most recent one, but it's really the most in depth and realistic football game i've played yet... which isn't saying much if you've ever played Madden 08 or earlier... it's unrealstic as hell, especially the passing plays. Now I think what makes it is the DL moves. Instead of just sitting there in an endless shuffle with the o line, now you can get in and lay some hits on the QB in a matter of seconds. Much more realistic, compared to todays NFL.

 

[BigZell2020]

I just can't stand the glaring mistakes in the game that I noticed the first time I played it...I mean were the people who tested this game 5th graders or what? Things I noticed in the first time I played...

-Clock doesn't stop sometimes on incomplete passes/ running out of bounds

-First tackle on running is plays is broken 90% of the time...even if Ray Lewis is the first one there, he suddenly has the tackling skills of my grandma.

-There are like 20 wounded duck throws per game because the quarterback is getting hit as he throws...which happens in real football maybe like 3 times a game.

-Tackle and tackle assist stats get recorded for the wrong players.

-Sideline tip-toe catch animations have been removed so your receivers make no attempt to stay in bounds they just dumbly step out of bounds as they catch the ball.

-Pro-tak has nothing to do with momentum or the size of the ball carrier

- Dirty jerseys and field degradation is gone, no matter wind, rain, snow, fire...cattle stampedes etc...

-I don't even have to explain that the commentary is unbearable.

-Computer play calling/ skill level is ridiculously unbalanced. They pass all over you, but will be lucky if they gain 20 yards running all game.

-Holding is called on about 75% of FG or extra point tries...yet nowhere else in the game.

-There are like 4 total referee cutscenes, which they try to use for 10 different referee discussion scenarios.

Anyways, I could carry on but you get the point. Since they got the exclusive license it's been one step forward two steps back. They add something decent one year and instead of polishing the glitches out of that...they remove it and add something else that adds to the bugs.

http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/ps3/madden-nfl-09

^^^ Chris Andrien sums up my thoughts on the computer AI pretty well in his review of '09...and yes, that same shitty AI appears in Madden 10

 

[keepithowitis]

If you play on All-Madden and adjust a few settings around, about half that list is nullified, Zell. This game is definitely more for the hardcore Madden player than anything else, no doubt about it. That doesn't mean it's a bad game, EA was obviously just trying to appeal to an older, more knowledgeable audience.

 

[Jesse_Costantino]

The review for Madden 08 and 09 on this site pretty much sum up the game. Whoever it was that reviewed it this year (sorry, i forget the name) failed to mention that the EXACT same AI glitches that have been in Madden since the beginning of time are still there...and still make the game unrealistic and aggrevating as hell.

Is this what you were looking for?

The A.I. is also in need of substantial work. One moment a defending linebacker will stand dumbly as a running back sails past him. Another moment, an A.I. teammate on offense will completely shirk his expected duties to run far away and block some totally harmless player. Receivers run blindly out of bounds on their pass routes, and corners seem to read passes a little too well. None of this is new to a seasoned Madden player, but that doesn’t change the fact that the A.I. is long overdue for a complete retooling. Because so much of your team’s success rides on your A.I. teammates, many of your most fundamental (let alone pivotal) plays come down to pure chance.

Paragraph seven. :wink:

 

[BigZell2020]

^^^^ Well I'll be damned...I only glanced over the review once so I must have missed that part, my apologies the review pretty much nails the game.

On another note...while reading through some Madden forums I came across some talk of Backbreaker Football, a game 2 years in the works that supposedly will revolutionize sports games. I had never heard of the game until now, here are some trailers...

http://download.naturalmotion.com/video/BB_28mb.wmv

http://download.naturalmotion.com/video/BB_TA_GP2.wmv

http://download.naturalmotion.com/video/BB_HDIF.wmv

Using the Euphoria engine (GTA IV, and the latest Star Wars game) the game renders tackle animations in real time, based on the size and speed of the players as well as where they hit eachother. This means, instead of triggering a canned animation the game renders a new animation based on the physics of the players each time. The player models look shitty, and it obviously won't be NFL licensed but my guess is this will be a test run and if it's successful the rights to the Euphoria engine will likely end up in EA's hands, or hopefully ESPN's when the NFL rights run out for EA in 2013 (cross your fingers they dion't sign another extension).

 

[keepithowitis]

I don't wanna hear that same "crunch" sound for every fucking hit though. It's literally the same sound in all three of those videos.
It does look like a cool game though. If it could grab an NFL license and some less stupid looking players, I'd buy.

 

[kapow]

Buy ESPN NFL 2K5 for ps2.

 

[BigZell2020]

I don't wanna hear that same "crunch" sound for every f****** hit though. It's literally the same sound in all three of those videos.
It does look like a cool game though. If it could grab an NFL license and some less stupid looking players, I'd buy.

My guess would be that this game will be a trial run...if it's successful I wouldn't doubt that the rights to the euphoria engine would be sold to EA or ESPN (if EA' NFL license isn't extended past 2013).

The player models could easily be adjusted to look better, it's the physics based animations that are the most important part of this game.

 

[used44]

iPhone

 

[keepithowitis]

Used, is the iPhone version any good? Judging by the reviews on the app store I'd say people like it but it could be another shitty EA Mobile game like I'm guessing it may be. Plus it's eight bucks....