The big focus this year is All-Play mode. All-Play mode is much like last year's Family Play mode, except it is more involved because it uses both the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk. It is also a lot more effective in introducing the game of Madden to younger players, or someone who hasn't played Madden since the jump to 3D. You are still given basic control over your entire team, but the controls are simplified so that a lot of the confusing modifiers (like line shifts and choosing receivers) are eliminated.
With this simple and more arcade-like presentation, Madden NFL 09 All-Play seems to be bridging the gap between Madden games and Midway's Blitz series. While the same solid gameplay is present throughout, there are numerous touches that make the game more like an arcade affair than recent entries in the franchise. The new celebration mode is a prime example; whenever a player on your team scores a touchdown, registers a clutch sack, or intercepts the ball, you are taken to a cut scene during which you can pump up your player by shaking the Wii Remote and Nunchuk furiously.
At the center of this Blitz-like revolution is the new 5-on-5 mode. Using big-headed characters, this mode incorporates simple plays and is a showcase for the new Call Your Shots mode. Call Your Shots mode allows you to use the Wii Remote pointer to direct your receiver wherever you want. This new mode is intuitive, and also highly effective in game situations during 5-on-5 mode and regular play.
The Party Mode, which was introduced in last year's edition, has seen little to no improvement; it's still the same series of stale mini-games and inane football trivia. Hell, most of the mini-games don't really support the four players they advertise. While Miis seem to be a big part of Party Mode, they're really only used as avatars (and by the way, I am still waiting for the ability to make a football team out of my Miis). The only other cool use of Miis is the fact that they appear as in-game referees.
EA's obvious Mii influence reveals a lot of graphical flaws in the big-headed fun of the 5-on-5 mode. While it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the mode, the big-headed graphics remind me of the characters in Goldeneye on Nintendo 64. The graphics in other modes are roughly the same. There’s a lot of clipping issues, and even though it doesn't take away from the game very much, it places Madden’s visuals in the "typically sub-par third-party effort" category.
On the other hand, the flaws in Madden 09’s controls do indeed make the game less enjoyable. For the most part, the controls work well and are generally intuitive. However, the motion to pass and the motion to evade a defender are the basically the same, and since the game has a hard time distinguishing between the two, your quarterback gets sacked an abnormally high number of times.
The game includes just about every mode that Madden fans are used to such as Franchise, Superstar, and the Online Play that was introduced last year. Franchise and Superstar mode haven't been changed too much from previous outings, but they still offer the in-depth experience they always have. Online play is serviceable, and thankfully not as laggy as it was last year.
Overall, Madden NFL 09 All-Play is a very fun game for casual football video game fans. If you don’t want to invest the time to learn the complex controls of football video games or aren’t concerned with learning the rules and nuances of the game, then this is the version for you. Madden fanatics accustomed to the more complex controls and granular strategic options of other versions will probably want to stick with those versions instead.
Pros:
Lastability: 9.0
If you are into football, you can spend a long time in Franchise mode. The 5-on-5 multiplayer also has decent legs despite its simplicity.
Final: 8.0
Sports fans on the Wii can begin to celebrate as Madden is slowly coming into its own. Casual sports fans can also celebrate, because All-Play definitely helps those typically turned off by Madden's complex button schemes. The Madden “hardcore” may appreciate the 360 and PS3 versions more, but Madden 09 All-Play should please newcomers and veterans alike.
On the other hand, the flaws in Madden 09’s controls do indeed make the game less enjoyable. For the most part, the controls work well and are generally intuitive. However, the motion to pass and the motion to evade a defender are the basically the same, and since the game has a hard time distinguishing between the two, your quarterback gets sacked an abnormally high number of times. <P>
Would this Madden be a good recommendation to someone with only a marginal interest in football? Or Tecmo Bowl still be a superior choice?
The most Blitz-like a Madden game will probably ever be.
<a href=/reviewArt.cfm?artid=16587>http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=16587[/url]
On the other hand, the flaws in Madden 09’s controls do indeed make the game less enjoyable. For the most part, the controls work well and are generally intuitive. However, the motion to pass and the motion to evade a defender are the basically the same, and since the game has a hard time distinguishing between the two, your quarterback gets sacked an abnormally high number of times. <P>
Has anyone played the game extensively yet? I ask because Madden 08 on the Wii had some crashes. I never looked into why but from what i noticed it seemed to be selecting a play sort of quickly or skipping a pop up during the game. It only happened when playing in the franchise mode (thats the only mode i play).
It kind of aggravated me because i didn't notice it until i started the 2nd year in franchise mode and now it occurs probably every 2-3 times i play a game. I have to learn to be more patient when selecting plays i guess....
I'm halfway into the first season of a franchise and haven't noticed anything like that.
Has anyone else been pressing the button to throw to one receiver and then the QB throws the ball to someone else (usually the play's primary receiver) or is it my fault? It hasn't happened too many times but it's caused more than a few interceptions. Maybe the developers of the game based Derek Anderson's stats completely on the second Bengals game, that would explain this behavior completely.
I hope NHL 2K9 doesn't suck.
