With the launch of any console, there are rush jobs. I don't think that is more evident in any other 3DS game than it is in Madden NFL Football. While the launch title looks nice and plays well, there just isn't a whole lot of game to play.

That's unfortunate because the game of football that is played in Madden on 3DS is very good. The controls, specifically the Circle Pad, are wonderful, and the game makes good use of the system's two-screen setup and touch screen. It’s rather rewarding to draw out your own audible on the touch screen. The much ballyhooed 3D doesn't add anything substantial to the gameplay, but it looks cool and is especially effective at immersing you in the game because of how tight it brings the camera behind the quarterback before the snap when you're on offense.

Sadly, that's pretty much the entire game. You can play exhibition games and participate in a season mode that lets you play through last year's schedule of games. There isn't a franchise mode. You can't play multiplayer with your friends. There is no online component. All you can do is play a single-player game or season in standard 11-on-11 or the 5-on-5 arcade mode, which was carried over from the Wii games.

It brings over GameFlow from Madden NFL 11, allowing you to turn playcalling over to the AI. It works a lot better than it did in the Wii version for me, even more so because it is far easier to change your play if you don't like what they picked for you. Naturally, you can still call every play if you want to.

Madden NFL Football isn't a bad game; it's just empty. The content that's there is polished, but there just isn't a lot of it. If you're okay with getting a football game that offers nothing but a single-player game of football, then the launch edition of Madden is worth your time. If you fit into the likely larger amount of people who aren't okay with that, wait for the next edition.