After a quick game, I'm most disappointed with the presentation. The announcing is pretty bare.

I am still trying to figure out how to update the rosters...Micheal Vick starting for Atlanta...not so much.

so far i'm not super impressed

it looks pretty, but it plays clunky

maybe i'm just too used to the 2k style controls


i'll try it again later tonight when i'm more relaxed

I second this. I like Madden for what it normally is, but I would love to hear how well (or poorly) the online Wii portion works.

I like it so far.

BTW, the thread I created was kind of an 'official Madden thread'.

= J

Playing through a few 'rookie' games since I haven't played a football game in a few seasons (trying to get used to reading receivers and defenses). Liked what I've seen so far. The fact that I can opt to use only classic 'NFL Films' music is a huge plus in my book!

Ok, I've played 3 games so far and I have no idea how you can speed burst.

I always get caught from behind and I'm using WR's CB's and RB's. It's ridiculous.

Hold down the right trigger.

Wow, I feel dumb, now I see that R2 is sprint in the manual.

Who reads the manual?

No, that was the "official are you getting Madden" thread.

This is the thread about the game (supposedly).

Well there was a ton of traffic today coming home from work, so I stopped into Best Buy to pick it up (can't play it tonight or tomorrow... got a job interview in the morning and I can't be up all night playing Madden) and got to play half a game in the store.

In that half a game, I saw more amazing/new/unexpected plays and animations that I've seen in a weeks worth of playing any of the other next-gen Madden games. Loved how it played. Looks like there's a ton of depth to it. Didn't see much (if any) clipping or 3-4 defensive players diving onto air as you do in the previous releases. I also liked how you can watch replays of the game at the end.

Can't wait to really dive into this.

Played two online games last night -- lost the first one 30 to 14 and the second 20 to 10. I'm awful. I cannot pass for the life of me -- I get sacked every other time, and throw an incompletion every other time! LOL

Wii control --- it's ok. Flicking your wrist to snap, and flicking your wrist to pass takes some getting used to. I haven't gotten used to it. Gameplay is "clunky" to me - much like all EA sports games. I was a 2K guy for a long time...I should've gone back I guess.

Wii online --- plenty of games out there. Too bad you can't "chat" during the game. I'd like to tell my opponents to stop fucking accepting face mask penalties, which are bullshit calls anyway.

Franchise mode --- pretty disappointed. I tried a fantasy draft, and it made no sense to me. I couldn't get guys like LT or Peyton Manning. Huh? Also, you can't skip past the offseason and let the computer simulate training -- if you skip, you can't make your guys better. I just wanted to play a freaking game...maybe I should've done "Quick Play" instead.

Music --- I like it a lot. Someone said something about "classic music." Where is that option?

Wii Graphics --- pretty lackluster. I was expecting some amazing stuff. Maybe it's just the Wii version.



I'll give it another whirl tonight.

I played half a Quick Game. Plays pretty darn good. I was just getting used to NCAA 08, and this feels a little different. HOWEVER, the rosters are SO wrong currently, I cannot start my franchise until they get updated. Hopefully EA updates them soon, and then someone at Operation Sports updates them also.

The game does seem good though.

Also, to download NEW rosters, just start a new ONLINE game and it will ask to download a roster. Although, the roster it downloads is the SAME that comes with the game currently.

This is our first entry into the next-gen Madden. We opted for the 360 version over the PS3 or Wii versions due to better online possibilities. However, there arises my question. Is there another way to select ones play than only by using the 'A' button? It seems that ones opponent can easily and always know what play is coming. Now we have only played a couple of games against each other so far, but will this be true online as well? Or is there something simple I am missing?

I rented this and played 1 game last night and thought it was pretty awful.

I saw several bugs. The best one: the computer has the ball at my 20 yd line with 3 seconds left in the 2nd quarter. He PUNTS the ball through the goal posts. End of half.

Great job, EA. Oh, and by the way, I am not going to buy another one of your football games until I can throw to my running back on that little out and up route and NOT lose 7 yards every time. Come on. Oh, and also, Peyton Manning doesn't under throw 30 yard passes by 5 yds on a consistent basis or throw to the receivers wrong shoulder when in single coverage.

Give me a break.

1 other thing:

In online play, when you do a "no huddle" hurry up, my offensive line false started EVERY SINGLE TIME. Ridiculous glitch.

The more I think about it, the more I'm pretty bumbed about the purchase.

I noticed this too in the Wii version

That's pretty funny. I wonder : if one punts a ball through the opponent's goal posts in real life, is that a field goal and awarded 3 points and if not, why not?

No, the ball has to touch the ground. You can do a dropkick where you drop the ball on the ground and kick it as it bounces back up. Doug Flutie did that on an extra point in his last game.

Thanks to the person who pointed out that you can use classic NFL Films music. I'll have to look for that. Picked it up with the TRU deal last night and haven't had a chance to dive into it.

In U.S. football, a change of possession occurs the moment the ball is punted, thus no points are awarded the kicking team for a punt through the uprights as the kicking team is no longer in possession of the ball.

As noted above, a drop kick is a different than a punt kick.

You do realize that you can control where you throw the ball, right?

= J

Yeah, I realize that. I had bought every madden up to this year.

I play with the Colts because I live in Indianapolis. Here's an example.

I see a mismatch in the pre-snap - a linebacker on Anthony Gonzalez, a safety cheating for the run, and single coverage on M. Harrison. I hot route Gonzalez to a fly route and Harrison to an out route. That puts Gonzalez on a fly pattern with single coverage on a linebacker. I take a 5 step drop, wait for him to blow by the LB and tap the throw button for a lob pass while holding the left stick up to lead the receiver. Ball hits LB in the back of the helmet, incomplete.

This happened at least 4 times in the game. If you get someone in single coverage on the outside and they have a step on their DB, you cannot expect Manning to hit that throw which would be a 95% chance in real life.

I am not a Madden expert. I don't play for money. I used to be pretty good - as in I only knew one person who could beat me on Xbox in college. Maybe my skills have eroded in the last 3-4 years. But I still think the game is bullshit.

The one feature I miss the most in Madden: