Countdown to Madden NFL '10

It's coming out on August 14th. 3 more days.

Is anybody else really amped for this? The new improvements and visuals have impressed me. I bought an XBOX 360 in January, so this is the first Madden installment I'll be able to buy for a next-gen console.

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I used to get so worked up for the Maddenoliday....but I dont have a next gen system and it is hard to get up for a PS2 version....sucks to be poor....

 

I'm pumped for Madden this year. I've played the demo and it's fantastic. It's also been pretty well received from the media folks so far. I can't wait.

 

Online franchise mode looks sweet. Too bad I don't have a PS3 or 360.

 

I bought it this afternoon and have been playing it ever since. Who else grabbed it today?

I always thought Madden was among the more realistic of EA games, but this year's installment really puts the older ones to shame. The Pro-Tak innovation is simply awesome. Tackles no longer look like a triggered animation, but are so fluid. They seem to legitimately take momentum, angles, strength, and speed into account. And the slowed-down game speed really makes the game more enjoyable, oddly enough.

Brandon Jacobs benefits so much from the new mechanics, he almost never goes down in a one-on-one collision. Eli Manning doesn't look anything like his real-life counterpart.

 

OK, you have peaked my interest. I was recently awarded an $8000 scholarship for this school year and I only need about half of it for tuition and books, so when I get the back cheese, I think I will break down and pick up a PS3 and Madden. Should be in mid-September.

 

I've just started to figure out how to play the D-line properly with the R-stick. I'm not sure if the controls have been like this for most of the recent games (the last I played regularly was '08 and the last I bought was '07), but I was expecting the trigger buttons to be swim technique and whatnot. Osi Umenyiora's actually better than Justin Tuck in this game. I think it's his size and athleticism.

One thing I like is that the proper players dominate games. The real superstars with the 90 ratings make their impact felt on the game. I've played with/against Jared Allen and DeMarcus Ware and you consistently have to playcall around those players. Same goes with Nnamdi Asomugha (the AI doesn't pass towards him). And I've pulled off some really nasty moves with Adrian Peterson.

 

Yeah, last year it was the right bumper and they would do their appropriate move but this year I'm adjusting to the right analog. It's pretty sick that you can pick which way you do a swim move this year. When I'm on defense, I use the LE and most of the time I'm Carolina, so I move Peppers over, but speed rushers aren't as good this year unless. Like last year online, I averaged 5 sacks a game easy against ppl and I would be able to pressure the QB like nothing, but this year the blocking is actually pretty good. I've only been able to put up about 2-3 sacks max a game w/ Peppers on franchise mode.

I also noticed that the proper players dominate the games this year w/ guys. Like for me, the good LB's I've had actually get double digit tackles consistently unlike past years. Like if a LB had 5 tackles, that was great for me, but this year I noticed the average ppl miss quite a few tackles (unless there's help) while the studs wrap up good. This year's Madden hasn't been a disappointment at all, but it's a lot harder to get the deep ball on play action unless you have a stud QB like Manning or Brady. I know Russell consistently misses wide open WR's from using him today.

 

Yeah, I usually can get decent pressure but sometimes my guy gets knocked down, then the computer has all day long it seems like b/c I don't blitz much.

Maybe I'll try Rivers b/c my friend got me to use the Raiders for a franchise and they're horrible. Bad contracts, Russell sucks big balls (he consistently overthrows wide open WR's down field), and I have a huge cap hit from being forced to cut players to get under the salary cap to keep my rookies.

BTW - I'd be up to challenge any 360 owners out there

 

Mamba, I think your difficulty getting to the QB has to do with their improvements with the O-line play. They actually seal off pass rushers more effectively and try to create a semi-circle pocket around the QB. I really noticed this playing as Warner, since he can't move for shit and most of Arizona's routes take a while to unfold. O-linemen actually push D-linemen into gaps to try and block out potential blitzers. One of my favourite moments playing this game happened when a DE was coming off the edge towards me. I stepped up a bit, my RT hustled back and pushed him from the side, which got him off-balance, and gave me enough time to fire out a pass. In the Maddens I've played, if a pass rusher wasn't directly in front of a linemen they usually just watched him run by with their hands up like retards.

The flipside to "dominating players dominating," is that crappy players consistently shit the bed. I played with Minnesota and couldn't do much with Tavaris except scramble out of the pocket and overthrow open receivers. Had to rely on AP and throwing short passes to TE's/FB's.

Has anybody else tried that "Madden Test." It's supposed to make you do a bunch of drills and set the difficulty rating according to that. I rated somewhere in between All-Pro and All-Madden (pass rushing and running were good, passing D and throwing not as much), but I forgot to save it.

I've started a franchise with the Gnats. I think I'm gonna try to extend Eli before the season starts. If he signs for less than 6 years/$97 mill, I'm officially a better GM than Jerry Reese.

 

I finally played online yesterday for the 1st time, and Antonio Gates is pretty much the gayest player on the game. His post route is unstoppable unless you triple cover the guy, which is ridiculous. Screens w/ DeAngelo Williams and Smitty are really easy to get good yardage on, so I've been running wild and throwing screens to get up field on offense.

 

Anyone want to play online?