Being a big football fan (go
Dolphins!) I start getting pumped up around the middle of August. It usually
means a new Madden game and then the start of the NFL season.
While I enjoy a good football/Madden
game as much as the next guy, I seldom have the time to play a new Madden game
more than a few times before I get busy with the onslaught of year-end game
reviews. While most hardcore Madden fans demand the latest rosters, top-notch
gameplay and an endless assortment of new modes, I just want to play the game. I
don’t need to run through an entire season (or seasons), go thru all the
mini-camps and build my own team of superstars. If you’re looking for the same
type of game then get ready to jump in with Madden NFL 10.
First and foremost this isn’t the
same Madden game available for the PS3 or 360. Madden NFL 10 for the Wii is more
of an arcade style/casual game that places more emphasis on having fun than
replicating the sport itself. The game really “feels” like it was designed to
play like an old-school arcade game, instead of an advanced simulator. The Wii
version includes an exclusive 5-on-5 mode and several new game modes. Now before
I go over the main game modes you shouldn’t be upset if you still want your
hardcore Madden experience. The Franchise, Superstar and Situation Modes from
Madden NFL 09 are still tucked away in the game for you to unlock. Just think
that the Wii version is getting the best of both worlds – an arcade experience
that you and a bunch of friends will want to play, and the deep single-player
game that will keep you playing for months.
Madden Showdown is one new mode that
allows up to four players (or AI-controlled teams) to compete in a tournament.
Yet in Showdown the rules and settings can vary dramatically from the real
sport. Game Changers such as Fumblitis (where almost everyone will drop the
ball), Invisibility (random players disappear during play) to Turbo Mode can be
activated to impact the game. These Game Changers are a great way to get your
friends hot and bothered by keeping the games very lively and unpredictable.
Showdown includes a Prediction
System that can be thought of as a friendly wagering system to guess who will be
the winning team – win the coin flip, first team to score, have the most passing
yards, most total yards, etc. If you win the prediction you will earn more
points to determine the overall winner in the tournament. Another new feature
that I never triggered in the game are the Spotlight Moments. These are key
parts of the game where the camera will zoom in and the gameplay slows down to
allow the players to hopefully influence the game. Not sure why I never
triggered one of these events, unless it was because I usually winning by a
large margin, but more on that later.
Road to the Super Bowl is another
new mode in Madden 10 that allows up to four players to play together through a
NFL season. If you’re playing solo you can think of Road to the Super Bowl as
the true single-player game for Madden 10 for the Wii. If you select 11-on-11
you can play through the entire 17-week schedule, including the playoffs and the
Super Bowl. Winning and losing isn’t the only measure of success in this mode,
the total number of points scored based on your performance impacts your team
score. The higher your team score the better for your team as you go through the
season. But be careful because you can still get benched if you or one of your
friends isn’t performing up to standards. The CPU will step in and take over for
that player until the team is able to turn their performance around. The 17-week
schedule is a change to 8 games if you select the 5-on-5 mode.
Another new mode in Madden NFL 10 is
Huddle Up. This mode requires two players at all times so you better have a
buddy handy. One player plays the game as normal while the second player is in
charge of knocking down the opposing team. The second player points at the
defensive players on screen to knock them out of the way. It’s a nice diversion
from the rest of the game but not a big feature that I think many gamers will
play more than a few times.
Now gameplay wise I have to say that
Madden NFL 10 is a little hit and miss. Granted I never played NFL 09 so I
cannot comment if the controls feel improved but the game just doesn’t seem to
offer a completely responsive control system. The All-Play feature is still the
main control setup for the game where you get to point and waggle to control
most of the game. On offense it seemed to work great, especially with the Point
and Pass controls. You simply point at the receiver you want to throw the ball
to and press the A button. Simple and easy enough for almost anyone to get
accustomed so they can get into the action right away.
However the defense is really where
the controls seemed to fumble. The game tells you to press the A button to
select an offensive player and then wave the Wii remote down to tackle. Well,
that never seemed to work consistently enough. Sometimes I would get a big hit,
then other times the game would tell me my timing wasn’t right. Granted I never
had any big problems of missing tackles since the AI could compensate for my guy
having a hard time. Maybe next year we can get the Motion Plus accessory built
in so we can get some more precise controls for the players.
Another issue that I felt impacted
the gameplay was the difficulty. Usually when I have played Madden the rookie
mode is easy but still nothing that I could blow out all the time. During my
first full game I had more than 500 yards in punt returns and scored more than
100 points. While that feels great it does make for a rather dull game since
there isn’t any challenge. Even bumping the difficulty up to Pro still wasn’t
that much of a challenge. If you have any type of Madden experience you will
probably be playing on the harder difficulty settings if you’re playing solo.
Visually Madden NFL 10 takes a
different approach from its 360 and PS3 cousins. The characters all have an
animated style that makes this look more like an arcade game. The animation of
the characters was solid and smooth during my play time. I never noticed any
collision problems or slowdown that caused any issues with the gameplay. HDTV
owners should still be aware that Madden NFL 10 still won’t look all that
impressive on your big screen. Unless you have a top-notch TV that can handle
480p like it was a 1080p source you will probably see plenty of jaggies and
lines during the game. Unfortunately that is more of a Wii issue than a Madden
NFL 10 issue.
Madden NFL 10 for the Wii is really
designed to be another pick-up-and-play casual game like most of the Wii
catalog. If you need to get your football fix in before your favorite show (or
sports team) comes on you can play a few of the modes in no time. If you’re
having a party you shouldn’t be embarrassed to bust out Madden NFL 10 for the
Wii either. Most of the game modes are begging to be played with more than one
player to get the full experience. If you want a fun and exciting game to add
to your collection of Wii games then Madden NFL 10 shouldn’t be missed.
Gameplay: 8.0
While the All-Play controls might not be for hardcore Madden fans, the rest of
us really won’t have a big deal with the controls. The Point and Pass system
feels very smooth and easy after a couple of controls that to me makes up for
the lacking defensive controls.
Graphics: 7.5
The animated look of the characters really fits the overall casual/arcade tone
of the Madden NFL 10.
Sound: 8.0
The announcing crew of Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond do a solid job of
broadcasting the action in the game. Yes, you will hear certain phrases
repeatedly but their commentary, especially Collinsworth’s, was lively enough to
keep me entertained.
Concept: 8.4
Turning the Wii version of Madden back into an arcade game really works for me.
It shows that EA is trying to understand the Wii audience better by tailoring
this version to a different kind of gamer. Yet the hardcore Madden fans can
still get their simulation mode in, just with a different play control setup, if
they dig deep enough.
Multiplayer: 8.5
All of the modes are designed for multiplayer right away. Pick up and play with
a bunch of friends is what the Wii is about and Madden NFL 10 embraces that
motto. Online Wi-Fi is also included to let you play ranked and unranked match
with friends or other gamers.
Difficulty: Easy
If I can get more than 100 points on rookie I would hate to see what veteran
Madden fans can score if they really wanted to crush the AI.
Overall: 8.1
Madden NFL 10 for me is exactly the type of football game I want to play for the
Wii. Nothing too heavy or serious in the controls or gameplay modes that could
turn away non-gamers and some hardcore gamers. Let’s face it; if you’re a Madden
freak then you’re probably going to play this game on the 360 or PS3 anyway.
Madden NFL 10 for the Wii is a solid game that offers enough excitement to keep
you coming back for more.
