Madden NFL 10 Review

[kwpit79]

Re: Madden NFL 10 Review

That's what it's all about, son. You can analyze, break down and nit-pick the hell out of a game in minute detail, but it all comes down to this: Does it keep you coming back for more?

Madden 09? I felt like smashing the disc into a thousand pieces after just three or four games.

Tecmo Super Bowl on the NES, circa 1991-92, is primitive compared to today's sports games, but the fun factor was off the chart.

I'm hoping I'll find Madden 10 to have that same enjoyment level.

I was just going to say this. I guess I'm just not that anal with games in general.

I thought NFL Head Coach '09 was one of the greatest football games ever created (and yes, I've played them all, starting with the Atari 2600, lol). And that game had many flaws. But it was a blast to play!! I'm still playing it almost once a week, and I'll continue to play it until/if another one is released.

And that was my biggest beef with Madden '09. I played about 6 or 7 games and that was it. It wasn't fun.

Oh, one last thing, the '91 Tecmo Super Bowl game was a classic! I used to get headaches from playing that game too long.

[spankdatazz22]

Re: Madden NFL 10 Review

Thought it would be interesting to make an apples to apples comparison regarding how low expectations factor into how Madden is judged. [Want to preface this by saying I'm only adding APF to the discussion because of who reviewed the game]. Years ago when APF was reviewed by OS, we had a super-long discussion about expectations. Many of us felt the score was justified, but felt Madden was being judged differently/held to a much lower standard. I'm only posting the two because the same person reviewed both games. Some of the user comments on the Madden review are hilarious in retrospect a year later [last year] - the APF review must've been before user comments were linked to the review because there aren't any:

APF review:
http://www.operationsports.com/review.php?id=49

Madden 09 (a year later):
http://www.operationsports.com/review.php?id=431

Unfortunately I think whether it's the Bill Abner review or many others people are giving the game way too much credit for improving on it's admittedly bad predessors. Which really isn't much of a standard to hold it to.

[roadman]

Re: Madden NFL 10 Review

I'm sorry. I was under the impression that games are supposed to improve. I have a problem with this "Madden 09 got a 8.5 so Madden 10 should get a 10" logic.

IMO, games should rated compared on how enjoyable it is to play and how realistically they replicate their sport in comparison to other sports games.

As I said before, after I played Madden 09 awhile, I felt that 09 was way over rated.

And that is all that counts for me, is me.

[harnalien]

Re: Madden NFL 10 Review

Thought it would be interesting to make an apples to apples comparison regarding how low expectations factor into how Madden is judged. [Want to preface this by saying I'm only adding APF to the discussion because of who reviewed the game]. Years ago when APF was reviewed by OS, we had a super-long discussion about expectations. Many of us felt the score was justified, but felt Madden was being judged differently/held to a much lower standard. I'm only posting the two because the same person reviewed both games. Some of the user comments on the Madden review are hilarious in retrospect a year later [last year] - the APF review must've been before user comments were linked to the review because there aren't any:

APF review:
http://www.operationsports.com/review.php?id=49

Madden 09 (a year later):
http://www.operationsports.com/review.php?id=431

Unfortunately I think whether it's the Bill Abner review or many others people are giving the game way too much credit for improving on it's admittedly bad predessors. Which really isn't much of a standard to hold it to.

Interesting stuff. The review seems to make a lot of excuses for blatant issues by saying "nothing is perfect." This history is what is keeping me from bursting at the seams to get '10. Will it really hold up 3 weeks from now? I will at least rent it this time to see how I feel about it. I think the game needs to be judged by how far next gen games have come versus being judged on how at least it's better than last year.

[jddcp]

Re: Madden NFL 10 Review

Thought it would be interesting to make an apples to apples comparison regarding how low expectations factor into how Madden is judged. [Want to preface this by saying I'm only adding APF to the discussion because of who reviewed the game]. Years ago when APF was reviewed by OS, we had a super-long discussion about expectations. Many of us felt the score was justified, but felt Madden was being judged differently/held to a much lower standard. I'm only posting the two because the same person reviewed both games. Some of the user comments on the Madden review are hilarious in retrospect a year later [last year] - the APF review must've been before user comments were linked to the review because there aren't any:

APF review:
http://www.operationsports.com/review.php?id=49

Madden 09 (a year later):
http://www.operationsports.com/review.php?id=431

Unfortunately I think whether it's the Bill Abner review or many others people are giving the game way too much credit for improving on it's admittedly bad predessors. Which really isn't much of a standard to hold it to.

The problem is most of those reviewers, according to their previous scores for Madden 09 and 08, didn't view them as "admittedly bad predecesors". That is what is confusing with some of the new scores. If a particular site thought a year ago that Madden 09 was a great game (even though we all disagree), how does he put in Madden 10 with all of the new stuff, Presentation, Gamespeed, Working sliders, Online Franchise, Co-op, Pro-tak, a crazy amount of new animations, ect and say it is marginally better (IGN) or actually worse (Gamespot).

And if the response is, well that stuff should have already been in the game or they didn't do anything new...well in 08 and 09 they definitely didn't have that stuff in the game and didn't even try and they gave the game those scores. The one year they actually come to the fans and ask us what we want and (for the most part) deliver and this is the year the reviewers decide to give out an "honest score"? That's what I don't get.

An 8.8 or even an 8.5 is ok for a sports title on a non-sport gaming website, but NOT when you have consistantly given games that were much worse the same score.

[Terrell28]

I just got my Madden 10 about 2 hours ago thanks to the mom & pop stores and it's now 4:15 so now that I have played some games I can have a better opinion and so far it's the little things that I like alot it's just FINALLY LOOKS AND PLAYS like a football game and the players are really like themselves. With the demo I couldn't get a feel cause I dont like the Giants,Cowboys,Steelers, or Cards so now that I have played with my Ravens Ed Reed is like he is in real life even if I'm controling him or its the cpu and the new ratings I love with the play action rating even tho Flacco's could be higher it does play in to when you call a play action pass so all in all with EA FINALLY getting around to presentation I can say this is the closest to my dream which was to have Madden gameplay with 2K5 presentation it maybe 4-5 years later but better LATE THAN NEVER great game!!!!!!!!!!!!

[roadman]

Re: Madden NFL 10 Review

Unfortunately I think whether it's the Bill Abner review or many others people are giving the game way too much credit for improving on it's admittedly bad predessors. Which really isn't much of a standard to hold it to.

So, now that Abner gave Madden 10 a high score, you know view him in a different light?

He even admitted in his review that he gave 09 a higher score then he should have. At least, he admits it.

I don't see the other reviewers admitting it. And why would they?

[marcoyk]

Good review, looking forward to getting the game.

[TCrouch]

Re: Madden NFL 10 Review

Here's the issue...especially since most people seem to bring up my APF and Madden 09 reviews and consider them complete crap.

I don't consider Madden 09 to be crap. I didn't then, and I don't now.

I'm aware that it's the general consensus that people think it's crap. When you write a review, you generally have a week (sometimes two) to try to find out what you can about a game. You don't have the luxury of sitting back for 6 months and picking apart every little issue and going "OH MY GOD HOW COULD THEY HAVE MISSED THIS?!!?"

Everybody has different tastes, and since I wrote both the APF and Madden 09 reviews, I still think that Madden gave a gamer more bang for the buck.

And in the end, it played a pretty believable game of football. People can point to any game in history and point out things wrong with it, but in this internet age, people who don't even play the game can sit back, complain about whatever they want, and it spreads like wildfire. There's a certain "dogpile" effect across message boards and the internet, where people think they are more "hardcore" or more educated if they can try to pick apart the tiniest thing. It's like putting themselves so far up on a pedestal that their word is beyond questioning, and if you don't agree, then you're a complete moron.

Bottom line, not EVERYBODY thought Madden 09 was a complete turd, even if people want to treat it as fact that it was this horrid pile of dung. People will still hate Madden 10, and others think *gasp* that NFL2K5 isn't the best thing since sliced bread.

In the end, that's also why I refused to do the Madden reviews anymore. Just not worth the headache as you still get people saying that an opinion is wrong, or somehow we're in bed with EA/Sony/MS/whoever...years later.

It's so sad that it's almost comical.

[Aboogie5]

Re: Madden NFL 10 Review

I just got my Madden 10 about 2 hours ago thanks to the mom & pop stores and it's now 4:15 so now that I have played some games I can have a better opinion and so far it's the little things that I like alot it's just FINALLY LOOKS AND PLAYS like a football game and the players are really like themselves. With the demo I couldn't get a feel cause I dont like the Giants,Cowboys,Steelers, or Cards so now that I have played with my Ravens Ed Reed is like he is in real life even if I'm controling him or its the cpu and the new ratings I love with the play action rating even tho Flacco's could be higher it does play in to when you call a play action pass so all in all with EA FINALLY getting around to presentation I can say this is the closest to my dream which was to have Madden gameplay with 2K5 presentation it maybe 4-5 years later but better LATE THAN NEVER great game!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah i said the same thing on friday when i got it and now my interest is declining seeing the flaws of the game more and more i play a game. I guarantee in a week you'll feel the same guarantee

[spankdatazz22]

Re: Madden NFL 10 Review

So, now that Abner gave Madden 10 a high score, you know view him in a different light?

No. I was saying (imo) he fell into the same hole a lot of reviewers seem to when judging Madden; overlooking much of what he should've been critical of simply because this is the only football game on the market and we all love/need football. As Rocky alluded to earlier, because of NFL exclusivity I can see where it's difficult to judge the game properly.

It's a difficult thing to articulate but here goes: I don't know what standard Madden should be held to. It's the only sports game where there's literally no competition. So in some ways I'd think a reviewer would have to judge the game in part by using an admittedly subjective set of rules, extrapolating what should be expected of a football game. While also using how other sports games in other genres have progressed as a loose measurement. One thing's for sure - we sure as hell shouldn't be pointing to 5yr old last gen football games as some standard. Nor should Madden's poor showing so far next gen be the only thing the game should be measured against. I think that's a big reason why reviews are all over the place; because so many reviewers look at the game and are thankful it doesn't suck - instead of having some standard it should be held to

[spankdatazz22]

Re: Madden NFL 10 Review

Everybody has different tastes, and since I wrote both the APF and Madden 09 reviews, I still think that Madden gave a gamer more bang for the buck.

Just wanted to say: don't know if you remember, but I gave you HUGE props for your APF review. To this day I don't think I've ever read a review that went into such detail regarding different facets of the gameplay, you seemed to have a set expectation of things, etc. I only contrasted it against your Madden 09 review because it's remarkable that a year later you didn't really seem to have that same expectation level. In retrospect, I think you M09 review is actually more detailed than the current M10 review - but that's neither here nor there. Just saying that I don't think you held Madden to the same expectation you held APF from a gameplay standpoint. And imo that shouldn't be the case. EDIT: And that's not a "2K5/APF" thing. I'd throw last gen Madden as shouldn't be held as a standard bearer also.

I agree with you somewhat that if there was a direct comparison Madden 08 was the better value, even then. But that wasn't the discussion - I don't think the same things could be expected of the two games because one's licensed and the other isn't. But you would think that if one was to have more expected of it from a gameplay standpoint it would be Madden, simply because it's the less restricted title. MORE should be expected of it. Yet too often we get reviews where the reviewer comes off as surprised/happy something works, rather than expecting that something to meet a certain level of expectation.

[PVarck31]

Re: Madden NFL 10 Review

Yeah i said the same thing on friday when i got it and now my interest is declining seeing the flaws of the game more and more i play a game. I guarantee in a week you'll feel the same guarantee

So you know exactly how every individual perceives a game. Interesting.

[backbreaker]

Re: Madden NFL 10 Review

Just wanted to say: don't know if you remember, but I gave you HUGE props for your APF review. To this day I don't think I've ever read a review that went into such detail regarding different facets of the gameplay, you seemed to have a set expectation of things, etc. I only contrasted it against your Madden 09 review because it's remarkable that a year later you didn't really seem to have that same expectation level. In retrospect, I think you M09 review is actually more detailed than the current M10 review - but that's neither here nor there. Just saying that I don't think you held Madden to the same expectation you held APF from a gameplay standpoint. And imo that shouldn't be the case.

I agree with you somewhat that if there was a direct comparison Madden 08 was the better value, even then. But that wasn't the discussion - I don't think the same things could be expected of the two games because one's licensed and the other isn't. But you would think that if one was to have more expected of it from a gameplay standpoint it would be Madden, simply because it's the less restricted title. MORE should be expected of it. Yet too often we get reviews where the reviewer comes off as surprised/happy something works, rather than expecting that something to meet a certain level of expectation.

I pointed everything out in my initial impression and follow up stuff. That's all you need to read on the game. A review in my opinion over an 7.5/8 or C/C-/C+ is blowing smoke period. To many legacy issues are still in the
game, but it is a fun game to play. The truth is previous Maddens have been overrated and Madden 09 is an 5/6 or a D to and F game.

[Terrell28]

@ ABoogie 5 whats making you like the game less now please fill me in cause I dont want to dislike it that fast lol.