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| Inclement Weather Gameplay On Madden 09 (06/03/08) |
Weather has always been in the game for the Madden Franchise. However, it has never really mattered other than for visual effects only. Basically, weather was there to show the gamer a good looking product, but never really impacted the game either way. With Madden 09, that is drastically changing for the better. Now it impacts the game in a very strong way. The players are affected by the elements, just as there real life counterparts would be. When it is raining or snowing, you can look for your favorite running back to cough up the ball more often than he would on an ordinary sunny Sunday afternoon. Also, the speed burners throughout the league better make sure they pack the long cleats in the weather because they depend on the initial burst to get off the line of scrimmage and they will be more likely to slip and lose traction in lousy conditions. 
One really cool feature of the snow and rain are specific touchdown celebrations that cater towards those elements. How cool would it be to score a game winning touchdown in Cleveland or Buffalo and celebrate your win with a snow angel in the end zone? To read the entire Gamestop blog, click here. To discuss this feature, click here. |
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| Madden NFL 09 Gameplay FAQ (05/18/08) |
Here is a list of FAQs that were confirmed by Madden 09 producer Ian Cummings. Why did you change the controller config on 360/PS3?
Though we realize it is very hard to change a configuration once you get used to it, we think that the switch of sprint from the primary X button on PS2 (or A on Xbox) to the trigger was the right move to make, because: 1.) Every other sports game has R2 / RT as sprint, and 2.) It was really awkward to do moves like hurdle and spin (and anything on the R-stick) when you had your thumb planted on the X button. By freeing up all the face buttons and Right- Stick, the moves are much easier to pull off. With all that being said, we have always had a custom controls option where you can change it to anything you like.
Where are the refs / chain gang?
There's no excuse other than this has just been a (painful) priority call for us over the past few years. Since everything takes much more time on the nextgen platforms to implement, the time needed to create the models, animation, physics, and AI for these characters has just been more than we were able to spend given all of the other priorities in a given year.
Where are the field goal nets?
Field goal nets are finally back in Madden NFL 2009.
What about clear visors?
Clear visors are finally included in Madden NFL 2009. Also included are many colored visors like blue, amber, green, etc, which are just starting to appear in the real NFL - we think this is a trend that will start to continue.
Are there hand towels or hand-warmers in the game?
No, not yet.
Has the "bowling pin"phenomenon been fixed - where players all fall away from a tackle as it happens?
This has been much improved, but since we can't currently create 5, 6, 7, and 8 man pile-ups or pile-ons, we still do have instances where a defender gets collided with by a large force (a tackle coming right at him) - and just he can't get out of the way, so rather than interpenetrate he has to play a "fall" animation. We've add a lot more avoidance animations and brand new physics-informed fall animations this year so you really won't see the mass of players all flying everywhere around the pile nearly as often as year's prior, but there is still room for improvement in this area.
Why isn't the ESPN broadcast package used in Madden?
EA's relationship with ESPN and the NFL allows us to provide streamed audio and video directly from ESPN and the NFL. In Madden NFL 09, we provide our fans with access to compelling ESPN and NFL content like NFL Total Access, SportsCenter highlights, PTI segments, etc. We now give you an incredibly fun and realistic football experience with the game and also provide access to compelling football news that only ESPN and the NFL Network could provide.
Do players wear their own helmets in the Pro- Bowl?
No, unfortunately they do not - they wear the generic NFC and AFC helmets.
Are there any more attributes added to player ratings?
Not this year actually.. after adding new ratings consistently over the past 3 years, this year we wanted to really focus on tuning our (now rather large) current list of ratings. We have a wishlist of about 50 more ratings that we want to try and add, and hopefully we can get to some new ones each year.
Are the following features included in Madden NFL 09? If not, why not?
1. In-game saves
2. Custom cameras
3. Coach mode
4. Accelerated clock
No, they currently are not. These are priority calls balanced against all of the other things we wanted to accomplish this year.
What's up with no / few penalties being called?
This has actually been a conscious decision for a few years because it felt cheap to randomly award penalties unless the penalty animation actually triggered and you could see it. It was one of the things we found most frustrating about old-gen, that you would get a holding penalty on say your left guard, and then you'd go into replay and there would be no actual holding penalty. In Madden NFL 09 we finally have this though - true penalty-based animations. You will see a much more realistic balance with more clipping, holding, and face-mask penalties, and the best part is that you can go into replay and actually see the penalty as it occurred.
What's up with the sidelines? Why does Head Coach 09 have such better looking sidelines?
We actually did spend a lot of time getting much more sideline population and variety into Madden NFL 09. When you see the game compared to the last 3 next-gen versions, you will see that quite a bit of work did go into it (though not to the extent of Head Coach). As always, it's a balancing act with how much time we have. When the decisions had to be made, we focused more on on-field graphics, lighting, weather, and general gameplay instead of going all-out into ultra-detailed sidelines. NFL Head Coach 09 on the other hand…much of their core gameday experience takes place on those sidelines, so that's why they chose to spend more resources in that area.
Are nano-blitzes still a problem?
We've added back the popular slide protection feature this year as well as tuned our pass blocking AI (and animation system) extensively, so nano's should all be preventable this year.
Have spectacular catches / jet pack catches been toned down?
Yes, definitely. The spectacular catches have been toned way down in terms of how powerful they are, and defenders also have a much easier chance of knocking the ball out (since the receiver is really putting himself out there on big leaping catches like that).
Are Linebackers/Corners still super-human when it comes to making a play on a pass?
This has been tuned way down as well. You will see MUCH more realistic defensive pass coverage / play from the linebackers and corners. They have a much harder time making plays on the ball that they don't "see", they react in a much more realistic time-frame to the play (using their play recognition rating) and the distance at which they can make a play on the ball in the air has been drastically tuned down.. so more often than not you'll see them try to set up for a big hit to jar the ball loose instead of warping over to swat the ball down.
Do kickers still boot it way deep into the back of the endzone regularly?
No, this was tuned back to much more realistic kickoff lengths.
What happened to formation subs?
Formation subs are back in Madden NFL 09.
What happened to slide protection?
Slide protection is back in Madden NFL 09.
What about fatigue.. how has it changed this year?
Our very robust fatigue system was brand new to last year, and it has been tweaked and tuned moreso for Madden NFL 09 to provide much more accurate results. We really want to make sure defensive teams that are getting pounded on with the run game really get tired towards the end of a long drive, and we also wanted to discourage frequent fly routes and no-huddle offenses. The system was further tuned to address these issues.
Have the fumble problems been addressed?
Yes, this was addressed in a patch for Madden NFL 08, and those changes were carried over to Madden NFL 09. After those fixes went in, we also re-factored the way animations, ratings, and weather impacted fumbling - I think you'll see it's much more realistic this year.
Discuss HERE |
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| ActionCam one of 85 improvements for Madden NFL 09 (05/12/08) |
The ActionCam camera angle eliminates times when you think you have a WR open, but don't know for sure because his route carried him off your screen. In theory this view is pretty cool and it looks amazing. However I'm not sure what to think about the fact that the ActionCam will shake, rock back and forth, and zoom in and out. It sounds like it will give us the most realistic feel to a football game we've ever seen. But I have some concerns on how the head to head play will be with an ever evolving camera angle. (One that changes from second to second) Rest assured that if it makes playing head to head too difficult, we still have the opportunity to go back to the Classic angles that we use today. I have to admit, checking out the large image on the Gamestop blog really has me itching for Madden 09. It looks really sharp! Discuss this new feature on the forums. - Gambino |
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| Madden 09 - Play Call (05/07/08) |
EA Sports updated their Madden site with a new Producer's Blog from D-Cas showcasing changes and some features of the play call screen. From what I can tell so far, there are several noticeable things you can see and do from this screen, such as: view replays and challenge plays, get madden tips, view player stats, utilize formation subs, and bluff your play call to your opponent. Over the next several week's D-Cas will be unveiling more and more new features for Madden NFL 09. To read the entire blog and view more screenshots, CLICK HERE To discuss this article on the forum, DISCUSS HERE - Gambino |
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| Returning Missed Field Goals (05/05/08) |
Week 4 of Gamestop's Madden Monday shows us one of the reported 85 innovations or feature additions to Madden NFL 09. In this week's edition, the ability to return missed field goals is demonstrated. This particular play gained attention on Sept. 30 2002 when Chris McAllister of the Baltimore Ravens returned a 57 yard FG attempt (by Broncos kicker Jason Elam) 107 yards. In the past few seasons that record has been surpassed a few times. Both Nathan Vasher and Devin Hester of the Bears broke the 107 yard mark my returning missed kicks 108 yards. Last year, Antonio Cromartie eclipsed that mark by returning a Ryan Longwell 57 yard attempt 109 yards. This is a nice addition to the game primarily because this is a realistic addition, unlike the weapons feature. This can and has actually happened in real life. It also adds a strategic decision that was not there before. Now before lining up for that 59 yard field goal, you may want to reconsider your decision if you happen to see Devin Hester standing back in the end zone. To discuss this article CLICK HERE - Gambino |
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| Interview with 1st Round Pick Dustin Keller (05/04/08) |
 Dustin Keller - NY Jets
April 26th 2008 was just another Saturday for the rest of us. But for 6'3" 245 pound TE Dustin Keller from Purdue it was the culmination of years of hard work and dedication. The Madden Lab got a chance to ask Dustin a few questions about the draft, his future, and what it felt like being selected as a first round draft choice.
TML: First off congratulations on being a 1st round draft pick!
DK: Thank you!
TML: What was it like when the Jets called and said "We're about to pick you"?
DK: It was surreal; it didn't seem real until later that night. When it finally set in a little I realized that I have the opportunity to play professional football in front of the biggest city in America.
TML: It had to feel good that they were willing to trade back into the 1st round to get you!
DK: Yeah, it felt great. They were willing to move into the first and give up a second and fourth round pick, and just being able to be in New York with the most die hard fans is the best possible scenario I could have asked for!
TML: There's been talk of you being a new age TE, a hybrid TE/WR if you will, have you talked to the Jets about your role on offense?
DK: I have talked to the Jets a little bit about what they want me to do, but nothing is set in stone so we will just have to wait and see.
TML: Have you spoken to either Pennington or Clemons, who's going to be the starter, what your thoughts?
DK: Chad called me the day after the draft and he is a really cool down to earth guy, and I can't wait to catch balls from him. As far as the starter, I have no idea.
TML: You played against now teammate Vernon Gholston, what are your thoughts about him?
DK: Vernon is a beast, a complete beast. I can't wait to get in to camp and the weight room and start working with him. I think we can definitely make each other a lot better and we will.
TML: We have some Jets fans on our message board, what would you like to say to them?
DK: I can't wait to get to New York, and I can't wait to help this team. I am going to do everything in my power to make the Jets a better team. J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!!!
TML: Thank you Dustin and good luck!
Discuss this article |
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| Madden NFL 09 Online Leagues (04/29/08) |
IGN recently got the pleasure of sitting down with two members of the design team from EA Sports. The focus of the discussion was on two new features to the Madden franchise. The first was the Online League. Now to me, this is the feature that I have been waiting for the most. This is very exciting. One thing that is difficult in league play is scheduling the games, the design team confirmed the use of "flex scheduling" which makes it much easier to complete games. Flex scheduling allows you to play your season in any order so that you do not get held up waiting for a particular opponent.
Another "must have" for online leagues is the use of a fantasy Draft to start a league. D-Cas and Ryan Ferwerda confirmed that you can in fact start a league with a draft, but that it would be done fantasy football style in that you pre-rank your players and it will draft for you. I'm a little mixed on my feelings for this. It may save me countless hours, but having done this in online fantasy football leagues I know that sometimes it doesn't workout the way I'd always like. Time will tell and I'll just have to see how this feature works.
One of my biggest concerns going into Madden 09 is that EA is somehow going to "dummy down" the franchise so that your grandmother can pick up the sticks and be somewhat competitive. Well after reading this article I do feel a little bit better. The second feature item covered in the article is the Virtual Training Center. This is catered to the newer Madden gamer and it sounds like this is where they were going with making the game more playable to the masses. Rather than making the game play terribly simplistic, they would teach novice players to play the game better. You are able to measure your progress by building your Madden IQ.
To read the entire article, please click here
To discuss on the forum click here
- Gambino
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| Madden NFL 09 Rookie Cards by Donruss (04/29/08) |
As part of EA Sports' draft coverage, the company partnered with Donruss to create rookie cards for the entire first round. CLICK HERE to view all of the first round draft pick's first football card. - Gambino |
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| Improved presentation for Madden 09 (04/29/08) |
In-game stats available at the play calling screen. 
Also from the play calling screen, Madden Tips. Realistic action, graphics and presentation are a big draw for Madden NFL games, but having to hit the "pause" button several times a play can slow down the action, which detracts a bit from the realism. In their efforts to keep the action moving at an NFL pace, EA SPORTS has given us an exclusive peek at another new feature for Madden NFL 09: the Options OnDemand Picture-in-Picture Play-call Window.
To keep the game moving, the Options OnDemand PIP Play-call Window will streamline the flow of important information, like player and team stats, instant replay and even Madden Tips, which suggests a feature you haven't used yet with a video tip explaining it. Think of it as the animated paper-clip thing from Microsoft Office, except it's MADDEN! You'll also be able to make substitutions right from the play-call screen or challenge a call with Coach Picture-in Picture. To read the full Madden Monday Gamestop Blog, click here
- Gambino |
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| All Madden Guides 50% Off (04/22/08) |
 All of our eBook guides are now on sale. Please visit the madden-guides site for more details. Any book, any console, just $12.50. Enjoy! |
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| TheKidJosh Lets "The Truth" Be Told (04/16/08) |
TML contributor Mark Hilton a.k.a. Godson sits down with
the XBOX 360 champion of the Ultimate Players Bowl. Hype. Drama. The best from the west. The midwest Corporation. The most skilled from the south. An all-time great from Cali coming to further defend his title, and the beasts from the east coast just trying to hold the fort down. Amidst all the stories, bad blood, big names and "huge
announcements", the greatest story of the weekend proved to be an unlikely one. Call him unknown. Call him an underdog. But this past Saturday, TheKidJosh proved that he can play with anyone at the highest level, winning the Ultimate Players Bowl on XBOX360.
Godson: Tell us a little bit about yourself. TheKidJosh: My name is Josh Kotas a.k.a. TheKidJosh. I'm from Syracuse NY and I'm 18 years old. Godson: You just won one of the biggest Madden tourneys of the year. How do you feel, champ? TheKidJosh: Man, I cant even describe the feeling. It felt so good winning.I was shocked when I won, and so was everyone else there because no one really knew who I was. Godson: How long have you been playing Madden competitively? Was Ultimate Players Bowl(PB2) your first tourney? If not, let us know about your prior tourney experiences. TheKidJosh: Well, I've been playing Madden since about 2004-2005 and I started playing competitively in 2006.The Boston MC this year and PB2 were my only tournaments.The Boston MC didn't go too well, I lost in like the 4th round... The guy beat me with 3 Fg's 7-9 and for 1 of the FG's he got a PI call because he just threw it up to moss in triple coverage - so that loss was kinda heart breaking. Godson: You are a well-established online cash game player on Gamersaloon, but before now, an unknown name on the Madden tourney circuit. When did you decide that you were going to come try your hand at a big tourney? When did you realize that your skills were on par with the "top ballers" in the country? TheKidJosh: I decided the week before the Playersbowl 2 that I was gonna go. I was gonna go to the first Players Bowl but then I decided to back out at the last minute because I didn't feel that my defense could stop anybody, so I just focused on my D until the 2nd Players Bowl. I realized that skills were up there with the top ballers because i played a few big names on saloon and won.
Then they would tell me all the stuff they did, and the tournaments they had won, and I just said to myself "I gotta get into some of these tourneys, because I'm just as good as these guys!" Godson: What did you expect coming in? Were you confident about being able to come in and win it all? TheKidJosh: I expected the competition to be very high and it was, but I was very confident in my game. I went to the Ultimate Players Bowl with my friend Bryan and I told him that I was just gonna be confident in myself, because I didn't want to be nervous and play dumb. So I just went in confident and played my game, and it paid out for me and I ended up winning the whole thing. Godson: Final scores aside, who was your toughest game? TheKidJosh: Man.... I had a lot of tough games, but hands down the toughest game was when I played Secret. He was up 9 with 2 minutes left, and I ended up stopping him on 4th and 2, scoring a quick 7 and then was able to get the onside kick which led to a FG to win the game. Also, I had another tough game against Dynasty. I was up 7 in the 4th. He scored and went for 2, and I ended up stopping him and recovering the onside kick to waste the rest of the clock. Godson: There has been a lot of buzz and controversy over the payout numbers supposedly being smaller than they should have been at Ultimate Players Bowl. What is your stance? Do you think the payouts were adequate? Let us know your opinion on this. TheKidJosh: Ummm yea the payouts were alot smaller than I expected. But I guess they paid out to the top 8 players too, so I was kinda bummed about that because that was less money going to me. But I wasn't really going there because of the money, I was going there to try and make a name for myself and to play the best madden players. So it wasn't that big of a deal to me because I enjoyed myself alot. Godson: With other sizable tournaments coming up in the east, Midwest and other places, what are your plans for the future? Will we see you in Harrisburg on May 10th? TheKidJosh: I'm still not quite sure where I stand on the Harrisburg tourney. I am going to try and make it, but I'm not sure if I am gonna be able to. I am also going to try and attend the Mega Bowl, I just need to find out more information about that and those are the only 2 tournaments I've heard about, so people gotta fill me in on any other tournaments. Godson: Anything else you'd like to say? Shout-outs? Announcements? Wanna call someone out? Say whatever you want! TheKidJosh: Umm yea I would like to make a few shout outs to my Lab partners Jamie aka Jsticks and Eric aka Kromatic. They helped me out with labbing and preparing myself for the tournaments and I also want to give a shout out to my boy Bryan for coming with me and supporting me. Also a big shout to my grandma for letting me use her car to go LOL. I don't really have any announcements, except that you guys are gonna start seeing a lot of me at tournaments. And I don't really wanna call anybody out because I'm not one to talk trash really, but someone told me that Truth said on The Madden Lab that he will beat me 8-9 times out of 10. I just want to say LOL to that. Click here to discuss this article
- Godson
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| Madden 09 New Celebrations (04/14/08) |
Gamespot will be featuring a new Madden 09 blog each Monday titled "Madden Mondays". Each week they will reveal a feature that will be in the nex-gen (360 and PS3) version of Madden NFL 09. In this week's edition of Madden Monday, they take a peek at some new touchdown celebrations. GS even specifically mentions that there are certain "hot-spots" in the end zone that if you press the celebration button while standing in the right spot will activate different celebration animations. A couple specifics were dunking the ball through the goal post and hot shotting in the corner of the end zone. If a particular player is know for a certain type of celebration that may also be available. For example, Terrell Owens may have more than 10 different touchdown celebrations. Lastly there is possibly a "steal celebration" control that will let you "Lambeau Leap" when you might not be in Green Bay. I'm little torn on this particular feature. While it couldn't hurt to have this in the game, I hope EA is not spending valuable time on this particular part of the game. Having said that, I'm still looking forward to dunking on a goal post near you! To read the entire GS blog click here. To discuss this article click here. - Gambino |
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| Madden NFL 09 Producer Blog (04/10/08) |
Daniel Castorani (D-Cas) has contributed his first entry of the producer's blog for Madden NFL 09. Although it is much too early for D-Cas to go into specifics about the game, I found most of his article very reassuring. Here are a few of the items that really caught my eye about what the team at Tiburon is addressing: He dismisses the rumors about a water-down Madden. He says that NG will actually pass CG in features for 09. Fixing glitches such as the 3-man pass rush, WR double pass/HB double pass, onside kicks, jetpacks, and online disconnection glitches.
For being the first information directly from EA Sports about the game, I was pretty pleased about the number of topics touched. D-Cas went on to say that they are nearing the point of "spilling the beans" about the game. To read the blog click here: MADDEN 09 BLOG - Gambino |
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| Madden 09 Cover? (04/07/08) |
The Madden 09 website is now updated with the Countdown To Draft which displays the history of the Madden cover as it counts down each day until the NFL Draft on April, 26th. Now we all know that the first Madden commercials of the year are debuted during the draft. So this leads us to a very big question. Who gets the Madden 09 cover? While there are some obvious choices like Eli Manning or Randy Moss. My opinion is that EA surprises everyone with their choice. Before I unveil my guess, let's take a look at the leading candidates. Eli Manning - Super Bowl MVP. Rumored to be the front runner. Randy Moss - 23 TD's broke the WR mark for a season. Tom Brady - Led the Pats to a perfect (16-0) regular season. Adrian Peterson - Rookie of the year & single game rushing record (296 yds). Bob Sanders - Defensive player of the year. Defensive theme? Devin Hester - Best kick returner in the game. Maybe a Special Teams theme? Tony Romo - QB of America's Team. Jessica Simpson, 'nuff said.
Starting with Madden 2000 (although many copies came with John Madden on the cover), the game has put one of the NFL's premier athletes on the cover. 2000 - Dorsey Levins 2001 - Eddie George 2002 - Daunte Culpepper 2003 - Marshall Faulk 2004 - Michael Vick 2005 - Ray Lewis 2006 - Donovan McNabb 2007 - Shaun Alexander 2008 - Vince Young
Prior to having NFL stars on the franchise's cover, there was only one person to grace the cover of John Madden Football. Starting with the first edition which was made for the Apple II computer, Madden 89-99 all had John Madden himself on the cover. This is where my guess for the Madden 09 cover comes in. It's the 20th Anniversary of the series and I have to believe EA Sports wants to make a splash this year. How better to celebrate this milestone than to put John Madden back on the cover? 
So there you have it. Although I believe any of the stars I mentioned would be more than worthy candidates for this years installment, I do not think there is a better cover boy than the man behind it all. With that said, I love having different stars on the cover and after this 20th Anniversary Edition, I think EA Sports would be wise to get right back to putting the NFL's best back on the cover for future releases. Discuss this article on the forum - Gambino |
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| More NCAA 09 News (04/03/08) |
 EA Sports has announced some of what we can expect for NCAA Football 09. A few of the notable changes will be:
- Directional pump-fake on the R stick
- A new tackling engine exclusive to the college game
- Home field advantage that makes pre-snap adjustements difficult
- More realistic sidelines, including cheerleaders!
- All new fields, including textures, lighting, and field degradation
Although those features are very exciting. I must point out a few specifics that I am ecstatic about.
Online Dynasty Mode - WOW! This is going to be an awesome feature. I have been wanting this specific feature for many years!
Formation Audibles - Has been a feature on the current gen version of Madden for a couple years. Let's also hope it makes Madden 09.
Smart Routes - Again, been on the current gen of the Madden franchise, an absolute must have for the NCAA series. Great addition EA!
For more information, including even more additions to NCAA 09, please read more at EA Sports - NCAA Football 09.
Want to voice your opinion about these changes? Take a peek at what others are saying on the NCAA forum.
- Gambino
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| Madden 09 Site Goes Live (03/27/08) |
The Madden 09 website officially went live today. In addition, EA Sports announced Madden will officially be released on August 12th, 2008. Also available on the release date will be Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition. Included in the collector's edition will be Madden NFL 09, NFL Head Coach 09, exclusive classic Madden NFL gameplay, and an extensive library of exclusive bonus video content.
Although no specific content information about Madden 09 was officially released, there are some interesting things listed on the official NFL Head Coach 09 site.
Read more from the EA Sports press release
- Gambino
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| Greatest Offenses in Madden History (03/26/08) |
There are many factors that must be taken into account to determine Madden's "Greatest Offense of All-time." One must first consider the player's on the offensive side of the ball. The blessing of a scrambling QB or insane WR almost instantly makes any team deadly. Also, the exploits of that year's Madden are necessary factors to finding the most dominant Madden offense ever. Don't forget the team's common use throughout major and local tournaments, including the Madden Challenge. To narrow the list down, we have automatically eliminated any team before the "current gen" or playstation 2 version of Madden (began in 2001). Unfortunately for the early 90's Barry Sanders' led Lions and every other great 1989-2000 Madden offense, they will not make the cut.
So here we go, this is a list consisting of the top 10 Madden offenses from the last 8 years on the ps2/xbox & xbox360/ps3. Madden 2001-2008....enjoy!
10. Tennessee Titans (Madden 05)
The 2005 Titans were a team built for the game that year. They had two big WRs: Drew Bennett (6'5") and Tyrone Calico (6'4"). Perfect for the Rocket Catch, and Calico could also burn the DB deep with 93+ speed. On the ground, the combo of Eddie George & Chris Brown provided strong backs with enough speed to also juke/spin glitch to bust the long run. And like most great Madden offenses, they had some mobility with Air McNair at QB. This team was overshawdowed by other team's in 2005, but without question, still hard to stop.
9. Minnesota Vikings (Madden 04)
Any team with Randy Moss on the roster is always difficult to stop. In Madden 2004 the Jetpack and deep ball were a huge advantage with the cannon arm of Daunte Culpepper and speed of Moss. Madden 04 was also the last year that EA Sports did not make the defensive players take smart angles to catch the ball carrier, thus allowing the speed of Michael Bennett at RB and scramble of Culpepper a real threat. Then the Wally glitch with Moss & Kelly Campbell was always a worry of the defense. This team was sick. If the user had stick work and could make the players stop on a dime to cut the other direction, you would be missing tackles all day. These Vikings were probably the 2nd best offense overall on the Madden 04 game and deserving of a top 10 mention.
8. St. Louis Rams (Madden 02)
The defending NFC Champions, aka "The Greatest Show on Turf" were the team to beat in Madden 2002. You had the dual threat at WR with the speed Torry Holt & Isaac Bruce. Then out of the backfield running or receiving, running backs, Marshall Faulk & Trung Canidate were always a step away from a huge TD. Just like in real life, you did not want to get in a shootout with a Rams user in 02. The 2002 Rams were fairly popular around the tournament scene and arguably the best offense on the game.
This team could have been the best team on Madden 2005, but based solely on offense, they end up at #7. The scrambling ability of McNabb with Terrell Owens at WR not only destroyed the NFL competition that season, but in Madden too. Corner routes, streaks, and Rocket Catches to Owens were a headache. Then to mix in 6'4" Billy McMullen, 6'2" Todd Pinkston, & LJ Smith at TE...the receiving core was vicious. To top everything off, the speedy Brian Westbrook could juke/spin with the best on the game. The 05 Eagles became very popular in tournaments and online by the end of the season and a worthy offense on our top 10 list.
6. New England Patriots (Madden 08)
Our first, "next gen" team on the list comes here and again a team with Moss makes the list. The Madden 08 offense is centered around jetpacking (spectacular catch), rocket catch, and the deep lob and the Pats have options for all three. Donte Stallworth can burn any DB with streaks and drags, Kelly Washington at 6'3" can rocket catch, tight end Ben Watson is a threat with the jetpack & rocket catch, and lastly, Randy Moss executes all 3 to perfection (imagine that). To make the Pats even deadlier, you have the accurate arm of Tom Brady and brusing running back, Lawrence Maroney to truck anyone in his way. These Patriots tore up records in the 07-08 NFL season and were just as good in Madden as they dominated Madden Challenge/tournament play for the Madden 08 game. 
Our first look at the Falcons appears here. Michael Vick was on the cover of Madden 2004 and killed that year. Vick could outrun almost any defender and at the same time, had a cannon arm to get the ball to Price, Finneran, and Crumpler. The Vick-Finneran combination for the jetpack was the best that year. Also, Warrick Dunn's first year in Atlanta was successful in Madden as his speed allowed him to score running or catching the ball. The additional playmaker feature added to Madden 04 & style of the game was built exactly for the Falcons to dominate and run through the competition. 
At the number 4 spot is another Atlanta team. The 2007 game focused around QB draw/passes, the deep lob, and user catches. The Falcons had all three mastered. Michael Vick's speed at QB was perfect for the "Drawfense." Ashley Lelie at 6'5" & 96 speed could burn any CB or user catch over anyone. Jenkins at 6'4", Finneran at 6'5", and Crumpler could user catch great too. For the ground game, the Dunn highlight stick guaranteed at least 1 broken tackle each play and then the duo with Norwood gave ATL more blazing speed. This team was widely popular in 2007 but as the QB draw & draw/pass was banned at tournament/leagues, the team's use dropped, but they are still a top 5 offense of all time.
3. Minnesota Vikings (Madden 05)
The last Randy Moss team on the list shows up at #3. For the 05 deep lob, you had Moss, Campbell, and Bennett. The Rocket Catch was also easy to either Moss or 6'3" Marcus Robinson. Then the juke/spin glitch came into effect with the QB Draw with Culpepper or the Toss to Bennett was incorporated into your offense. At the Madden Challenge, the juke glitch with the I Form-Twin TE HB Toss became popular by the use of Micheal Bennett with Pretty Boy reaching the Madden Challenge Finals. The Vikings dominated the game the entire year.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Madden 03)
Before I even being this summary, I want to say that most newer players to the Madden scene are probably wondering, why are the 03 Bucs on the list of greatest Madden offenses? However, any baller who has been around has probably been waiting for them to show up. For starters, the Bucs had an accurate QB wtih Brad Johnson and at the same time a scrambling threat with Shaun King to come off the bench. At WR, 6'4" Keyshawn Johnson & 6'5" Joe Jurevicius were there for easy user catches. The spot for burning speed was filled by WR Jacquez Green & RB Warrick Dunn. The 2003 Tampa Bay Bucs were pretty popular throughout the tournament scene for Madden 03 and are a classic Madden offense.
1. Atlanta Falcons (Madden 05)
Finally we reach the Greatest Offense All-time in Madden history. Who can forget the annoying Vick users & the 05 Falcons?
The Rocket Catching to Brian Finneran (6'5"), Michael Jenkins (6'4"), Dez White (6'1"), & Crumpler (6'2") was incredibly hard to stop. Then for the deep lob Dunn (96 spped), Peerless Price (96 speed), & White (93 speed) were all tuff with Vick's arm strength.
Now, Michael Vick...he had the speed to outrun any nano blitz in Madden 05, he could juke/spin glitch for 6 on the scramble or QB Draw and was deadly since he touched the ball with every snap. He was by far the most dangerous player on the 2005 game.
Next, you have the Dunn & TJ Duckett duo. Both were nice as they could juke/spin glitch for a TD every play and Duckett also brought that extra power to the ground game.
As far as online play and the Madden Challenge goes, Madden 05 Madden Challenge Champion, Big Gene, used the Atlanta Falcons and popularized the Rocket Catch, specifically to Finneran. Anyone who played online will remember facing the Falcons a good amount of the time and just praying their opponent wouldn't QB Draw, Rocket Catch, or juke/spin. It is very tough to make a case for any offense ever in Madden to be better than this one was. People generally feared and hated having to face these Dirty Birds.
- Click the Vick picture below to view the highlight video of the Greatest Offense All-time in Madden!
Our list of the top 10 Greatest Offenses in Madden History is completed. There have been many deadly teams out there but I felt this was a solid list and correct in my opinion. I hope you enjoyed the countdown and it brought back some good memories (or bad ones facing these teams). Feel free to comment the article through a PM to me (ShutDown) on the boards or in the thread on the forums.
- ShutDown
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| Madden Flashback - Madden '05 Juke Glitch (03/25/08) |
Some called it super stepping, others called it a studda step, but the majority of the Madden community knew it simply as the juke glitch. No matter what you called it, the technique was controversial, yet still fun in a strange way. I had never seen before so many people running HB Toss on 3rd and 16. As far as we can tell, the originator of this glitch was David Stepney aka One9. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtZElSEE7dc |
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