Madden NFL 10 Review

By Egon Superb Published 25 August, 2009

Gridiron that's as fast as it is physical.

Version tested:

Reviewing American football games is a science unto itself, one almost as deeply strategic and piecemeal as the software. While many will suggest that Madden has not changed a great deal over the years - and they'd be wrong - even those who buy it annually will suggest the game still lacks the 'feel' of the NFL. It's rather strange to say it, then, but after around 30 hours in each instalment since 2005, Madden 10 is the first that feels like you're playing football. It's more than the introduction of gang-tackling - several linemen bundling onto each other semi-convincingly - or the ability to run an online dynasty, or the "new and improved" (read: repetitive and awkward) Extra Point game show. It's that EA has put some effort into making the game play like the sport NFL fans the world over watch on Sundays.

The first notable change is the speed. If you've played Madden enough to really compare the game to the real thing, you'll know that it never matched the chaos and energy of the gridiron. Madden 10 can be cranked up to 'fastest' and reaches speeds that will demand the best of you, matching the helter-skelter mania of true NFL. This, combined with animation that for once resembles actual football, makes games and replays realistic. It's a dramatic improvement.

Online franchises are also a great deal of fun. As with any online experience, it's based on finding a dedicated crew to take part, but once you do, it's rather enjoyable. It's like a more active version of an online fantasy football league (especially if you use the fantasy draft), and it's good fun to annoy somebody by pipping them to the post on a trade and on the field. It's contingent on the activity of your competitors - if they're not as into it as you, you'll find yourself in a position to dominate them or, if necessary, have the commissioner skip them for a lack of activity - but this isn't such a bad point. I just heartily advise you to find people you know to play with.

'Madden NFL 10' Screenshot 1

Hey, camera guy! Check out this face paint!

All the same, there is a lot to Madden that remains unchanged and, well, bad. Commentary is my biggest bugbear. In every football circle I frequent - from those who have watched the game for 50 years, to those who only watch college and occasionally follow their home team - Chris Collinsworth is known as an uninventive and turgid commentator, and he's not helped here by irksome and recycled commentary. To use a bad commentator when you're trying to salvage a series' image and then not even bother to upgrade him with something better than "[insert name] is just one of the best wideouts I've ever seen" is ridiculous.

Tom Hammond is equally bad, but his voice is less grating. If EA talked to people who watched football (take umbrage at this statement if you will, but on the East Coast it's a pretty common sentiment), I'm confident they'd say to get rid of Collinsworth. The rationale for including him may be that he's taken over from Madden in the Sunday Night Football slot, but in comparison to Damon Bruce's commentary in The Bigs 2 - genuinely funny, informative and unobtrusive - it's lazy. It's the same with the Extra Point show with Erin Matthews, who stutters out the statistics from every game like a 1950s robot.

There are some statistical mysteries to the game, too, which affect both the normal game and franchises. In a few years of attempting (successfully!) to resuscitate the flailing Detroit Lions, I saw remarkable increases in players' stats that were being used most actively. This may seem a strange complaint, but my offensive linemen (who had done a good a job at stopping my quarterback from getting pasted onto the turf) saw a pittance of upgrades in comparison to my receivers and tight ends. Apparently, Brandon Pettigrew (a tight end) was six points better (in Madden 10's rather conservative grading system) after a 10-touchdown season, in comparison to the one-to-two point gains on my O-line.

Furthermore, Calvin Johnson became a 97-point receiver at the end of the first season - in comparison to many great receivers who have been downgraded to high-80s in the restructure of Madden's statistics. While he did well, he is not going to become nearly as good as Larry Fitzgerald - who, by the way, is not a 99-point receiver, EA - in one good year. Stop giving mouth service to your cover athletes in the hope that it'll stave off the Madden curse!

Finally, there are two strange quirks about Madden 10. First and foremost is the choice of menu music. While usually an afterthought of nu-metal and sub-par hip hop, this Madden's choice is a bizarre mix of decade-old rock and slash metal. Since when did anybody on this planet want to hear the entirety of Judas Priest's Painkiller, in all its screechy glory, during the NFL draft? The microtransaction money-grubbing is also irritating. Charging over 100 Microsoft Points for a five per cent, one-game increase in stats, or to heal one player, is ludicrous. This is yet more effort that could have been put into fixing little mistakes in the game that have existed for five years. Like, say, players running through the stands during celebrations.

'Madden NFL 10' Screenshot 2

"Jets, Bills, I have a plan. I snap this ball, and then we both go 6 and 10 and fire our coaches."

It's all doubly shameful because the raw, bare-bones football experience that you should be spending most of your time playing is excellent. It looks better than it ever has, and the elements of presentation, from pop-ups that update you on your statistics (the last play's completed yards) to the pre-game practice sessions, add that oomph to the experience that it's needed for the last few iterations. Animations feel more fluid, tackles feel more brutal, and the experience is more like a game of football rather than manoeuvring marionettes over a green field.

EA should take a page out of FIFA's book here: focus on the game. Every iteration - pre-alpha onwards - sit down and play a full game, 15-minute quarters. If it feels 'right', then you're on the right path. If players are running through the sidelines when they celebrate, you should fix that. If Chris Collinsworth says the same thing about two separate players, you should fix that. If the depth-of-field focuses in and out randomly, you should fix that too. If you get the urge to plug in somebody who works on the ESPN or Monday Night Football staff, suppress it, and keep tweaking the game until it looks, plays, and feels like a real game of football. It may not look as good on the back of the box, but it'll look better on Metacritic, I promise, and help you make more of what's already a good game.

8 / 10

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About Egon Superb

Read more articles from Egon by visiting the Egon Superb archive page.

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Comments (67) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • harzo #1 3 years ago

    The only NFL game I have ever liked was NFL Blitz 2000 on the Sega Dreamcast - possibly THE best 4 player game of all time!

  • megalopolous #2 3 years ago

    Ditto, that was epic.

  • matrim83 #3 3 years ago

    So no review for Ashes 2009 but you did manage to find some time for this. WTF EG?
    Edited by 1 at 25/08/09 @ 11:42

  • miiiguel #4 3 years ago

    I didn't undertand 90% of what I (tried) to read. Though this football played with hands still fascinates me, pity that ESPN channel has that oh so annoying scrolling ads. Hate that shit.

  • redneon Verified Programmer, SUMO Digital #5 3 years ago

    No Madden game will ever be as good as Mutant League Football.

  • offside5 #6 3 years ago

    Thanks Eurogamer for the review was hoping to see Madden 10 reviewed.

  • jack_klugman #7 3 years ago

    Egon Superb!

  • marmaduke #8 3 years ago

    "Egon Superb"

    What a name.

  • marmaduke #9 3 years ago

    @Jack Klugman: I wish I was called Egon Superb. I hope it's a real name.

  • Nephirion #10 3 years ago

    * Sings " I predict a Riot " @ cricket fans everywhere

  • Tomo #11 3 years ago

    > "The only NFL game I have ever liked was NFL Blitz 2000 on the Sega Dreamcast - possibly THE best 4 player game of all time!"

    Wow. I thought I was the only person that ever bought that.

    NFL BLITTTTTZ TWO THOUSAND!!!

    It was amazing. I did upgrade to one of the Madden games after that though, and it was great.

  • john_silence #12 3 years ago

    Nice review there! I love watching US football but I know none of its jargon - reading the review felt just about the same.

  • sneetch #13 3 years ago

    @matrim83

    More people do care about American Rugby-lite than cricket. :p

  • werewolf2000ad #14 3 years ago

    So anyway, Gretsky had the ball at the top of the key...

  • welshben23 #15 3 years ago

    In the last screenshot it's not the Jets and Broncos. Since when do Broncos have pictures of Bulls on their helmets. It's the Buffalo Bills.
    Edited by 1 at 25/08/09 @ 12:22

  • smernicki #16 3 years ago

    i tried to get into the madden games after one of my friends went on about them but just couldn't get into them at all, had no idea what was going on most of the time.

  • LiamK #17 3 years ago

    @sneetch

    Considering the sales charts, I think a fair few people do care about the cricket as well.

  • shamblemonkee #18 3 years ago

    the text reads worse than the score, but as it's by Egon Superb I'll let it pass :)

  • gorf #19 3 years ago

    The great thing about watching american football on tv is looking forward to the Budweiser adverts that are on every 5mins. Watching my fridge magnets having a race comes a very close second tho'
    Edited by 1 at 25/08/09 @ 12:38

  • seasidebaz #20 3 years ago

    So no review for Ashes 2009 but you did manage to find some time for this. WTF EG?

    They're still trying to find a reviewer who actually likes cricket. And can stay awake long enough.

  • Skurmedel #21 3 years ago

    I would say more people care about cricket, since it's big in india and pakistan. However, I think there are less gamers concerned with cricket than there is with american fotball. Thus in my eyes, this review is more justified.
    Edited by 1 at 25/08/09 @ 12:44

  • JahB #22 3 years ago

    So no review for Ashes 2009 but you did manage to find some time for this. WTF EG?

    well, American Football is one of the most popular sports in the world, Cricket, well.... you get the point

  • mcmonkeyplc #23 3 years ago

    @JahB

    American football is NOT one of the most popular sports in the world. Infact if you think about it, cricket is more popular, mainly cause a certain nation called India is obssessed with it.

  • makeamazing #24 3 years ago

    That would be fine if Eurogamer was a USA site, but this site is for UK, so yes it would be normal to expect a cricket game which is bigger than NFL in the UK to be reviewed first... ;)

  • JahB #25 3 years ago

    That would be fine if Eurogamer was a USA site, but this site is for UK,

    uhm, it's called Eurogamer, so it's for Europe; and besides the UK, nobody in Europe knows of/cares about cricket.

  • redneon Verified Programmer, SUMO Digital #26 3 years ago

    I'd be willing to bet that cricket was a more popular sport worldwide than American football. USA vs England, Australia, South Africa, India, Pakistan, West Indies... to name a few. American football might be played in other countries than the US but it's certainly only popular in the US.

  • HuggyAtHome #27 3 years ago

    Just put the chuffing Ashes review up

  • Rodafowa #28 3 years ago

    In the last screenshot it's not the Jets and Broncos. Since when do Broncos have pictures of Bulls on their helmets. It's the Buffalo Bills.
    The caption works for the Broncos or the Bills, mind.

  • mingster #29 3 years ago

    It is true though cricket is UK/India/Australia other than that no one gives a toss about it.

  • matrim83 #30 3 years ago

    Yeah but you have to admit this one focuses on the UK related content quite a lot. So its not a lot to ask for a review of a UK centric sports game as opposed to a wussy form of Rugby. :p

    And I bet money Cricket has a bigger following than NFL. In terms people watching the actual sport anyway. Saleswise I admit NFL is a monster.

  • JahB #31 3 years ago

    @mcmonkeyplc

    i know, football (our european football) for example is much more popular, but that's besides the point. india and pakistan might be great cricket fans, but they're not big gaming markets, so they won't need a review.

    madden is a worldwide released game that enjoys a massive fanbase and insane sales numbers - ashes is a game that's not even being released in mainland europe.

  • makeamazing #32 3 years ago

    uhm, it's called Eurogamer, so it's for Europe; and besides the UK, nobody in Europe knows of/cares about cricket.

    @JahB I dont know if you noticed but this is the UK Eurogamer site, and there are other Eurogamer sites... its not difficult to work out is it? Check the links down on the right... glad your keeping up old boy!

  • stevetuck #33 3 years ago

    Does one match take 4hrs in the game as well? :/ and is there designated advert breaks?

  • JahB #34 3 years ago

    @makeamazing

    fuckin hell, i never actually saw those. i'm too old for all this web 2.0 nonsense... but point taken, since this is the UK part of the site and ashes seems to be selling really well there, you folks deserve a review indeed.

  • Beek4257 #35 3 years ago

    I'm a little bit ashamed to admit it, but it's just too complicated for me. The videogame that is (playbook, eh?).

    ... my offensive linemen (who had done a good a job at stopping my quarterback from getting pasted onto the turf) saw a pittance of upgrades in comparison to my receivers and tight ends. Apparently, Brandon Pettigrew (a tight end) was six points better (in Madden 10's rather conservative grading system) after a 10-touchdown season, in comparison to the one-to-two point gains on my O-line.

    I know this to be English but ... EH?

    Yet every time a Madden review comes up I feel tempted to just give it one more try.
    Edited by 1 at 25/08/09 @ 14:37

  • UncleLou #36 3 years ago

    The microtransaction money-grubbing is also irritating. Charging over 100 Microsoft Points for a five per cent, one-game increase in stats, or to heal one player, is ludicrous.

    Wow. This makes the infamous horse armour look like good value. Let's hope noone is idiotic enough to support that.
    Edited by 1 at 25/08/09 @ 13:28

  • the_jamaster #37 3 years ago

    I don't actually think Collinsworth is that bad a commentator to be honest. This is much better than the radio announcer of years past. But maybe EA need to go in the direction of NFL 2K5 and have two complete fictional people doing the commentary. Good review.

  • jonbwfc #38 3 years ago

    @JahB
    "uhm, it's called Eurogamer, so it's for Europe; and besides the UK, nobody in Europe knows of/cares about cricket."

    Apart from the Dutch, who beat England in the last cricket world cup. Holland, Germany, France, Italy and Spain are all registered members of the International Cricket Council and can therefore field national teams in tournments. Last time I looked, none of those nations have national teams that play American football. In fact, most of them don't have anything approaching an American football structure at all.

    I'm actually played American football and cricket, competitively (played both for my Uni some years back). The idea American football is a better game than cricket is frankly utter hogwash. If you include the IPL, I suspect it makes almost as much money worldwide.

    The fact is both are minority sports in Europe, trailing far after football (as in kicking the ball with your feet), however surely the point is that cricket is a major sport - and is in fact currently front page news - in at least one of the countries that Eurogamer 'feeds' whereas there's no country in which American football is anything other than a tiny niche interest.

    I doubt very much if Madden will sell near as many copies as the Ashes game has in Europe.

    Edited by 3 at 25/08/09 @ 13:49

  • TravisTouchdown #39 3 years ago

    "...Madden 10 is the first that feels like you're playing football."

    Sounds like they've screwed up royally then.

  • muscleblade #40 3 years ago

    Oh!

    I didnt know that Denmark had their own Eurogamer version. Well i understand english just as good as danish so i stick to this site.
    Edited by 1 at 25/08/09 @ 13:53

  • JahB #41 3 years ago

    @jonbwfc

    i've never said "this is a better sport" - that's purely a matter of opinion.

  • sneetch #42 3 years ago

    @JahB
    That would be fine if Eurogamer was a USA site, but this site is for UK,

    uhm, it's called Eurogamer, so it's for Europe; and besides the UK, nobody in Europe knows of/cares about cricket.

    Not quite true, quite a few European countries outside of the UK can actually assemble at least an entire cricket team of people who care. Which (despite what I said earlier) probably makes it more popular than American football over here.

    @makeamazing
    @JahB I dont know if you noticed but this is the UK Eurogamer site, and there are other Eurogamer sites... its not difficult to work out is it? Check the links down on the right... glad your keeping up old boy!

    Well, this is Eurogamer.net, not Eurogamer.co.uk so I'd say this is the main Eurogamer site for those who don't have their own language sites and can read English. The Union Jack beside the site is a bit out of place IMO, it should probably be the English flag really (as the language is English and not UKish) but that's common enough.

    My point is that it's not just UK. But yeah, a review of Ashes wouldn't go astray.
    Edited by 1 at 25/08/09 @ 14:33

  • miiiguel #43 3 years ago

    I understand portuguese just as bad as english, so I stick to this site. Sometimes I get the odd "we can't understand you - foreigner! - go to eg.pt" lines, but they're not frequent. All in all, not a bad.
    I must say Cricket is even harder to understand then this weird football played with hands thing. And is not as visualy apealing, at least, if you're just looking at the aesthetical aspect of the game - read "knows shit about what's going on".

  • Reihn #44 3 years ago

    Thanks for the review.

    As a (rather lonely in this respect) Aussie who enjoys NFL football, I've been playing Madden 10 since it released here on the 13th. It's definitely much improved over last year, but as you rightly point out, there's still lot that could be done a bit better. The gang tackling does make a big difference to the way it feels, as does the way if a quarterback gets hit mid throw, he pops out a 'lame duck' floater pass. Although, that happens a touch too frequently I feel..

    Oh, and kudos for putting MoJo Drew on the front page of the site! Go Jaguars! :o)

  • muscleblade #45 3 years ago

    @Reihn

    Hey this is Eurogamer not Aussiegamer. Beat it!

    Just kidding! Not funny - i know.

  • Gruff #46 3 years ago

    I will give Reihn some moral support and concur that this years game is very much worth buying.

    Gameplay is "modable" through sliders, and once done presents the best representation of American football yet.

    Although a patch could fix some of the rough edges, EA should be congratulated on going out on a limb and taking the series towards a more sim direction.

    Sorry that most people in these comments come from a place of ignorance as far a American football, but their loss.

  • Beek4257 #47 3 years ago

    Me? Ignorance?
    Neh.
    Incompetence? Yes, very much.

  • undergroundJMT #48 3 years ago

    "Larry Fitzgerald - who, by the way, is not a 99-point receiver, EA "

    Um... actually he basically is.

  • cyber_nicco #49 3 years ago

    @jonbwfc

    "I'm actually played American football and cricket, competitively (played both for my Uni some years back)."

    Really, where? What position did you play? I'm curious because you have a very unique perspective...

  • cyber_nicco #50 3 years ago

    ...back to the article...

    I hadn't bought a Madden game new for years (and only 2008), though I am a big fan of American Football. I've been a bit pissed ever since EA bought exclusivity for the NFL and killed the (superior) NFL 2K franchise. That being said, I did buy this game last week and I've actually been enjoying it quite a bit. I have to agree with most of the review - as in the gameplay is vastly improved, but some of the presentation (announcers, half-time show) are attrocious. I just turn the announcer audio down to zero and I'm done with it. I don't need an announcer to tell me that my halfback just gained 7 yards - I was just controlling him! The gameplay is much improved. It needs a little tweaking via the preferences sliders (by default interceptions are too common, while fumbles are too rare), but it can be made to play quite well. The biggest improvements I saw were in offensive line blocking, and that pass defenders don't always react as if they had eyes in the back of their heads.

    As to the valid point that American Football has too many ads, I just TiVo (DVR) the games and start watching when they are about half-way done - then I can just fast forward through the ads.

  • cyber_nicco #51 3 years ago

    Oh, and if anyone ever wanted to watch some American Football games but finds it too confusing, feel free to PM me any questions you might have and I'll try my best to answer them.

  • tinners #52 3 years ago

    So until they get a good rival like PES was to FIFA, EA will refuse to up any kind of game they once had and choose to be risk free with the same old shit attatched to it :(

    Bring out Backbreaker cos this years FIFA is going to be the best ever footy game made thanks to Pro being King for so many years on PS2 etc.

    meh lazy gits!

  • Rodchenko #53 3 years ago

    The cricket lovers on this thread are a bit annoying, tbh.

  • RedSparrows #54 3 years ago

    The reviewer is called Egon Superb. Wow.

  • werewolf2000ad #55 3 years ago

    "There's no such thing as a draw in cricket!"

  • jonbwfc #56 3 years ago

    @cyber_nicco
    Aston University (Birmingham). This was a very very long time ago - 1991 maybe? - when American Football was enjoying something of a popularity spike in the UK thanks for Channel 4 showing it regularly.

    I played half back and strong safety - we didn't have enough players to have separate offense and defense :). I kind of migrated away from rugby because I was bored with it and played 'gridiron' for a season. And when I finished Uni I was back up north and played for a while for one of the teams that was being set up at the time and who, - I didn't know this until today - still seem to be around called the Bolton Bulldogs.

    For comparison, I'm a half decent wicket keeper and bat about 7 or 8 :).

    I don't pretend to be an expert in either sport but I enjoyed playing american football for a while. It's a fun sport provided you don't mind getting bruised a bit. I've played Madden games on and off over the years but I wouldn't really pay full whack for them. Apart from anything else, the names mean nothing to me any more. And I always found them a bit... sterile. They get the tactics right but I never felt.. involved, somehow. Mind you. I never played quarterback and that's the position they seem to concentrate on for obvious reasons. I never thought they felt 'slow' though but then I assume like all sports if you do it professionally you do it a hell of a lot faster than an amateur would.

    This has piqued my interest enough to see if there's a demo of Madden on the US PSN & at least give it a go.

    Jon
    Edited by 1 at 25/08/09 @ 18:27

  • metalangel #57 3 years ago

    Excellent review! You've clearly played the Bigs 2 and know your stuff so why haven't EuroGamer reviewed it? Or SBK09?

  • Yodzilla #58 3 years ago

    uhhh everyone wants to hear Painkiller that song owns

  • Stickman #59 3 years ago

    Finally! EG manages a good Madden review (as in knowledgable and well written). Good work. I'll be picking it up as usual, then probably trading it as usual. Sounds like it's not quite there yet. Online franchise sounds great, and in the US I'm sure will be fantastic, but you'd probably struggle to make it worthwhile over here.

    Have they managed to put the accelerated play clock back in yet?

  • ronuds #60 3 years ago

    I agree with everything cyber-nicco said - including the fact that 2K was a superior franchise! ;)

    2k5 might be the greatest football game ever made, and I say this after having played this year's Madden. 2k5 still has better gameplay! :o

  • PlugMonkey #61 3 years ago

    They're still trying to find a reviewer who actually likes cricket. And can stay awake long enough.

    AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHA! He implied that cricket isn't popular! And that it's boring! IT'S COMEDY FUCKING GENIUS!

    That is quite literally the single most original and funny thing I have ever read or heard! I just laughed so much I puked and shat myself at the same time! Good work baz! You should take that shit on tour!

    Whew! Wait until I tell that one to my friends! It'll be a shitting, puking frenzy!

  • Zaltan #62 3 years ago

    http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=OV1tY2mR92E

  • infoxicated #63 3 years ago

    This is the best Eurogamer review I have read in many, many years. //stunned

    Madden 10 is the first iteration I've bought since the 2007 version and I'm enjoying it thus far. Quite agree about the things that should have been fixed - it lacks the level of polish that FIFA enjoys - it's probably that, in killing off the competition, EA have negated the need for the team to really push the game to perfection.

  • basiclee #64 2 years ago

    I'm still too busy playing Blitz: The League 2 to be that interested in Madden to be honest, and I'll never forgive them for robbing me of the NFL2K series which was much more fun to play and had fantastic presentation (for the time).

  • abject_rage #65 2 years ago

    This is the first review I've read that's suggested increasing the game speed to 'fastest' - all the others say the new 'slow' pace makes it more realistic. Interesting. And confusing.

    Surprised no-one's commented on the fact that the Achievements are now much harder to get - for the most part, they're completely denied to you unless you play on All Pro difficulty setting. Seems unfair. And, while it does play a great game of NFL, there are other things wrong that have always been wrong - not least the way the AI will cheat its way to the endzone, suddenly becoming unstoppable if it's a few scores down and needs to close the gap. Animation, too, is a bit lacking - an identical animation is used for all and EVERY player in the scene that follows a good play, with the player walking robotically, swinging his arms and practically gliding across the field.

    But anyway, Mr 'Superb' - which speed setting do you recommend, to be clear?

  • BeachGaara #66 2 years ago

    ESPN NFL 2K5 still slaps Madden with it's cock. It's still the best NFL game ever. I wish EA would just remake that. Like how they started ripping off PES when it didn't suck.

    Better than 09 though.

  • layleeloo #67 2 years ago

    heres an idea - STOP FUCKING MOANING about "no ashes review". Here's an original thought - download the demo and make your own mind up. How revolutionary would that be?

    Failing that, rent it? Theres another thing ive astonished you with. People moan about no reviews for certain games when the fact remains, reviews are one persons opinion - so grow a set of balls and make your own mind up by playing it. Or is that too hard nowadays for all these people who get every bit of info handed to them that they are now incapable of making any form of self informed decision? I weep for the future.