Electronic Arts announced the retired Brett Favre as its 20th anniversary cover boy of “Madden”
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EA has always delivered new features in each installment, but this year it’s going long, stuffing nearly a dozen fresh game modes and gimmicks into the package. (I reviewed the Xbox 360 version; your mileage on other consoles may vary.)
One of the problems in a series with so much history is that it can be somewhat daunting to a newcomer. Many of the new features in “Madden 09″ are geared toward helping the novice. For example, play selection can be as simple or as deep as you want it. At the easiest level, the computer will select your plays for you. Later on, you can arrange your playbook by play type (power run, quick pass) rather than by sometimes confusing formations like Z slant wide corner or double Z LB spy.
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You start off with the Madden Test, which gauges your skill in passing, running, pass defense and run defense, then adjusts the game’s difficulty to your strengths and weaknesses.
Each time you play a game, your skill level is adjusted according to your performance. If you’re particularly weak in one area, you can go to the Virtual Trainer, a holodeck-like gridiron, and bone up on the necessary skills. I’m hoping all this will put a stop to the 56-7 blowouts my brother’s been inflicting on me for the last 10 years.
A few more in-game features let you learn from your mistakes. Instead of kicking yourself over that end zone interception, you can hit the Rewind button and try the play again. Or you can watch a Backtrack video, in which the game shows you how you could have salvaged a botched play.
“Madden 09″ also does a great job with onscreen menus that provide a helpful guide to all your options at the line of scrimmage.
