Video Games Reloaded - Madden NFL 09: All-Play (Wii)

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Madden NFL 09: All-Play (Wii)
By: Adam Waddilove

Does the Wii innovation score a touchdown on the 20th Madden anniversary?

Celebrating 20 Years of Innovation, Madden NFL 09 delivers its most accessible football package ever for the Nintendo Wii, combining EA SPORTS All Play-featuring easy-to-use gameplay controls-with an all-new playcalling system tailored to fit the playing style of all skill levels. Elevate your game by creating plays with the Wii Remote, then rejoice in your success by throwing together a unique user-controlled celebration. With all-new 5-on-5 mode, an improved tackling system, real-time coaching tips, turn friends and family into your biggest rivals with Madden NFL 09.

Madden NFL 09 All-Play for Wii Features:

Fun, accessible EA SPORTS All-Play: With or without the Nunchuk, anybody can dominate the game like a pro with EA SPORTS All Play. An all-new Wii exclusive playcalling system featuring simplified one-button controls and new assisted player movement make Madden NFL 09 the most accessible Wii football game ever.

All-New 5-on-5 mode: Neighborhood-style tackle football jumps to life exclusively on the Wii. Fastpaced gameplay and a smaller playing field deliver high-scoring games that are over-the-top and in your-face. A new custom field and arcade-style NFL players await you!

All-New playcalling: Players of all skill levels can be competitive by calling plays from three unique playbooks, ranging from Easy to Advanced. Intelligent Coach Tips provide instant feedback to help you become a better player on the fly.

Call your shot: Unleash the power of the Wii Remote by creating your own passing plays in realtime. Select a receiver then point to a spot on-screen showing players where to run.

Celebrate your success: Score a touchdown or deliver a drive-killing sack to trigger all-new celebration moments. Pump up the crowd even more by creating your own signature celebration using the Wiimote or Nunchuk.

Improved tackling system: It's now even easier to pull off momentum-changing tackles on defense. Swing the Wii Remote in any direction and watch as your defender targets in on the ball carrier and lays down a bone-jarring hit.

After reviewing Madden NFL 09 for the next-gen systems, it was always going to be difficult to match the same level of detail or quality when compared to the Wii version. It does however have a much better control method than the past few Wii versions and feels like the better American Football game for Nintendo’s machine.

First of all, you can choose where you want your receiver to go before you make the pass using the remote to simply point where you want him to be, then you go back to active play and make the pass and hopefully make a successful one, it’s not always easy and it doesn’t always work like you want it to but with practise, you’ll master it. Veterans will be dismayed by the lack of anything that new in this year’s game, there’s no Madden IQ Test, No Rewind feature but there are a number of mini-games for you and 3 friends to enjoy. Since John Madden has come back to the series after the past few years, it would have been good to see him in a way other than just in a Mii.

The next-gen version includes more features and managed to appeal to the more casual gamer, the Wii version does the latter half but fails to appeal to the hardcore veterans. Yes, there is an online mode which does its job well, but it’s hardly revolutionary. It would have been nice if this version got the same dedication that the next-gen versions got, but it doesn’t mean that Madden NFL 09 doesn’t have a lot of potential.

It has a ton of replay value from the usual modes like Franchise, but it’s not really all that different from last year’s game. The only thing I can really say that’s different is the more refined and responsive controls, for the 20th anniversary of Madden you would expect the Wii version to offer more than that. The visuals won’t blow you away but are acceptable for a Wii game, even though we know it can do much more and finally, the commentary and soundtrack are both great; there are no real surprises there.

The Verdict

Despite having improved controls, Madden NFL 09 lacks anything really new. It will disappoint veteran players but those looking to enter the franchise may not need look much further than this, the best Wii version to date.