Tag: Madden »

The NFL season is in its final stretch, with the wildcard round of the playoffs already out of the way. Which means Super Bowl fever is going to be ramping up, and you might want a game to scratch your gridiron itch since there aren't any Thursday or Monday night games any more. That's where this list comes in.

We've picked what we think are the three finest American Football games on the App Store - and we think we've managed to get something for everyone. Of course if you've got your own suggestions then we'd love to hear them in the comments section down at the bottom of this very article.

You can also click here to check out all of the other awesome lists we've been writing over the past few months. Each is sharper and more entertaining than the last, and they start off pretty damn sharp and really rather entertaining. Now then, on with the pigskin classics.

All aboard the coin train. By that I mean you need coins to improve your team in Madden NFL Mobile. Whether you prefer the excitement of opening packs or hitting up the auction house, your squad won't get any better without more coins to spend.

(Or buying in-game cash with real money, of course, but let's say for the sake of argument we're not doing that for now.)

Since the energy system in Madden NFL Mobile can be fairly restrictive, especially in the early going, you've got to plan wisely. If coins are all you love, then that's what you'll receive.

No, wait, that's from Star Wars. But if you want to maximize your coins while playing, here's what you should be doing.

Even though you're probably well on your way to building a top notch squad for the new season in Madden NFL Mobile, let's say you could beef it up by adding Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown, Von Miller, and Todd Gurley to your roster. That's something I imagine would interest you.

It's not hypothetical either, but something you can actually do thanks to the Madden Season Blitz events going on right now in Madden NFL Mobile. It will require some effort on your part over the next two weeks, but if you act now and play often, you could snag elite versions of one or more of these stars before the real NFL season kicks off.

Instead of simply telling you about it, we'll actually tell you how to do it too.

EA Mobile has announced that Madden Mobile, the latest Madden installment to make its way to iOS, will make its debut on the App Store on August 26. The game will allow players to create their own team made up of the best talent from the league, both past and present. Once created, players can then take their teams into three different game modes.

One game mode, Live Events, will provide players with quick challenges that will dynamically update throughout the season and will offer rewards, including coins and player packs. Players will also be able to take on friends and rivals alike in head-to-head offensive shootouts and try and take their team to the Super Bowl after battling their way through a full 16 week season.

Madden Mobile will run into the endzone that is the App Store on August 26.

Ah, the Great App Store Pricing Debate. For years people have been arguing over the cost of mobile games. What constitutes “too much?” Where’s the line when it comes to free-to-play monetization techniques? Should developers have deep discounts and temporary giveaways? Should consumers simply expect everything to go on sale and wait accordingly?

The recent Dungeon Keeper debacle is a good example of this. Gamers and critics alike have railed against it for using various monetization techniques and associating itself with the classic PC strategy series, and many point to it as an unpleasant indication of where the video game industry (especially mobile) is headed. It’s an issue that’s almost as complicated as the initial Freemium vs. Premium debate; so let’s take a closer look at everything and try to make sense of it all.

It seems like just last week our own Carter Dotson was sharing exclusive Madden NFL 25 gameplay footage. Wait a minute, it was just last week! And now the wait is over!

EA Sports has just released Madden NFL 25, titled after the series' 25-year anniversary, onto the App Store. Players will be able to build their own NFL teams via a card-collection system, play through multiple game modes (Exhibition, Head-2-Head, Solo Challenges, and an offensive shootout mode), and make use of an improved set of touch controls.

And since it's free, there's really no reason not to check it out, right? So go on, celebrate 25 years of Madden the right way: with a game of FOOTBALL!

EA, being the large gaming corporation that they are, have released their upcoming summer and fall lineup... and it's huge.

Madden NFL 11 - iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch - Fall - Everyone's favorite NFL game is back this year, but with a few cool features that will make the game even more intuitive on a touch device. The new "Gameflow" feature is the one that I'm most excited about, as it gives players the ability to spend "less time in the playbook and more time on the field".

"Coaches don't go into a game with their full playbook like you do in our game. When it's 2nd down and 3 yards to go, they don't thumb through a 3-ring binder with 350 plays in it. They find tendencies before the game and build a game plan to exploit the other team's weaknesses. This means they call plays based on the situation."

To make the game quicker, and more realistic in the process, "Gameflow" has the "coach" pick the play based on the situation you are in and then radio it to you, letting you see the play on the field like you normally would. If an audible needs to be called, there is now the ability to draw hot routes anywhere, letting you devise whatever route you would like, on the fly.

Check out our hands-on article here for a more detailed look.

[Source: EA Sports]

Reckless Racing - iPhone, iPad - Summer - Remember the amazing looking tp-down racing game, Deliverance, that never came out? It turns out that it was bought by EA, and has been renamed Reckless Racing. Reckless Racing "mixes old-school top-down racing game play with state of the art graphics and engaging multiplayer features." EA seems to be touting its online features more than anything else, promising "fully stocked internet multiplayer mode, on-line leaderboards and the ability to trade ghost races with other players from all over the world". If the game plays half as good as it looks, you'll see me playing Reckless Racing non stop when it launches later this summer.

For a more in depth look, check out our recent hands-on article.

NCAA Football - iPhone - Now - NCAA Football is EA's first app designed specifically for the iPhone 4. While it doesn't have all the new bells and whistles that Madden will have, it does have over 55 of the most well known colleges so you can support the team that you love... and it does look pretty.

Sim City Deluxe - iPhone, iPod Touch - Summer - EA seems to have addressed all the glitches in their first attempt at Sim City, and have made an app that is much more playable. All of the menus have been redesigned, and the glitch that has buildings disappear when you zoom out should be gone. Also added are the famed Sim City disasters, which could possibly bring over the Pocket God set that have sites on tormenting even more souls. There is also a rumor about an iPad version in the works, but nothing has been announced... so don't get your hopes up.

[Source: IGN]

The Sims 3 Ambitions - iPhone, iPod Touch - Summer - There aren't many details about this one floating around, but it does seem to be the iPhone counterpart to the PC expansion pack with the same name. According to EA, in "Sims 3 Ambitions, players decide whether their Sim will be the brave town hero or cause loads of mischief among their neighbors. Their future is entirely in the player’s hands!"

Sims 3 Ambitions will add many often requested features to the Sims on the iPhone. New large features like careers, babies, and building new structures make this a pretty huge new version.

Yahtzee - iPad - Summer - Everyone's favorite dice rolling game is coming this summer, and it will surely be prettier than the thing that you have to unpack out of the box.

Risk - iPhone, iPod Touch - Summer - I'm not sure what took EA so long to come out with Risk, but this announcement will surely make many people happy. I liked Lux DLX alright, and think that Strategery is a great Risk alternative, but there's nothing like the real thing. As long as EA gets the AI right, this one will be a winner.

R-Type - iPhone, iPod Touch - Summer - Just like you remembered it, R-Type is keeping "100 percent true to the original game allowing fans to get back to the ‘80s video-arcade experience in the palm of their hands." As I wrote in an earlier preview article, the original R-Type is "the most frustratingly difficult game outside of playing a Don Bluth game in the arcade". There is a distinct possibility that my iPhone will end up thrown across the room.

Be sure to check after the jump for some more great screenshots.

EA held their studio preview today and we were one of the few mobile sites there to take a look at their coming games. First up, and the most anticipated, is Madden NFL 11. This year is will be available on the iPhone and the iPad with the iPad getting a couple exclusive features.

The Hot Routes feature has been expanded and enhanced this year. Hot routes allow you to draw the path that the player takes on the screen pre-snap. You have greater control over them in both offense and new this year, defense. You can also save your custom routes as a custom offensive play.

Madden NFL 11 gets a few new features carried over from the console versions. This includes Total Defense Control -- this year defense is given much more attention giving you most of the same control of players you have on offense. This includes the ability to program hot routes for defensive players. For defense you also can slow the play down while it is in action and adjust the routes.

On the offense, new this year, and carried from the console, is GameFlow. This is basically an automated play calling system created to speed up the play of the game. Instead of needing to run into one of the 30 playbooks to pick a play, the computer will pick one for you and it does so intelligently. It watches the game and how you play and will pick an appropriate play. You can of course override the play or turn off GameFlow at any time. GameFlow makes considerable sense on the more casual mobile device.

The game gets a little prettier this year too. Graphics both on field and off look much better. This includes higher definition players, fields, and even moving crowds that are unique to each stadium. Also included are different weather effects based on the stadium location and date of the game.

Some iPad specific features include on-screen optimizations for the larger screen like a passing wheel under your right thumb. The passing wheel shows you all receives on the play and their status in a single location letting you select them very quickly. One unexpected new game type is added as an exclusive for the iPad as well. Remember the old electric football games where you place the weighted player pieces on a large metal board that when turned on vibrated them around? Well a mid-season update to Madden NFL 11 will allow you to play this fun mini-game in the app -- and even with voiceover from Gus Johnson.

If there's one disappointment it's the lack of online multiplayer. Still missing from EA's in-house lineup, this feature will really take this game, and other EA games, to the next level. There is local Bluetooth multiplayer included in both the iPhone and iPad versions. But you may only play against another user on the same device type.

EA took some heat last year by charging for roster updates in Madden NFL 10 for the iPhone. They have seen the errors of their ways and the roster updates will be free this year!

If you're a Madden fan, you won't have to wait too long. Madden NFL 11 for the iPhone and iPad will launch alongside the console version on August 11th. Hit the jump for a few more screenshots.

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The big game publishers such as Electronic Arts and Gameloft have a reputation, deserved or not, of rarely updating their titles. EA's Madden NFL 10 definitely doesn't fall into this category, as it just received its fourth update since being released in September. As far as updates go, this is a good one, and it has a particularly timely addition. You'll see what I mean...

First off, a Hard mode been added for those who've mastered the game. The difficulty can be toggled between Normal or Hard via the Options screen.

Another addition is the ability to save a multi-player game. If you're bluetooth session with a friend gets interrupted, you can save and resume at a later point.

The final addition is the ability to download a special Playoff Mode, FREE of charge. This mode features the 12 teams that are currently battling it out in the 2009 NFL playoffs, and can be installed via the in-game Madden Store. You can select one of the 12 teams, and then play your way through the playoffs from the official Wild Card match-ups to the Super-Bowl.

Playoff Mode also conveniently gives you the ability to simulate up to a selected week of the playoffs. We decided to put Madden 10 to the test, Jimmy the Greek style, by simulating this weekend's games. The screenshot below shows the predicted winners...

So, what do you think? Will Philip Rivers get out-dueled by the inexperienced Mark Sanchez? Will the Ravens defense come up short against the well-rested Colts? Will Brett Favre deny the Cowboys their first road playoff win since 1993? And will Kurt Warner stave off retirement for one more week? Or is Madden 10 just full of you-know-what...

EA have released updates for three of their largest games that give them local multiplayer capabilities.

Madden 10, Tiger Woods, and Command and Conquer have gotten updates in the recent days that give them local multiplayer capabilities and EA have done it right.

For example, when playing Tiger Woods, you will actually be watching your opponent live as they play. You see them swing and the travel of their ball live you your screen just as they do on their screen. Tiger Woods supports both Bluetooth and Wifi local multiplayer and all courses are available to play.

For Madden, you each choose your teams and battle it out over a game, each picking their plays and playing in real time. Madden only supports Bluetooth multiplayer.

And for Command and Conquer, each command factions on the game map at the same time. Clashing as each team seeks to expand their territory. C&C works with both Wifi and Bluetooth for local multiplayer.

While we'd love to see large scale global multiplayer in these games, this is a first step and a great step for big fans of these games.

NOTE: Madden 10 for the iPhone isn't yet out in the App Store, but it is expected to be available later today. We'll update this post with links as soon as it's available.

EA have placed an introductory sale on Madden 10, it will be $7.99 until about 8:30pm EST on 9/10/2009. After that date it will go up to $9.99.

When EA announced that Madden 10 would be released for the iPhone, it was very exciting, but also very expected. The number one selling sports franchise just had a natural home on the best mobile device available. What we didn't expect was the depth and quality of play the release would contain.

Madden 10 for the iPhone contains all of the teams, all of the stadiums, and both the single game and season play mode of the console version. While the game lacks the multiplayer modes, we're told those will appear in a later version. It also includes the interesting musing of John Madden himself (good news, you can turn off the commentary if you wish!).

Let's start with the controls, that was the least known feature of this game. How could a game as complex as Madden adapt to the buttonless controls of the iPhone? Well, I'm happy to report that EA has done a really great job with the controls. While not without fault, they've added a couple new controls methods unique to the iPhone that support the complexity of the game play while simplifying the controls for the touch screen.

First up is the action control button. This button which looks like a stopwatch, allows you to slow down the movements on the screen for a short while. This is good when looking for a receiver or planning on which direction to run a return. This will turn out to be a very useful control addition. I also consider this pretty essential when you don't have hard buttons that you can find my touch -- you have to look at the screen to find your button from as many as 6 at a time. The action control button gives you the time to find the right button.

Next up is the way to target a receiver. On the console, the eligible receivers will have a different button indicators floating over their head. This obviously won't work on the iPhone. On the iPhone each receiver is surrounded by a large reticle that is either red (they are blocked), yellow (potentially blocked), or green (open). Touching on any of these circles will throw the ball to that receiver. The receiver may not catch it, but you will at least know how open they are.

Another really cool addition is the ability to draw custom routes for receivers. This is called hot route and is triggered from a button on screen once the play has been selected and the ball is ready to be snapped. To draw a route, you just touch a receiver and draw the direction you'd like them to go. The only downside to this is that you can't then save your route as a play for future games.

Madden 10 for the iPhone includes hundreds of plays. Both offense and defense. This includes that ability to switch any plays left to right, and also includes multiple defensive formations. I'd love the ability to create your own plays, or at least the ability to set some plays as favorites to allow quicker picking of them when playing. Scrolling through the huge list to find the right one can be a pain at times.

There's also the ability to trade players between teams and sign unsigned players. You also have the opportunity to change your line-up during the game. Each player and team comes with some fairly detailed stats that you can track through the season as you play.

Let's take a look at the 2 different play modes. You can either play a single game or you can pick a team and play all or part of a full season. The full season also includes post season all the way up to and including the Superbowl. That is if you are good enough. Season progression naturally follows the same rules as the real NFL. The two different play modes are non-exclusive. You could be playing through the season as one team and decide to play a game separate from your season without affecting it.

One iPhone feature that Madden has that should be a requirement for every game is that it saves your current state when you exit the app or get a phone call. This allows you to play a bit here and there (say 3 plays while waiting for your morning coffee), and resume later right at the play you left off. Side note - this is also a good way to call another play without calling a timeout -- which you'd usually need to do to call a new play in the game. Don't like the play? Just hit the home button and relaunch Madden, then touch resume game to call a new play.

The opponent team generally seems fairly smart. You can't just keep using the same offensive play over and over and expect it to work. They will also go for a 2 point conversion instead of the 1 point if they need the points. Just like the console versions of Madden, they seem to adapt fairly well to keep the game fresh and challenging.

Overall, gameplay in Madden 10 is very good. It's not without it's bugs such as the quarterback aiming to the right and throwing left, the false voice announcement that the pass was knocked down when it was completed, and the occasional midfield tackle from 10 feet away. All in all the Madden game itself, while slimmed down in some areas from the console version is still a very competent port. The graphics can be chunky and slow at times, but the gameplay rarely suffers from that.

The game includes a good slideshow type tutorial and also some decent text help. This should be enough to get you going quickly. The tutorial is available from the menu and you are shown the relevant parts during your first game. You have the OS 3.0 ability to play your own music instead of the usual EA licensed modern rock.

In an interesting move, EA have announced that the roster updates and authentic jerseys will be available for in-app purchasing in the future as well. It's interesting because they seem to be monetizing non-essential game elements, the ones that would be of interest to the die-hard fans the most.

So, what do I think? Madden 10 isn't without it's shortcomings or bugs, but dammit, it's Madden on the iPhone! It is one of, if not the number one video game franchise, and now it's on the iPhone. It's not a weak little feature phone java game, it's Madden, and it's here.

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