The wait is over, football and Madden fans alike. Madden ’10 is here for the iPod Touch\/iPhone. Featuring a season mode, route drawing, full 3D graphics, commentary, and all the other Madden goodies you’d expect, this one is a winner. <\/p>\n
After a long wait, I finally got the chance to sink my teeth into Maden NFL ’10 for the iPod Touch\/iPhone, developed by none other than EA. Another 3D football game was recently released for the platform, ‘NFL 2010’, which was developed by Gameloft. Can Madden NFL ’10 compete with the impressive NFL 2010? Read on.<\/p>\n
As you jump into Madden NFL ’10, you’ll notice the option to choose your favorite team, which is always a welcome feature. The main menu looks just like it does in the console version, and it’s easy to navigate. The two options you’ll be drawn to immediately are the ‘Play Now’ and ‘Season’ modes, obviously.<\/p>\n
Play Now is what you’d expect- play a quick game against an AI opponent. Choose your team, your opponent’s, and you’re off. You can exit a game at any time and continue it or start anew at any given time, which is great. The great thing is that the game is presented just as the console version is, which makes it feel like you’re playing a truly polished game.<\/p>\n
Play selection is as simple as possible- slide through each menu to choose your play, or change your formation, along with play type. After you choose a play, you can get a better view of the field by selecting the camera option. Just tilt your iDevice to view either side of the field, which is very convenient. You can tap the screen to hurry up the play, and to hike. For a passing play, the object is to touch a highlighted circle over a receiver when it turns green.<\/p>\n
As you can see, you control your player’s movement using the left analog stick, and other ‘special’ functions on the right. Some of the special functions include a slow-motion function (which can only be used for a limited time), juke, sprint, etc. For the most part, they are all easy to use and very responsive.<\/p>\n
The plays all run very smoothly, and both the passing and running game are easy to use. You also have the ability to hot route your receivers, allowing you to actually draw your own routes. This is a truly awesome feature, and opens up a wh0le new dimension of creativity and quick-thinking to the offense. One strange thing I found, though, is the lack of a play clock. Um… what?<\/p>\n
On the defensive side of the ball, things are just as smooth, albeit a tad bit more tricky. Choose your type of defense, and the formation in the same manner as you would offense. Switching between players is as easy as tapping on your desired player. If it’s a pass, you can take advantage of the slow motion, and use a special ability to swat or try to pick the ball off. My only gripe here was that there were a few strange collisions.<\/p>\n
And now, for the ‘Season’ mode. Choose your team, and you’re straight into it. As you’d expect, you can check the standings, schedual, play the game for the week, and check both rosters and statistics. The mode is actually very simplistic, in a way. You play your game for the week, and move on. This isn’t a bad thing- for a more casual, iPod friendly experience, the lack of confusing and unnecesary in-depth options make the entire experience more streamlined as a whole.<\/p>\n
Overall, the gameplay is some of the smoothest football you’ll ever see on the iPod Touch\/iPhone, bar none. I found myself screaming and yelling the same exact way I do while playing on the XBox 360.<\/p>\n
The graphics in Madden NFL ’10 are top-of-the-line, as expected. The player models look as good as you’re going to get on the iPod\/iPhone, anywhere. The stadiums and scenery all look great. The player animations are all fantastic, albeit a bit of strange collisions on the tackles. Every menu looks great, and is easy to navigate as well.<\/p>\n
The sound is all great as well. Expect semi-full commentary from the regular Madden gang. There were a few misses on the commentary, though. (For example, I’d complete a pass and the announcer would say “He drops it!”) Hear the crowd roar, listen to the grunts of the players and the collisions of helmets as you play through each game. You can also enjoy a soundtrack of licensed titles on the menus.<\/p>\n
There are promises for some exciting new updates in the future, as well. (Taken from the iTunes page) “UPCOMING FEATURES… Multiplayer Mode, Ability to get Roster Updates & Authentic Throwback Jerseys<\/em>“. I’m hoping that the mutiplayer mode will deliver, and hopefully it’ll be online as well. Roster updates are a must, and the throwbacks are a great addition as well. I’m praying that EA will continue to support the game with cool updates.<\/p>\n The bottom line is, if you’re looking for the best football (or sports) experience available on the iPod\/iPhone out now, this is a must-have. If you’re a fan of Madden, football, sports, or good games in general, pick this one up. The price tag as of writing this is at $7.99 USD (\u00c2\u00a34.99), so it’s a bit more expensive than your average application, but take my word for it, it’s worth every penny, and then some.<\/p>\n Current Status:<\/strong> Highly Recommended<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Reviewed at:<\/strong> v1.0.0
\nReviewed on Firmware:<\/strong> 3.0<\/em>
\nDownload size:<\/strong> 102MB
\nReleased on:<\/strong> 9th Sep 2009
\nRetails for:<\/strong> \u00c2\u00a34.83 \/ $7.99
\nCompatible with:<\/strong> iPod touch Gen 1 & 2 \/ iPhone Classic \/ iPhone 3G \/ iPhone 3GS<\/p>\n