Madden is one of the longest running franchises out there. The first game was released back n 1988 after a four-year development cycle, and the next game did not come out until 1990 after which it was released every year. This has led to a lot of rehashed versions of the game. So how does the 2012 version stand? A whole twenty-three years since it was first released as John Madden Football.

Title : Madden 2012

Genre: Sports / NFL

Developers: EA Tiburon

Consoles: PS3, Xbox 360 Also on everything else

Rating: E for Everyone

If you have read my review of Madden 2011,you would know that they really dropped the ball last year. They churned out a rehashed Madden 2010 with a lot of missing features. It was the first time that I actually hated the game, and that is saying something since I have played every version of this franchise. There was one good thing though, I did get my first platinum trophy from Madden last year.

Madden 2012,surprised me. They created a brand new game. While of course it was still built over earlier versions for the game. EA Tiburon added enough polish and new content,to make it seem like a whole new game. The first thing you will notice is the revamped user-interface. They have replaced the blocky menus with an easy to navigate floating structure. Also that ugly NEW button next to everything is gone. Madden 2012, also features integration with NFL.com including fantasy football, NFL news and video directly in the game. It is a very nice feature that will add a lot of content for players who do not always have access to a computer. There is one bad change in the UI though. The on-screen keyboard has been rebuilt from the ground up. So the quick buttons that you have been used to using when entering names and such are no longer working. It is minor issue,but it is still one of those features that makes you wonder why they had to change it.

Game Play

Madden has always been known for its game-play. It is the most accurate football game out there, and used in many tournaments across the nation. With that being said the developers knew they could not change too much, with-out getting their fans up in arms like they did last year. So instead of making game-play tweaks they focused on animations. The game now looks closer to a real game,and less canned. A major focus was also put on the tackling. They claim it is the best tackling they have ever had. While it does look good, there are plenty of times that runners just bounce off the defenders. So there is still some kinks to work out there. The coverage on defense also seem to be stronger than it has been in years past. The defensive backs, do a good job of staying with the receivers and getting in-between the ball and the hands.

Another major addition is a remake of a former feature that was taken out last year. Player streaks. The game now changes how the players preform during a game. If they are getting sacked a lot during a game, their accuracy will go down and they will start making mistakes. They have also made it so different players react to each issue in their own way. For instance, it takes a lot more to rattle Mike Vick as it would Tarvis Jackson. While,it does not seem to affect every player it does add another bit of strategy to the game. For example, a player may want to start exploiting the corner back who is suffering from a lack of being able to defend against the deep ball.

The developers have learned their lesson this year and have gone back to the old style adubiles and play changes. They have also kept in last years touted feature game flow. They have added to it this year by allowing you to create game plans and choose which play you would use in different situations. It is still not enough for me to use it on a regular basis though.

Game Modes

Last year in Madden they stripped out a lot of the extras in the game modes. This year they have put everything back in and then some. The superstar mode has been expanded. Now instead of just going out there with a created guy and just playing. They have added an RPG element to the mode. You now start out as poor player. You are giving a small amount of points to add to your players rating,when you start the game. You are then able to buy more points. You earn credits to buy those points from practicing and through in-game performance. It will however only take you about a season to get a player ranked up to superstar ratings. Which leaves you little reason to play the next season. They have also added another cool feature to the Superstar mode. You can now earn the right to change plays, call timeouts and get other boosts from earning coach favor. Once again though it is still too easy to earn favor and too hard to lose it. You earn favor by preforming big plays.

The Franchise mode has also been revamped. You can still lead a team to victory, but this time around you can choose to start as coordinator and then work your way up to head coach and be in charge of the whole game. It has all of the features you have loved about the franchise mode. With a couple of new changes. They have revamped the signing process. You can now sign up to 75 players and cut them down to 53 before the season starts. So it allows you to take a chance on a guy and see if he fits your team. They have also changed the free agent market. You can no longer see a guy, offer him a contract and skip a day. You now have to enter a bidding war,other teams will bid against you in real-time. This can get pretty intense as you try to sign multiple players at once. This stops you from being able to always sign the best players before the CPU teams have a chance at them. I’m very pleased with the franchise mode this year.

They once again have Madden Moments where you can relive some of the most intense moments from last year. A mode I have not played around with very much. Madden Ultimate team is back again this year as well. It is a mode where you have a deck of cards as your team. You can buy new team packs, or trade them with other players. This forces you to play with a poor team,and is really not that bad. I look forward to playing it more. I will have some good tips later in this wall of text.

Online

The bread and butter of the Madden franchise this generation is its stellar online play. This year they have the same modes as last year. Online franchise is almost the same as last year with just a few minor changes. I have not yet played an online franchise though, mainly because it is just hard to find a decent group of guys to go through a season with. Though another game mode that I am have yet to play, is the Team Play, it introduces co-op to Madden. You can also play with your Madden Ultimate team online.

Most people play their basic mode. Head to Head, there are two different versions of this mode, ranked and UN-ranked. Ranked is the only one that tracks your wins and stats. UN-ranked is only good if you want to test out a new team with little risk. A lot of people are afraid to play online. Madden does a good job of matching players with-in their own skill level. So even if you get beat your first few times out, it will begin to match you with players who have also been beat a lot. Of course the more you win the harder the players you play against. They have taken a lot of extra steps this year to make sure no one is cheating. They have added tuning code, a way that they can balance the game on a regular basis if they see a play being exploited like they have in the past.

Tips

I have just a few important tips, for those wanting to play their best. First tip, do not change the default settings when you are playing the computer. You, may be able to dominate the CPU on rookie mode,but when you go to play another player, you will not even slow them down. Learn to go slow, do not just rush out there and throw deep bomb after deep bomb. Go under the coverage. When running, be patient and take your time. Stay in the pocket when you are throwing. They have increased the penalty to scrambling out side of the pocket, this year On the same token, keep the pressure on. Use a variety of four to five man blitzes to force the quarterback out of the pocket and force bad throws.

In Madden Ultimate team. You need to take advantage of the auction block. It is a very good idea to auction off some of the more popular jerseys and stadiums. For instance the Packers jersey will easily net you nine grand in coins with-in a few minutes. Only play head-to-head with your Madden Ultimate team. If you try to play the computer you will be very out matched,and get a lot less coins.

Final thoughts

It is very refreshing to say that Madden 2012 is a really good game. They have made enough changes to make this year a must buy for football fans. Now, I am not just a fan-boy here. I hated last year, and even called it the worst yet. So run out and pick up the game, and join me for a match, Nonameken47 on PSN. Good Luck,and enjoy! Also be sure to tell me what you think of Madden 12 in the comments section below.