Madden NFL 11 News Post

Out of Bounds: Best Madden Innovations

02:25 PM - August 17, 2010 by RaychelSnr

I tend to get into arguments. I'm not entirely sure why, or how, but they seem to follow me wherever I go. Sometimes it's politics and sometimes it's music. I'll go on for hours about the merits of the Stones and the failings of Jim Morrison. And sometimes, in my lamer moments, I'm not at all above having a dust up about video games.

A buddy of mine was none too pleased about the column I wrote last week about what I feel is a stagnant Madden franchise. He said I was just another one of those NFL 2K5 acolytes, and I couldn't appreciate the game because of my own preconceptions. He even said that I have totally ignored the major leaps forward the Madden franchise has brought to the table.

That's tough but fair. I have, after all, enjoyed a few Madden games over the years. I played the ever living hell out of the 1999 edition. I've owned and/or rented almost every incarnation of the franchise. My experience goes all the way back to the Sega Genesis days where the players were all identical sprites running oddly about the field. I have, honestly, been a cautious fan for as long as there's been a Madden.

So I've decided to honor the franchise and its innovations with a quick countdown of what I feel are the best improvements over the years. As always, feel free to disagree.

Read More - Out of Bounds: Best Madden Innovations

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Member Comments

# 1 rooney8 @ 08/17/10 02:40 PM

I am not sure honoring the franchise is listing great features they have either done away with or let go down the toilet. Think you just made your buddy more

. Not me though and I agree with most of the features selected. Franchise was definately huge. Wasn't crazy about the vision cone but was more of a casual Madden player back then.

# 2 kjcheezhead @ 08/17/10 02:54 PM

Couldn't think of one more recent that 5 years ago??!!

How about the ones gamers are always begging to see return?

WR shading, individual bump n run, formation shifts, audibles on the fly, the Ps2 mini games.....

# 3 roadman @ 08/17/10 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheelman990


	Just tell your buddy you overated Madden 11 in your review with a 9 rating to please him. Thats gotta count for something.

That was another reviewer, he just posted the review.

# 4 Dazraz @ 08/17/10 03:14 PM

I think EA have bought a lot of innovation to franchise/dynasty/career modes not only in Madden but across a number of different titles. Where EA persistently frustrate however is the way in which they always strip their games down to the bare bones whenever a new piece of hardware is released rather than transfer the features across.

How often do EA make big noises about a new feature with a brand new name that is basically a reincarnation of a feature seen on a previous generation console.

# 5 spankdatazz22 @ 08/17/10 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheelman990


	Just tell your buddy you overated Madden 11 in your review with a 9 rating to please him. Thats gotta count for something.

LOL - although I see now he didn't do the review. Still, a week in and the OS review seems like a joke. Think it's pretty noticeable that the list doesn't contain any innovations from this generation, when pretty much every other sports game can point to something they've innovated with (and many have several innovations under their belt).

# 6 Rocky @ 08/17/10 03:22 PM

I don't know if this is more ironic or sad, but I would list Madden's commentary back in Madden '93 and '94 as a major innovation for it's time.

# 7 roadman @ 08/17/10 03:31 PM

Passing windows, ambulance, spin move, Madden/Summerall talking on screen, etc.....

By the way, the Atari 2600 had 3 v 3 football.

# 8 Rashad19 @ 08/17/10 04:06 PM

I would have to say branching animations or the ability to control how you breakout of a tackle was a great innovative feature.

# 9 Silas Barnaby @ 08/17/10 05:50 PM

In the very first John Madden Football game played on my Laser 128 (Apple II knockoff) back in the day, you were able to design your own plays! Something that regretfully never made it back.

# 10 goatriderhorde @ 08/17/10 05:54 PM

I'm sure I'm in the minority, but I enjoyed the vision cone. I know it's effects on the offensive side of the ball were debated ad naseum, but I loved it defensively as well. It gave the feeling of reading the QB's eyes. Great for someone who generally plays safety.

Also, the training camps before the season on the last gen versions. Turning busts like Joey Harrington into great players was always fun for me. I know they had drills in 09, but having to do the drill three weeks in a row to raise your player's attribute 1 point just didn't feel worth it.

# 11 Agame @ 08/17/10 06:34 PM

CONE of SHAME! Ha- I thought it was a great idea. Still think that Madden should have a SIM setting, where the sliders are tuned to be "NFL football" and the QB has to go through his progressions to throw the football. Lot's of idea's on how that could be implemented in Madden. Ball U, Great school(my son a senior this year)
Thank GOD.

# 12 BillJ @ 08/17/10 09:21 PM

I miss the Vision Cone.

The only thing I would change on it was the control scheme. Using L2/R2 to look left and right through the available receivers and 'X' to pass the ball.

# 13 stlstudios189 @ 08/17/10 10:01 PM

the vision cone was amazing! I loved it

# 14 Cobra84 @ 08/18/10 12:08 AM

1. Not really an innovation, games before were just doing what they could with the hardware available. The original Madden ran like crap because of 22 players.

2. I'm not really a franchise guy, but Tecmo Super Bowl 2 has a multi-season mode with trades five years earlier. I'm sure their were PC games based on the idea of franchise mode before Madden got it.

3. Wasn't there something similar in NFL 2K5 that was released earlier?

4. Good, but flawed, idea that was hated by many.

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadman


	Passing windows

Don't remind me of those damn things. No visibility and only three receivers? Tecmo bowl style arrow over the head was a lot more functional.

# 15 cowboysfan440 @ 08/18/10 08:21 AM

whats really sad is that all of those were made before this generation of systems and with all the power of these consoles we still havent had games better than madden 2005

# 16 RaiderKtulu @ 08/18/10 09:15 AM

Madden playing 11 on 11 football is not an innovation. Madden wasn't even the first game to do it.

There was a game called 4th & Inches, which came out the year before Madden
http://www.gamespot.com/features/6130897/p-7.html

And there was an NFL game on the NES in 1989 (same year as the first Madden computer game) that was also 11 on 11: http://nesguide.com/games/nflfootball/

# 17 shavane @ 08/18/10 09:34 AM

There really hasn't been anything that Madden has done that has truly been innovative. I mean they added things like pro-tak, sideline catches, better accelleration, but nothing truly out the box. I don't think Madden is a horrible game but it definately doesn't feel next gen.

Ever since the infamous 06 trailer that had us all fooled into thinking that was what Madden would grow into they really haven't achieved any excitement in a long long time. Its sad that a game like 2k had so many things right on a ps2. Its sad that a game like BB though majorly flawed has a lot more potential than Madden. Its really is like they just keep adding some new paint and shining the same game up instead of taking that step forward into a new next gen Madden. We all can see the vision in our heads of how Madden should look, feel, and play by now but EA seems unwilling to deliver.

# 18 DirtyJerz32 @ 08/18/10 12:45 PM

I may be in the minority here but, I loved the vision cone. I think it was a great idea that didn't come off correctly. But, if it was in the game today as it was then, I'd be using it. Hopefully they bring it back with more upgrades to it.

# 19 boooey @ 08/18/10 12:57 PM

dam.. 20+ years, and you could only come up with 4 things?
and 2 of which are debatable as whether they are really innovate or not.
talk about a backhanded compliment, lol

but it really tells you a lot about the direction of this game.. and its only getting worse every year

# 20 TheWatcher @ 08/18/10 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RaiderKtulu


	And there was an NFL game on the NES in 1989 (same year as the first Madden computer game) that was also 11 on 11: http://nesguide.com/games/nflfootball/

Perhaps the worst football game ever made. The only other one I'd put up there would be Touchdown Football for 7800, which was coincidentally developed by EA.

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