Madden NFL 11
Madden NFL 11 Wii
Price: $39.99
Features
- A classic Franchise mode tailor-made for play on Wii
- Four-player party mode featuring custom gameplay tweaks and an interactive pick 'em system, or use the Wii Remote to pick up blocks, trip up wide receivers, and create clear paths to the end zone, all while your teammate runs the plays
- GameFlow System Play Calling - Designed for new players, The GameFlow System calls plays for you until you feel that you are ready to call them yourself
- More details to come...
User Reviews
This has not changed one bit since the first wii madden game came out in 07, In fact it has even lost some of its unique features. My favorite previous game mode in madden was superstar, where you can create a player and try to make it into the hall of fame. This mode is not anywhere in this madden game which truly dissapoints me. They have added the point and pass function which I do like but not much has changed since 07. The graphics are they same as always and the gameplay is just mediocre. Dont get this game -- Just Another Madden Game
Well, at least this one isn't as disappointing as last year's utterly misguided release. The new franchise presentation looks good, but they cut out several of the tasks that have traditionally been part of franchise mode, including scouting and testing potential draftees and using the training camp mini-games to build up the attributes of a few players every preseason. Also, as far as I can tell, you can't change any player's position at any time for any reason. This may not seem like a big deal at first glance, but for those of us who play franchise mode exclusively, it's an unnecessary bummer to not be able to change an aging cornerback into a solid safety for the last couple of years of his career or to convert a backup tackle into a guard to satisfy roster requirements etc. I think they actually introduced this unfortunate change last year, though I haven't the foggiest idea as to why. The AI of the new franchise menu system (your buildings look golden when you're winning, squalid when you're not) is also buggy, as in my defending Super Bowl champion team is 15-1 with home field advantage yet the fans are rioting and the team facilities are run-down with the sign saying "awful" instead of powerful apparently because the last game we won was fairly close. The trading block is gone as well which makes trading players and draft picks VERY tedious and time-consuming. In short, the playability of franchise mode hasn't been enhanced at all, which would be OK if they hadn't cut out significant aspects of the old mode. You now have advisers who set financial, performance, and fan goals and ask for your input once in a while, which is a fairly nice little wrinkle, but certainly not cool enough to justify the removal of scouting and training camp activities and the trading block...
Other reviewers are also correct about the irritatingly counter-intuitive new pointer dominated interface used for navigating all menus and screens. I've gotten used to it somewhat, but I still prefer the old system, hands down.
On other fronts, I like the new weather features (snow, mud, rain) and the graphics and player physics are good, if a little cartoony. Running backs break too many tackles and computer-controlled QBs have an uncanny ability to throw incomplete passes when you have them sacked, but otherwise no big complaints. I haven't even bothered with the new Special Ed GameFlow playcalling mode so no comment there, but it doesn't sound appealing. The commentary by Cris Collinsworth and Gus Johnson is decent, though repetitive as always. The songs now more closely resemble what you'd find at a sporting event, which is an improvement over the muddled musical mix we've been subjected to in years past.
Overall, it's a pretty enjoyable game, but I still say that gamers would be MUCH better off if EA and the NFL hadn't racketeered their insidious little monopoly. Having no competition to light a fire under them means that EA doesn't have to go the extra mile to innovate their yearly NFL offering, plain and simple. So while I'm having some fun playing this one, EA's decision to cut some of the worthwhile franchise mode content in exchange for what basically amounts to nothing more than a glossy new menu interface means that I can really only justify giving it three out of five stars. -- Slick new facade, but really nothing to write home about under the hood...
I'm a little disappointed that a lot of the changes they've made this year only applied to the PS3 and XBOX 360 platforms. Gameflow is no fun, as the plays can't be edited for value in setup so when the game comes around, basically the CPU is making all the calls for you, picking plays you don't want. And while you are given the option to open the playbook whenever a play ends, once you're at the line of scrimmage, you're stuck with whatever play has been called by the "coach". Conventional play-calling is still the best way to go to strategize a good football game.
Also disappointing is the new Franchise mode. The object is to create a Franchise with the greatest legacy in the history of the NFL. You have to eclipse great dynasties to "win" Franchise mode. You're given 3 advisers whose expectations you must meet: the guy who wants you to get lots of fans, the guy who wants you to get lots of money, and the guy who wants you to get as much of a winning season and post-season as possible. You get points for meeting their expectations. I played it with simulated games so that I was just on the managerial side of the game. What is most frustrating is that our team made it to the Super Bowl only once in the 5 year franchise and had 2 losing seasons and somehow eclipsed all other legacies to be considered the greatest of all time. It was... stupid. There were other teams in the very game that were better than mine on a consistent basis.
All negative aspects aside, the controls are more intuitive now. I had Madden '09 last so I don't know if these were changed this year or last. Juke and stiff arm are much easier to pull off now. Updated rosters is the most satisfying thing about replacing my '09 version, but if I ever want to play manager of a franchise again, I'm going to use '09. But '11 is still the best choice for the actual game-play. -- A little disappointing, but still the best football game for Wii.
I bought Madden 09, but did not buy Madden 10. I wasn't crazy about the look, and the reviews weren't so hot. However, when I saw that the new version would have improved (but still cartoony) graphics, included detailed stadiums and (gasp) WEATHER, I had to get it.
The good stuff:
- IMPROVED GRAPHICS. Finally, weather appears in the Wii version of this game! The graphics overall are much improved, with smoother animations and more detailed stadiums.
- IN-GAME PRESENTATION (TO A POINT). I think the graphical presentation of the games themselves are much better. I'm also a fan of Gus Johnson and Cris Collinsworth, so the occasional strange call or odd opinion doesn't really bother me as much as most. I'm also a big fan of the play-calling interface. Even without using GameFlow, the whole thing moves much faster.
- FRANCHISE MODE. Vastly improved, and I really like competing with other team's legacies. Giving the mode actual goals makes it ten times better. As someone that plays mainly single-player, I'm really happy with this change.
- SOUNDTRACK. Replacing the crappy hip-hop and pop-punk tracks with music that they would actually play in stadiums is a big improvement. I've heard "Crazy Train" a billion times, but it feels right playing in a stadium.
- MULTIPLE CONTROL SCHEMES. Point and Pass is much easier for some, but I'm accustomed to the Gesture-based controls of Madden 09. I like being able to pick and choose.
- MULTIPLE GAME MODES. The different modes and mini-games ensure hours and hours of singleplayer and multi-player fun. No complaints there. I haven't played online yet.
The bad stuff:
- MENU INTERFACE. Unfortunately, I HATE the controls on the menus, such as the Stat areas. Sometimes, you can only use the pointer, and other times you can only use the D-pad. It's clunky and bad.
Aside from what I mentioned above, there's this strange thing where, my player makes a TD, these helmets pop up in the end zone. When you mouse over them, the letter A appears. I then press A . . . and nothing happens. What's the point of this? It's just sloppy and not very good. When it comes to menu interface, this game needed more quality control before being sent out.
- INCOMPLETE PLAYBOOK MENUS. One option I liked in Madden 09 was being able to switch between formational to situational plays. For example, rather than lining up in I-Formation, I could simply select "Short Run" and sample the different runs available. It's not a dealbreaker (In fact, I have more access to different plays with the current setup), but still, why remove it?
- GAMEFLOW IS ULTIMATELY SOMEWHAT POINTLESS. I was looking forward to hearing the coordinator explain playcalls, like the XBox360 & PS3 versions. Nope.
Gameflow makes the game faster, but as I said earlier, the updated presentation makes everything a bit faster to begin with, so I'm not sure how essenetial it is.
- DEFENSIVE "CALL YOUR SHOT" is useless. Especially when playing on Gameflow, it's impossible to create ideal defensive matchups on the fly. Call Your Shot itself is hidden under the audible sub-menu, another example of clunky menu interface.
Overall, Madden 11 is still, easily, much better than the previous Wii Madden games. It's far from perfect, but for those looking for a deep, enjoyable football experience on the Wii, this is your only option. -- Best Wii Football Game, But Still Flawed
I have been playing Madden since the old Super Nintendo games and each year I have bought the newest edition to create a franchise and sort of dream team. This version is definitely one of my favorites. The Wii version put me off and I was worried about buying it. It looked a bit cartoonish and not like the versions I was used to more recently. I decided to get it anyhow and it has definitely exceeded my expectations. The only thing I was initially upset about was the iniability to have a draft in franchise mode. I ended up trading for the players I wanted instead, so it worked out. I have not played online yet, but it was one of the reasons I didn't get the PS2 version. I prefer the motion controls for passing over the point and click version. I am ecstatic that this turned out so far above my expectations. I love the Legacy meter as well, so you can stack yourself up against some of the greatest dynasties of all time. The controls are easy to get the hang of and the challenge factor is higher than any Madden to date. -- Definitely glad I bought it.
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