James King, The Wiire Editor and IT Project Manager
If there is any Wii game that is set to surprise you, it's Madden Wii.
Let's be honest with each other here: If you're a Nintendo enthusiast, you're probably not much of an EA Sports enthusiast. That's not to say that you can't be both, but sales numbers clearly show that Nintendo fans aren't all that excited about the yearly incarnations of a series like Madden. I myself am not a football fan, nor a Madden fan.
Madden Wii hopes to change all that with a set of compelling, intuitive controls and a satisfying, immersive gameplay experience. Having had the opportunity to sit down with the producers of the game behind closed doors, I was able to take my time with the demo and really appreciate the time and effort that has gone into making this version of Madden something truly special.
The first thing I should touch on is the graphics. According to the developers from EA Canada working on the game, they have barely worked on them at all. What we are seeing on screen are models and art lifted straight from the EA Tiburon team (developers of the core Madden series). Once EA Canada got the game up and running, they focused all their attention on control - and it shows.
The best way to describe the controls is to imagine the Nunchuk attachment as your player's body, and the Wii-mote as your player's arm or leg (depending on the context of the play). When running with the ball, you can juke left or right with a flick of the Nunchuk. You could also stiff-arm by pointing the Wii-mote left or right. When attempting to make a leap through a bunch of blockers to make the touchdown or get that extra yard, you thrust the Wii-mote and Nunchuk forward to pull off a satisfying tackle.
Another scenario is when you're controlling the quarterback and you request the hike by pulling the Wii-mote back towards you. Now, you've received the ball and your arm is in position to throw - it's small touches like these that make Madden so much fun to play. You select your receiver by pushing a direction on the directional pad, and throw the ball with a tossing motion of the Wii-mote. EA Canada has taken extra care to ensure that players had the option to throw as dramatically or practically as they choose. A quick flick of the Wii-mote with the wrist will result in a fast, straight pass. A toss with more of an arc to it will result in a pass that gets more air to it. It really does feel very natural and easy to control.
One of the more interesting additions to the controls included the ability to fake a pass or hike by holding down the B button. The EA Canada producers mentioned when playing a traditional game of Madden, your opponents could not anticipate your move due to the nature of the controller. However, in the Wii version, it was blatantly obvious when you were going to pass. By holding the B button and performing the gestures, your player would perform a fake-out move. This mechanic adds an amusing dynamic to in-person multiplayer.
The thing I found most impressive about the controls was how simple it made playing Madden. After our time with the Wii game, I went off to play the Xbox version of Madden '07, and I have to be honest when I say that all I wanted to do at that point was go back and play more Madden Wii. The controls add a new dimension to the series and simplify the controls enough that even non-fans of football or the Madden franchise, like myself, can find a fun gameplay experience without compromising the simulative nature of the series.
Madden Wii is a title to keep your eye on. It may very well surprise you, too.
Rob Galbreath, The Wiire Managing Editor
I'm going to be dead honest with you, something you might not hear from gaming reviews and impressions very often. When I hear Madden, I usually tend to crawl up into a little ball and hope for the sports gamers to leave me alone. Out of all the sports in the world, I really don't enjoy playing football on a video game console. My football fantasies ended after Tecmo Bowl, which is a far cry from what sports games are today.
I can even come out to say that I have never given a full review on a football game because they feel like the same freakin' game no matter what year is listed on the box or what the roster might be. I still don't understand how people can buy Madden '06 after they've purchased Madden '05. The concept is beyond me, no matter how many times I try to understand it.
Now that we have that out in the open, I'd like to share how exciting it is to interact with a football game as a first in a very long time. There's far more to this game than those ridiculous metronome measurements needed for a punt. Being able to interact with a ball is a phenomenal experience, whether kicking or passing. Instead of just sitting back and pressing buttons, there's a real need for high amounts of energy in order to pull off every move.
Even people with a lesser chance of kicking a football than Charlie Brown will appreciate this game. Ramming the Wii controller into the air with the right amount of force and accuracy gives a player a sense of accomplishment, as if they've done something that only professional players can pull off. Sure it may be an easy swoop into the air, but the excitement of seeing a player make a field goal is far more satisfying than any former Madden game.
Then there's tackling, which I enjoy doing even if I'm not playing football. Thrusting both of your hands into the air towards the screen really gives the feeling of knocking someone over, and no recoil from doing so gives you the feeling of being the strongest person alive. Again, accomplishment really fuels this game and provides unique aspects to how football really should be played.
Though our staff had a private demonstration and EA told us that the character models were simply a copy-and-paste job, I really didn't care. The graphics still look good enough, and the focus really shouldn't be on the graphics at all. Even noting the graphics has me ill, feeling I'm just prescribing to the same old routine of making visual realism and imposing exactly what I've always hated about sports games. Other senses like touch should be just as stimulated, and they never have been.
We've reached a new age of gaming. Though I may struggle to buy a football game after over 10 years of resentment, the game isn't completely ruled off my list of games to play. If multiplayer is incorporated, and incorporated well, this just might be one of those unexpected games worth trying out.
As you've probably read over and over again, playing is believing. I normally don't use Nintendo's slogans to explain concepts, but they really nailed it down this time. I think I can believe in football again. Congratulations, EA Sports.
