The Games That Dare to Challenge Madden NFL 10
"You really have to question the decision-making here..."
8/13/2009 8:50 AM | 6 Comments | Page 1 of 1
Believe it or not, other games are coming out this week.
Madden NFL 10 comes out on Aug. 14. If memory serves, this is the first time EA Sports' powerhouse football franchise has made its debut at the end of a week. New games usually come out on Tuesdays, the culmination of months of marketing. With
Madden 10 hitting on a Friday, the no-fly zone around the giant gorilla of a game essentially extends to two release weeks.
Madden always launches with spectacular numbers. So why would anyone put out a game during the same time as EA's biggest moneymaker? In Hollywood, it's called counterprogramming. It operates on the premise that not everyone wants to see the guaranteed hit, and at least some will want to check out an offering that's got a different vibe. If you were the guy or gal who went to see "My Sister's Keeper" the same weekend "Transformers: Rise of the Fallen" opened, then you proved that this theory works.
So, what are those other games brave enough to face off against the gridiron juggernaut? And do they have any hope of swaying the Madden faithful?
C.O.R.E (Aug. 11)
What it's about: This sci-fi first-person shooter for the Nintendo DS puts you in the shoes of Jason Crane, an elite soldier sent in to investigate a government research facility built on a meteor crash site.
Most Madden-like feature: Capture the Flag mode. Football has often been compared to military engagement, and this multiplayer mode will require excellent teamwork.
The Hail Mary pass: If you suffer some kind of intense FPS withdrawal whenever you're not in front of a console or PC, then -- God help you --
C.O.R.E. might just sate your jones.
Madden says: "Football is all about trusting your teammates to make good decisions out there in the heat of the battle." So it is in FPS.
Imagine: Soccer Captain (Aug. 11)
What it's about: You're not only getting down and dirty on the pitch in this latest in Ubisoft's girl-friendly Imagine line. You're also tasked with creating the conditions for success.
Most Madden-like feature: Managing a franchise.
Imagine: Soccer Captain has you doing everything, from assigning player positions to designing uniforms and logos. If your team's mood sucks, so will its play.
The Hail Mary pass: Madden may offer the kind of football that Americans prefer, but will EA Sports' big bully of a title let you stop your team from being sold? Or put it on a reality-television show, like
Imagine: Soccer Captain does? We don't think so.
Madden says: "Not every great player's a great guy and not every great player is a good guy." So true, John. Sometimes, they're not even guys. Sometimes, they're stuck-up little prima donnas who dribble all the way downfield and never pass the ball.
Xbox 360 Wireless Microphone (Aug. 12)
What it's for: Made exclusively for the 360, the singing stick will let you rock out with the Rock Band, Guitar Hero and
Lips games.
Most Madden-like feature: The microphone will let you broadcast bizarre interpretations (i.e., your singing) of a beloved pastime (in this case, pop music), much like the microphones John Madden used until he retired from commentating on NFL games.
The Hail Mary pass: This peripheral's all about cutting the cord, man. You don't see Miley Cyrus or Celine Dion singing with a corded mic, do you? If you want big-league vocals during your next Rock Band party night, then you need big-league equipment.
Madden says: "It's a change of pace and a way to keep the defense uncomfortable." John's wisdom with regard to the hurry-up offense also applies to the jealousy others will feel on seeing your sweet glowing microphone.
Real Heroes: Firefighter (Aug. 11)
What it's about: The Wii Remote serves as your high-pressure hose in this first-person game for the Nintendo console. When huge chunks of a fictional city go ablaze, you venture out with your engine company to try to save as many people as you can.
Most Madden-like feature: Dousing. Emerge victorious in a big game in Madden, and you'll be treated to a cut scene of your coach getting a Gatorade shower. Shower a flaming structure with enough water in
Firefighter, and you'll be treated to emerging victoriously. See? Moisture = happiness.
The Hail Mary pass: A portion of this game's proceeds will go to the Firefighters Cancer Support Network. No joke to be made here.
Madden says: "Here's how he can hurt you. If they give him a lane to run through, he's gonna take it!" If fire were any position on the gridiron, it'd be a running back. Poor defense means you get burnt.
Active Life: Extreme Challenge (Aug. 11)
What it's about: The latest in an avalanche of Wii fitness titles gets all X-Games, with new sports like street luge, base jumping and double-dutch. Don't think double-dutch is extreme? You've never been hit in the face by an extension-cord jump rope, then.
Most Madden-like feature: Heart-pumping. But you'll have to get up to raise your heart rate. Sudden-death overtime in a Cowboys vs. Redskins match-up may be more exciting than some of the stuff in
Extreme Challenge, but it won't help you live longer.
The Hail Mary pass: Your family. A good
Active Life session will leave the spouse and children all tuckered-out, and they'll be way too tired to protest your retreat to the man-cave for the games you really want to play.
Madden says: "He's gonna feel that one tomorrow!" Like any good workout,
Active Life only succeeds if you are committed to feeling the burn. Work through the pain, champ.
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (PS3, Aug. 13)
What it's about: Two fictional universes collide in this new version of the classic brawler. You can pit Venom vs. Amingo, The Hulk vs. M. Bison or Strider vs. Spider-Man.
Most Madden-like feature: Roster shuffling. It's a rule that applies to both football and three-on-three martial-arts tournaments. You're only as good as who you play with. Put Ryu in the clean-up slot and thank me later.
The Hail Mary pass: Firstly, since it's a downloadable game, you don't even have to get off your ass to purchase it. Secondly, nobody in the NFL can throw a fireball made of mystical energy. Not even Peyton Manning. And, again, Strider vs. Spider-Man. Who cares about the Super Bowl?
Madden says: In a game where you can pull off a 67-hit combo with only one move, only one Madden-ism applies: "Whoa, he looked like he was hit by a truck! A five-ton truck hauling a trailer!"
Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger (Aug. 18)
What it's about: In this genre-blending shooter, you'll be part of a mercenary unit sent to recover top-secret data after a plane crashes in the Amazon jungle.
Most Madden-like feature: Playing the away game. The official site for
Raven Squad lists "changes in the weather, and an enemy in their home element" as specific features, which basically means the mercs in Raven Squad will be battling through unfamiliar territory. Hey, it could be worse: They could be playing in Cleveland. Those Dawg Pound fans can be cruel.
The Hail Mary pass: The official site also promises "hilarious, campy dialog paying homage to classic 1980s action films." Give Atomic Motion's game a chance, huh? We're pretty sure Madden's not going to give you a line like "Predator's" timeless "I ain't got time to bleed."
Madden says: "You want someone there to tell you to watch out, 'cause he just got decked!" Raven Squad lets you play cooperatively, online or offline, so you'll have someone to watch your back.
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