Customer Reviews

Madden NFL 11

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I am a big fan of the point and pass system, and actually enjoy playing the Wii version a lot. I think Madden lost a lot when they converted the PS2 version to the PS3, but the Wii version has been simplified the most of the 3 platforms IMO. The simple approach of pointing the Wiimote at the receiver you'd like to throw to is genius. Running is also fun because in order to get a big run, you have to shake the wiimote fast (while holding A) in order to get a power move. If you aren't fast enough or your timing is off you get a big whiff message. Defense is also more enjoyable to the casual player, because if you are inexperienced with football video games, you're looking to get that big hit message across the screen which shows your defensive player rocking the opponent.

Online-Online is fun. I played Madden 11 online, but there were only between 25 and 30 other players on, most likely because the game just came out today. There weren't any lags, stalls, or disconnects. You can play against friends, if you'd like. Online was a great experience for me.

Gameflow-The Gameflow system claims to simplify the game which allows the CPU to choose 1 play instead of choosing between 350. There isn't a star system like there is on the PS3 or 360 version which allows you to assign stars to your favorite plays for a specific situation. The Gameflow system is designed to speed up the game, although the old system that allowed Madden to pick for you was adequate, but now the game is even faster and easier for casual gamers to pick up and play. I also think it's important to note that you do have the option to open the playbook before each play by pressing the one button, or changing the play at the line by pressing the two button, after viewing the Gameflow play by pressing the B button.

Call your Shots- This is one of my favorite features on the Wii version. The obvious play that everyone chooses is to have your fastest receiver run the fly pattern, but you can use it to have the receiver run a pattern you create when you're lined up before the snap or have your running back run in a different direction. It's as simple as pointing at the receiver or back and drawing the line. Press B to finalize.

Game Modes- 5 on 5 or 11 on 11. You can also choose practice. The 5 on 5 is similar to the downloadable game Madden Arcade for the PS3 and 360, but with better music. The songs mostly played during the 5 on 5 were AC/DC-Thunderstruck, Ozzy Ozbourne-Crazy Train, and Kiss-Rock and Roll All Nite.

Franchise Mode- Manage your own NFL team. Do well, and you can outfit your stadium with new items by earning money. You can manage your money at the Pro Shop.

Madden Showdown- Up to 4 players can compete in a quick series of games. The rules can be customized by you for Madden Showdown.

Road to the Super Bowl- Allows 4 players to compete throughout an entire NFL season, and if they're good enough, compete in the Super Bowl.

Cooperative Play- Cooperative play is available if the other player is with you, and you'd like to be on the same team.

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.

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.

Madden NFL 11 is a pretty good game and is very fun to play. I only have a couple of complaints about the product. My first complaint is that the graphics are very, very cartoonish and the players do not look realistic at all. My second complaint is that there is no fantasy draft in Franchise mode. I enjoyed this feature and am disapointed that they did not include this feature. All in all though, Madden NFL 11 is a good, fun game and I would recommend it.

Although I've been playing video games since Pong, I've never played a Madden game until Wii Madden 2011. Going into it, I had lowered my expectations for the graphics compared to the other consoles, I was hopeful that the gameplay would make up for it. Unfortunately, that didn't turn out to be the case.

The game controls just don't allow you to accurately control what's going on (trying to intercept passes is very hit-or-miss), and the game always seemed to be a few seconds behind whatever action you were attempting.

The commentary quality is extremely poor - very repetitive, frequently innaccurate, and some of the stuff that comes out of Chris Collingsworth is just flat-out nonsense (although that's true for him IRL, too).

For die-hard Madden fans, you'll probably find enough here to like...but if you're a casual gamer, Wii Madden 2011 is one to skip.

This game is terrible. Got it and can even hardly play it. The bad things that EA Sports has changed is cheesy bigger player graphics. The top halves of the players are much bigger and more cartoonier than the lower halves. Next, there is no fantasy draft mode! REPEAT, NO FANTASY DRAFT MODE! Franchise mode sucks. It is harder to sign free agents as well as manage your roster. You can not sim entire seasons to get to the playoffs and it is hard to scroll positions when managing the roster. It is harder to pass as now you have to click on the targets and it is harder to scroll through defensive players, you can't just hit the "A" button like you used to be able to. They also took away the training camp mode, which allows you to earn attribute points for the players, big mistake! So many cons make me even forget the pros. This game sucks. Hopefully EA will change this madden and go back to the madden of old. more like the xbox and ps2/3 games. and hopefully they will bring back ncaa as well.

Great, great game. You get to pick your own team to play, it's a lot of motion and action! We love this game as a family.

My 8 and 5 year old love this game! Initially, I thought it might be too hard for them to play, but they figured it out quickly.

I purchased this game for my friend's 8 year old son and they enjoy it very much. I don't know any others details, other than they really like it and play it all the time. He eats & sleeps football.

As a loyal fan of the series, I'm really disappointed to see the Wii ports continue to drift away from the simulation side of the franchise. The control system is no doubt as intuitive as ever, and is incredibly easy to pick up -- my brother, who'd never played a game of Madden, could contend with me within twenty minutes. They are, however, even more simplified than the GCN versions; I can't even so much as flip the direction of a run without having to flip the entire formation, a feature which used to be a staple of any good offense. To pass, you either point-and-click or hold a direction on the Wii remote as you flick it in a pseudo-throwing motion.

For the modes, Fantasy Draft and Superstar, good change-of-pace modes for Franchise owners, are completely gone now. Preseason games are gone in Franchise as well. The original depth of Franchise mode, essentially, is gone, which may make it more user-friendly to some but will repulse many who are used to the HD and last-gen games like I am. 5-on-5 is arguably the highlight of the game, playing similar to the NFL Blitz arcade franchise from the N64.

This is a good buy for a casual gamer or someone new to the series, but more serious fans should at most rent this before they shell out $50 for it.