Madden 09: What To Expect Every July, both casual and hardcore fans
of the Madden series patiently count down the days until its August
release. As teams bring in new players through the draft, and make
moves in Free Agency, a team that was a pretender the previous year can
suddenly become a contender the next. As such, this year’s Madden
promises not only improved gameplay and graphics, but new strategies
and the use of teams that were less utilized last year. Here are some
of the wildcards that you will have to take into account when you start
up Madden 09 in August.
The Oakland Raiders. It would appear that
gone are the days of the Silver and Black being neglected by the
majority of Madden gamers. With the additions of playmakers Darren
McFadden and Javon Walker on offense, as well as DeAngelo Hall and
Gibril Wilson on defense, the Raiders have the formula for an amazing
return to Madden glory. Combine those players with arguably the
fastest defense in the league, and the Raiders will be an explosive
threat this year.
Toned down spectacular and strafe
catching. While spectacular catch was a new addition to Madden 08,
strafe catching has been around for a handful of Maddens. Although
casual players were not as quick to master these techniques, the
majority of the top ballers quickly found that by utilizing these
abilities well, it was much easier to rack up the W’s. However,
according to EA, both of these tactics have been greatly toned down.
With the inability to constantly use these animations, a high amount of
players will have to greatly adjust their gameplay in order to have the
same success they did last year.
Last but certainly not least, we have
the return of offensive line slide protection, and formation
substitutions. As much as “nano” and other overload blitzes were used
in the tournament and online scene last year, these features ensure
that playing under center will be a much more realistic possibility.
The potential to create game-changing mismatches is now even higher,
and players on defense will either make the proper adjustments and shut
the offense down, or watch as their opponent celebrates a touchdown.
Of course, this is just a sample of what
Madden 09 brings to the table this year. The only ways to discover
everything that the 20th installment of the Madden franchise has to
offer is to go out and buy it, and to visit ******.com, where
you’ll find the best Madden 09 tips, strategies from the best of the
best, and unparalleled discussion forums.
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