Madden 09...?

[Ravens52]

I picked it up today and its awesome. The graphics are really nice looking and the Ravens run D is sooooo good I played like 3 games with the Ravens and Ray Rice is pretty damn good in it when McGahee got injured 2 outta 3 games. If you got a 360 and this game...leave your gamertag and maybe we'll play sometime!

[Devastat1on]

I've got it.. xbox live gamertag x Devastat1on x if anyone wants a game.. The Ravens are looking pretty good.. I just got into a heated game online against the Jets where Figurs fumbled the ball with a tie game in the fourth quarter on a punt and it got returned for a touchdown with no time remaining..

[theFRANCHISE]

I got the 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition for PS3.

It was well worth the $90 price tag. NFL Head Coach 09 is pretty interesting (though, I'll be honest, it's not for everyone -- you need A LOT of patience). As for Madden 09 itself, I LOVE IT.

The Madden IQ is a pretty good feature (even though I still play against the All-Pro difficulty anyway -- still not used to next-gen All-Madden difficulty, and Pro difficulty's too easy for me). I think Madden IQ will probably come in handy for when I'm playing a friend or someone who normally isn't on the same level as me (either good or bad), and it evens the playing field without dumbing the game down.

I don't play online much, so I probably won't give out my PSN gamertag.

[berad]

I have it and, I gotta say, I'm a little underwhelmed. It's basically like Madden 08 with pretty grass and Cris Collinsworth making moaning sounds that are supposed to be game calls.

[#1 D]

I have it and, I gotta say, I'm a little underwhelmed. It's basically like Madden 08 with pretty grass and Cris Collinsworth making moaning sounds that are supposed to be game calls.

lol

do you have XBox360 or ps3? i guess it doesn't really matter anyways.

[berad]

lol

do you have XBox360 or ps3? i guess it doesn't really matter anyways.

360, yo

[Ravens52]

I think the the commentary is completely great although they say some stupid stuff but they don't sound like robots like in past games. The madden IQ feature is real cool I'm at the begining all madden for pass and run defense. Then I'm all pro with running offense and almost all pro with pass offense.

[berad]

I'm amazing at Run-O and Pass-O, all madden in both. But I can't defend anything and I'm pro in both Run-D and Pass-D, I think.

My only problem is Cris Collinsworth saying "Oh, what a hit" or "Oh my" every time someone gets tackled. They act like it's the biggest hit they've ever seen.

[theFRANCHISE]

I'm amazing at Run-O and Pass-O, all madden in both. But I can't defend anything and I'm pro in both Run-D and Pass-D, I think.

Same here...and that scares me, 'cause I used to be really good at calling defensive plays, but I guess I can't really defend one-on-one in the game for nothing...

I think the Run Offense drill was too easy, since the on-screen prompt above each defender made it too easy to break each tackle. Then again, maybe the drill's just-plain easy, period, 'cause I went back through again and tried it by just using my blockers and not using those prompts, and I was still able to get an All-Madden or All-Pro score (but not nearly as high, of course).

And the Pass Offense drill is misleading, since there's never a pass play on there against full coverage with a normal pass rush. It's easy to complete passes at will when you don't have to deal with all 11 defenders at once, y'know?

I've juggled back and forth between using my Madden IQ difficulty and the All-Pro default difficulty. Both pretty much tell me that I suck on defense...lol.

[BAL_Hawk]

Same here...and that scares me, 'cause I used to be really good at calling defensive plays, but I guess I can't really defend one-on-one in the game for nothing...

I think the Run Offense drill was too easy, since the on-screen prompt above each defender made it too easy to break each tackle. Then again, maybe the drill's just-plain easy, period, 'cause I went back through again and tried it by just using my blockers and not using those prompts, and I was still able to get an All-Madden or All-Pro score (but not nearly as high, of course).

And the Pass Offense drill is misleading, since there's never a pass play on there against full coverage with a normal pass rush. It's easy to complete passes at will when you don't have to deal with all 11 defenders at once, y'know?

I've juggled back and forth between using my Madden IQ difficulty and the All-Pro default difficulty. Both pretty much tell me that I suck on defense...lol.

I'm the opposite. I'm very good at defense but not very good at offense. I mainly just like to run the ball.

Speaking of which, if you juggle the ravens offensive line and sign Lorenzo Neal as the starting FB, the Ravens become a dominate ground pounding offense. You don't even need to tinker with the stats. Just change the positions (you CAN do that this year) of a couple players (Brown, Grubbs, Yanda and Terry) and set the starting lineup to:

LT Gaither LG Grubbs C Brown RG Yanda RT Terry

With these changes, the Ravens actually have a good O-line.

By the way, you should change the actually position of the players or else they'll suffer an awareness penalty. That is, you shouldn't just move Yanda from RT to RG on the depth chart. You should change Yanda's position first in the edit player menu.

[Ravens52]

I can't run for crap for some reason. I didn't even do the Madden test..i just had them choose how i do when i play games...i used to be beast in madden rushing though

[ROH522155]

I have it and, I gotta say, I'm a little underwhelmed. It's basically like Madden 08 with pretty grass and Cris Collinsworth making moaning sounds that are supposed to be game calls.

oh no they have collinsworth on it?? hes gotta be the worst announcer out there.

[theFRANCHISE]

OK, so this sounds weird, but...when I set the game to All-Pro difficulty, I struggle. But when I set the game to my Madden IQ difficulty, I do well.

And yet, my offensive skills (both running and passing) are both All-Madden, but my defensive skills are horrible...and to an extent, that IS reflected when I play, but why is it that a "consistent" setting like All-Pro is harder than a fluctuating difficulty like my Madden IQ?

I'm confused...

[edit]- NVM, I take back what I said -- the game got challenging again. REAL fast. I'm now struggling to keep a 3-point lead against New England, after just having come back from a deficit for most of this game.

In this case, I'm glad I was wrong before.

[GermanRavensFan]

QUESTION:

I live in germany. Do you have an internet address of a shop in the US where I can order it. Over here the release date is 30th of august.

Another question:

Is there a PC version. I didn't see any picture or statements yet. I only have a computer and don't want to buy a XBOX or PS3.

[BAL_Hawk]

QUESTION:

I live in germany. Do you have an internet address of a shop in the US where I can order it. Over here the release date is 30th of august.

Another question:

Is there a PC version. I didn't see any picture or statements yet. I only have a computer and don't want to buy a XBOX or PS3.

If you're going to buy games online, try Half.com. You can usually find the best deals there.

[berad]

oh no they have collinsworth on it?? hes gotta be the worst announcer out there.

He just moans and groans and I hate it.

[berad]

Same here...and that scares me, 'cause I used to be really good at calling defensive plays, but I guess I can't really defend one-on-one in the game for nothing...

I think the Run Offense drill was too easy, since the on-screen prompt above each defender made it too easy to break each tackle. Then again, maybe the drill's just-plain easy, period, 'cause I went back through again and tried it by just using my blockers and not using those prompts, and I was still able to get an All-Madden or All-Pro score (but not nearly as high, of course).

And the Pass Offense drill is misleading, since there's never a pass play on there against full coverage with a normal pass rush. It's easy to complete passes at will when you don't have to deal with all 11 defenders at once, y'know?

I've juggled back and forth between using my Madden IQ difficulty and the All-Pro default difficulty. Both pretty much tell me that I suck on defense...lol.

One-on-one, I'm awful. Run-D is so hard, the virtual RB just throws my defenders around like tissue-paper, and that's assuming I can get past those homing-missiles they call "blockers". Pass-D is tough, too because half the time they make you a LB who can't run out of some digital box. It's so difficult, Defense is a team sport, dammit.

[Devastat1on]

I'm amazing at Run-O and Pass-O, all madden in both. But I can't defend anything and I'm pro in both Run-D and Pass-D, I think.

Im the same way.. I find offense on the Madden IQ to be very easy and defense i can defend 1 on 1, but when they switch me to the linebacker i cant rush the QB.. Once my LB gets to the line the QB releases the ball and theres nothing i can do besides making an attempt at swatting it with my other defenders when they're already 5 feet behind the receiver..

I think the Run Offense drill was too easy, since the on-screen prompt above each defender made it too easy to break each tackle. Then again, maybe the drill's just-plain easy, period, 'cause I went back through again and tried it by just using my blockers and not using those prompts, and I was still able to get an All-Madden or All-Pro score (but not nearly as high, of course).

Agreed. The Run Offense was very easy.. I find it easier running without sprinting and letting my blockers catch up and block all of the guys.. It may be slower but I find it more efficient..

One-on-one, I'm awful. Run-D is so hard, the virtual RB just throws my defenders around like tissue-paper, and that's assuming I can get past those homing-missiles they call "blockers". Pass-D is tough, too because half the time they make you a LB who can't run out of some digital box. It's so difficult, Defense is a team sport, dammit.

My Run-D is horrible.. Ont he Madden IQ i get thrown around too.. They just constantly run me over when i tackle them even when i press the right button.. My only hope is making them run out of bounds.. But when im in a game, its nearly impossible to run to me.. When they switch you to the LB and you have to rush, i havent gotten the QB once.. During gameplay I normally use the free safety on defense and put him in zone with evryone else playing man or blitzing and if someone gets past their man, i can go and help with coverage so im not very good at rushing with a LB or D-Lineman..

[MadeGuy52]

Ive had the game since it came out last week. One thing I noticed, our O-line in the game is pretty damn bad. I get no pass protection and theyre not great at creating holes to run through, thus limmitting offense pretty baddly. Anyone else have this problem or is it just me?

[theFRANCHISE]

Ive had the game since it came out last week. One thing I noticed, our O-line in the game is pretty damn bad. I get no pass protection and theyre not great at creating holes to run through, thus limmitting offense pretty baddly. Anyone else have this problem or is it just me?

Same thing happened to me. That's why I've been throwing picks with all three of our QBs, since I've been pressured to release the ball before making a proper read. And I've been getting sacked like crazy at the worst possible times. I have trouble even exploiting the most obvious CB or Safety blitzes! I think I have the most-sacked team in the league by now in Franchise mode with the worst turnover ratio to boot...

I refuse to upgrade or alter the team in any significant way, though, because I'm OCD about playing through the first year with the same real-life roster intact.

[Troy SmiTH Xx]

I picked it up at the midnight launch. I usuallu play with the Ravens. But i also play with the Chargers, Raiders, Cowboys, and Dolphins. And i can't complete the Madden Moment where I have to beat the ravens with the Browns with 30 sec. left and no timeouts. I always get intercepted by Ed Reed who just comes out of no where.

btw, my g/t is Ve N oMs 2 pRo if ya want to play me. I have a 360

[Raven07]

i've had the game since it came out as well, play it on All-Pro right now......Have Troy Starting and the Defense is as stout and as dominant as ever before, Troy does a good job getting out of trouble and finding the open man down field, but what really gets me is McGahee...... it seems as though in EVERY single game so far, i've had him rushing for over the 200 yard mark averaging around 215-230 yards per game, with the Game time set to 5 min quarter's........ right now he's the leading canadiate for League MVP and Rushed for a record 32-34 rushing TD's......... word.

[theFRANCHISE]

i've had the game since it came out as well, play it on All-Pro right now

If you played it on your Madden IQ difficulty, I guarantee that after maybe five or six games, your rushing totals won't be so high.

At this point in my Franchise mode, Willis McGahee leads the league in rushing TDs, but has a pedestrian 3.0 yards per carry average with only something like 400 yards to his credit...

...the league leader has 700 yards.

Joe Flacco, meanwhile, is neck-and-neck with Jeff Garcia for passing yards on the season (over 2,000 now), and leads the league in passing TDs with something like 20-ish, but is also third in INTs with something like 14 picks, and has only completed 60% of his passes (as opposed to Eli Manning's league-leading 72%).

Demetrius Williams is the league-leading receiver both in yards (800) and TDs (10), and is third or fourth in catches.

As for yearly award candidates thus far:

League MVP: Flacco & McGahee are 1 & 2, respectively.

Offensive POY: Flacco & McGahee, again, with Demetrius Williams in fourth.

Defensive POY: Dawan Landry, Samari Rolle, and Chris McAlister take the top three spots.

QB of the year: Flacco leads

RB of the year: McGahee leads (despite not being the league leader in rushing right now)

WR of the year: Demetrius Williams

LB of the year: Jarret Johnson & Bart Scott are 1 & 2

DB of the year: Landry, Rolle, & McAlister (Ed Reed is fifth)

Coach of the year: Harbaugh

I'm undefeated, but struggled to get A LOT of the wins...a majority of them were fourth-quarter comebacks won by a late TD or FG. And most of them were blown leads...I would dominate the first half, and then make a big mistake, compounded by another mistake, etc.

In other words: I suck at being undefeated against the computer.

[Troy SmiTH Xx]

Make sure you update the roster so you have Lorenzo Neal. I'm beastin with him, no one can touch McGahee as long as he's blocking for me.

[Eurich]

I was in a chise with the Ravens and all-pro was just too easy.

The computer averaged 5 interceptions and I really didn't even do anything.

Thru 10 games my team had 40 interceptions.

Ray Lewis was 4th in MVP voting. Rolle had 8 picks. Barnes had 10 sacks.

Then my chise froze before I could save.

[Raven07]

If you played it on your Madden IQ difficulty, I guarantee that after maybe five or six games, your rushing totals won't be so high.

At this point in my Franchise mode, Willis McGahee leads the league in rushing TDs, but has a pedestrian 3.0 yards per carry average with only something like 400 yards to his credit...

...the league leader has 700 yards.

Joe Flacco, meanwhile, is neck-and-neck with Jeff Garcia for passing yards on the season (over 2,000 now), and leads the league in passing TDs with something like 20-ish, but is also third in INTs with something like 14 picks, and has only completed 60% of his passes (as opposed to Eli Manning's league-leading 72%).

Demetrius Williams is the league-leading receiver both in yards (800) and TDs (10), and is third or fourth in catches.

As for yearly award candidates thus far:

League MVP: Flacco & McGahee are 1 & 2, respectively.

Offensive POY: Flacco & McGahee, again, with Demetrius Williams in fourth.

Defensive POY: Dawan Landry, Samari Rolle, and Chris McAlister take the top three spots.

QB of the year: Flacco leads

RB of the year: McGahee leads (despite not being the league leader in rushing right now)

WR of the year: Demetrius Williams

LB of the year: Jarret Johnson & Bart Scott are 1 & 2

DB of the year: Landry, Rolle, & McAlister (Ed Reed is fifth)

Coach of the year: Harbaugh

I'm undefeated, but struggled to get A LOT of the wins...a majority of them were fourth-quarter comebacks won by a late TD or FG. And most of them were blown leads...I would dominate the first half, and then make a big mistake, compounded by another mistake, etc.

In other words: I suck at being undefeated against the computer.

as a matter of fact, i am..... i use the Madden IQ deal all the time =) and right now it says im right in the middle of playing it on All-Pro or on the verge of going All-Madden, the only difference between the two is that, whenever one area plays well and goes up in the rating system, another goes down, thus im stuck in All-Pro Mode lol.

My Passing Attack is very minor and minuscule, i can get the ball out there to the open man but when it comes to the DEEP threat down the field, my ratings are realtively on the low side of things lol. so i usually always have to resort to my Ground game, McGahee now has over 2,100 yards on the ground, while Troy Smith is the leading rusher amoung Quarterbacks in the League with 100 yards for the year. i am sending 4-5 players to the Pro Bowl that in which includes the likes of (Of course) McGahee, then Trevor Pryce, Landry, Reed. i am now in the play offs and have a first round bye with a 12-4 regular season record, My Raven Defense is as stout and as dominant as ever, only allowing a total of 1,500 all purpose yards against opponents haha and can generate anywhere between 3-4 sacks per game, while intercepting and creating turnovers about at LEAST 2 times per game.

this game rocks. it did have Flacco starting under center, but i took him out and inserted Troy into the starting line up because Flacco just seemed "out there" and was over throwing balls

[theFRANCHISE]

My Madden IQ was 732 at one point yesterday, but then I struggled big-time against the Cowboys, and didn't blow the game open until I started bombing it down the field...

...after I already threw 4 picks.

I won the game, but it messed up Flacco's stats big-time, and it took a decent chunk out of my Madden IQ.

I think it's back down to something like 702 or 690-something...I forgot. Either way, if I do really well against the Jags this next game (to go 16-0!), then the playoff game after that's gonna suckkkkk...so I think I can kiss my 19-0 dream season goodbye.

Unless I get really, really, really lucky again like I did against the Raiders...and Eagles...and Redskins...and Steelers...and Bengals...and so on and so forth.

I'll be honest, I only blew out the Colts because Peyton Manning was out for the game and their backup (not Jim Sorgi) threw 4 picks my way.

I wonder if they keep track of 4th-quarter comebacks for QBs still...'cause then I'd have a bunch for Flacco. Virtually half the games I played this season, were won in the final minute on either a field goal or a TD.