NFL Head Coach 09

[EdTheMythicalOne]

I know this is an older game and for the PS3 and it might not have been as popular as the Madden games during that time frame. You couldn't directly control your team because you were...a head coach. You could be a current head coach for a team or create your head coach from scratch.

There is a ton of depth to the creation of your coach as far as skills are concerned. Everything from how well you make game plans, how well your team gels together (chemistry), how well you call a game (kind of moot if you're calling the plays manually, but this matters a little later) to how your guys perform on the field and how they progress mentally and physically.

You had an entire coaching staff, HC, OC, DC, QB, RB, WR/TE, OL, DL, LB, DB, STC, trainer, and a GM. Each of these coaches had direct impacts on your players. As well as the head coach these coaches could directly influence how well guys progress physically and mentally and how quickly they could learn a playbook. If you had a strong OC and DC in game planning/calling you could defer play calling to them and let them suggest the "best plays" for the task at hand. A good trainer would help guys stay healthy and reduce injury time. A good GM would get you more scouting opportunities, and get you more information about draft picks sooner, more pro day invites, help you negotiate better contracts.

The way contracts were handled in this game was completely different than any Madden I ever played. Teams would bid for the rights to negotiate with a player first, then you had to try to get a contract worked out with said player. Player personalities would either collide or mesh with your GM's personality and would make negotiations amicable or hostile...sometimes the player refusing to budge and walking away from negotiations. The players would present anywhere up to 30 or more contract offers with signing bonuses and performance bonuses included. You didn't get to choose a starting point.

Progression was sort of handled like Madden 25. You earned points while you play, but the progression happened automatically in a number of areas, not just a key few like in previous Maddens. Potential matters. That 85 rated person you have now might be great, but he's in his late 20's about to become an expensive free agent, will eventually start to decline in his 30's and he's not going to get any better. Meanwhile you just drafted a rookie who is a 70 now, but has 90+ potential.

In the off season your coaching staff would invite camp tryouts to your team to try to crack the roster. You'd know nothing about them as no stats were revealed. Like an unscouted rookie. You'd have to play them during the pre season to unlock their stats. Sometimes you'd find a really good player this way. The better your coaching staff, the better these players would be.

Graphically it is okay. I think it compares well to the Maddens of its time, but the newer Maddens on the PS3 will surpass it. There are some interesting game play bugs here and there, like if you watch a game the QB's never use a touch pass. The "linebacker leap" is on full display. Running backs will at times for no reason cut, then run the wrong way towards the wrong endzone. I had a couple of times where a guy was running for a 10 yard gain then would turn right around and run back for a 5 yard loss. Those glitches don't happen often though.

This isn't a franchise mode, you can't relocate your team and you don't control income. You simply have a salary cap number to come under.

The owner of your team will suggest trades and have expectations for you to fulfill. You can bet that if you don't fulfill them enough you can and will get fired. Depending on what other teams think of you, you might get more job offers. When you become a free agent HC after your current contract runs out other teams will come calling. Do you move on? Or do you stay with the team you just built?

[EdTheMythicalOne]

Forgot to mention trades. Trading in this game was a lot more difficult to pull off. You couldn't choose who you wanted to trade your player to. You could put him on the trade block and if anybody wanted him they would come to you with offers, and quite frankly they'd be more realistic offers. You aren't getting a 1st and 2nd round draft pick for your 90 rated 33 year old. You'll be lucky if you get a 1st round pick alone. You could choose who you wanted to trade for, but if the team didn't want to trade him they'd simply say no. If they liked the guy but would still trade them they would ask for ridiculous compensation which you probably wouldn't want to pay.

The game handled RFA and franchise tags. You could hire and fire your staff during the off season and progress them along just like your players. Increasing their abilities does actually make a difference to the on field performance of your team.

The game is literally so good there is a cult following on a sports video game board that actually keeps making updated rosters for the game. The last time I checked they had 2015 rosters.

If they would only take what this game does so well, mix it in with some of the best franchise mode pieces of Madden, and add the game play options of the best Madden....they would make the best dang football game ever.

[Purple Punishment]

On August 10, 2016 at 11:11 PM, EdTheMythicalOne said:

If they would only take what this game does so well, mix it in with some of the best franchise mode pieces of Madden, and add the game play options of the best Madden....they would make the best dang football game ever.

I think they just did. Get Madden 17

[EdTheMythicalOne]

On 8/24/2016 at 11:50 AM, Purple Punishment said:

I think they just did. Get Madden 17

Been hearing some great things about it, and I love that they finally included a practice squad. Thing is, I don't have a PS4 yet and things like a car and such are just a bit more important than a new gaming system right now. I am sure the PS3 version is not nearly as good.