June 19, 2009 – Madden NFL fans, start your season early with an in depth look at the teams of the NFL. Who will be the powerhouse teams this year? What players have improved? What players have seen better days? See how your favorite team and players will fair – according to the Madden NFL 10 Season Preview.
We continue our look at each team’s overall rating and individual player ratings with a focus on the NFC South division. In addition to the player ratings, a wealth of team-specific assets will be made available, for both the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, and Wii versions of Madden NFL 10.
Everything culminates on August 3rd, where Madden NFL 10 will predict the 2009 NFL division winners, season MVP, and more.
To view the overall team ratings for the Falcons, Buccaneers, Panthers and Saints, as well as download the complete team roster ratings, visit the official Madden NFL 10 website below:
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Developer: TT Games
ESRB: E 10+
Platforms: Xbox 360, Wii, DS, PS2, PS3, PSP
Score: 9 out of 10
Warner Bros. has the formula down pat: take a beloved story, convert all the characters to a bunch of LEGOs, and ship hours worth of fun out to gamers across the world. It all started with LEGO Star Wars and continues to LEGO Batman. This is fantastic fun that brings together to tinkering of LEGO with the adventure of Batman.
A stampede of notorious criminals have busted out of ARKHAM ASYLUM, where GOTHAM CITY houses only the shadiest of characters. It’s up to the famed CAPED CRUSADER to sweep Gotham clean of criminal activity using everything at his disposal, including crime-fighting vehicles as well as several baddie-bashing bat gadgets. LEGO Batman: The Videogame is a fast-paced action adventure title for fans of all ages. It is rated “E10+” and is available on the Xbox 360 Entertainment System, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Wii for $49.99. It is also available for the PlayStation 2, PSP system, Nintendo DS and PC, for $29.99.
The game revolves around Story Mode where your play as both Robin and Batman. You make your way through various levels, collecting LEGO studs and special LEGO bricks to unlock extra content and build different objects. These objects become parts of puzzles that you use to figure out your way through each level. The great part is that you fight with enemies who are made of LEGO and when you beat them you smash them into little LEGO pieces. This creates an environment of controlled violence, which I personally think teaches valuable lessons to child gamers, and is also rather adorable for older gamers.
It is a fully developed story that involves taking on enemy after enemy in your struggle to save Gotham City. Batman and Robin each have different capabilities so you use whichever one matches the task at hand. For example, Robin can walk up metal walls and Batman can shoot his little batarang and then pull himself up using it.
There is a huge cast of characters including The Joker, The Penguin, Catwoman, Scarecrow, Killer Crox, The Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Harley Quinn, Two Face, Bane, Clayface, Poison Ivy, Mad Hatter, Killer Moth and more. Each level involves different types of puzzles which are basically a combination of fighting, putting together LEGO pieces, and stepping on blocks or pulling levers.
Review by Matt Congdon
Score: 2 out of 5
The first EA Sports game that I played was Madden 64. I was horrified. I explicitly asked for NFL QB Club 98 for Christmas, but I was stuck with madden (what does my mom know about football or games). In my eyes this game sucked hard. How can you make a game without an NFL license or endorsements? When wanting to play as the Patriots I was stuck with some team named “Foxboro”, not to mention that the graphics sucked and so did the game play. I would describe it the pinnacle of boring. I promised this would be the last EA Sports game I would buy.
Later in life, I got a PS2 and decided to give EA Sports another chance on a different console. I was thrilled at Madden 2001,. The game kicked ass, and it kept getting better as the years passed. EA Sports produced a string of brilliant games and that kept getting bigger and better. I thought this was the kind of company that was out for the players not the dollars. Their hockey and basketball games all were a lot of fun to play and somehow the developers improved them from year to year.
Of course, EA Sports let me down. They suck again, They have started a long down spiral, passing mediocre a year or two ago and they are now about as bad as I can imagine [[I’m trying to avoid obscenity. Sucks is ok, but I draw the line at shit. MDS]]. NBA LIVE 08 illustrates this point. This game is crap. EA Sports just threw money and a deadline at a development team. It is inexplicable to me how a company can mess up basketball so badly after having good editions for last generation consoles. The game looks alright on an HDTV, but on an SDTV looks very distorted and odd. It seems like there are a lot of fisheye type replay angles. There are so many flaws that, the decent game they might have had for PS2 is now damaged goods.
I’m down in Atlanta covering the world premiere of Midway’s TNA Impact! video game. This is a very cool event focused on what looks to be a very cool game. We’ve rubbed elbows with TNA wrestlers, played the game against lead designers, drank an awful lot of bourbon, and enjoyed ourselves to the fullest. You might even say it’s been “Total Non-stop Action”.
I’m going to follow this up with a post tonight about the actual wrestling match. They got us press passes so we can get right up front and hopefully we’ll take some great photos. I’ve also got some interviews with wrestlers that I’m going to post. I had a great time talking to Samoan Joe. He and I both wrestled in high school and then played judo afterwards. And now I write this blog and he beats the crap out of people in an 18 month undefeated streak.
The game looked very good. The wrestlers worked closely with Midway on facial capture, mocap, and the dynamics of the game. The 6 sided ring is there – they’re adding cages, glass, and barbed wire later. The version we saw was about 60% complete so it was a little buggy, ie you could throw guys through fences and stuff. It was really fun to play, not like other wrestling games which have traditionally been a mix of button mashing and really hard to memorize combos. I thought that even at this early stage it had a very good feel to it in terms of how satisfying it was to lay the smackdown on someone and the rhythm of counter-attacks and reversals. One thing that I like in particular is the way guys react to getting punched; if you punch a guy in the face he grabs his face, and if you kick him in the gut he grabs his gut.
There are a lot of grapples, reversals, alternate-grapples, and aerial moves. It’s pretty fast paced for a wrestling game. There’s the beloved Irish Whip, climbing the turnbuckles, and running around the ring. The ropes ripple when you run into them which is a nice touch.
We only played some one on one quick play. They’re adding a story mode, create-a-player, tag team, and online play.
Oh yeah, and Samoan Joe says he’s going to kill you.
I met with my good friends Anthony (from 2K Sports) and Katie (from Access PR) yesterday and they showed me Major League Baseball 2K7 on Xbox 360 and PS3. It’s going to be available on everything except GameCube and Wii (they would have had to create a whole new control system and couldn’t do it in time for the season) and it will ship in the first week of March 2007. i was pretty impressed with it. Overall, the graphics and sound are great. The details are all there, from Inside Edge statistics that affect AI on a play by play basis, to 150 signature style individualized player animations, and even to shirts rippling in the wind and little puffs of dirt coming up from player’s footsteps. The commentary was reasonably interesting, at least for the few innings that we played. The heckling “Hey, I stole your girlfriend Jeter”) was pretty cool.
Here’s a screenshot from PS3:
Pitching controls remain the same, using the “Payoff Pitching” system and now you can even control the catcher and have him call the game. Hitting is the same using the swing stick. On PS3 you also have the option to swing using the controller due to it’s 6-axis motion sensing capability. I couldn’t get the hang of this during the brief time that I had with the game. They reworked a lot of the fielding so that momentum when running seems more real than last year. They also revamped every stadium, including lighting down to the way that shadows affect hitting. The PIP baserunning makes it easy to control runners.
Here’s a screenshot from Xbox360:
There is online play with online leagues for both Xbox 360 and PS3.
Also new is the ability to manage your budget and set ticket prices in franchise mode.
Here’s a PSP screenshot:
The other night my good friends at EA invited me to come over and see some of their upcoming titles. Overall, it looks like they have a strong spring liineup. I spent so much time there that they were kidding me that I should help pack up.
Command and Conquer 3 – The epic struggle between the Global Defense Initiative and The Brotherhood of NOD continues as the third Tiberium war begins. This is a pretty solid RTS for Xbox 360. I was surprised at how easy it was to command my troops across the whole map. The PC version ships on March 28 and the Xbox 360 version ships in Spring 2007.
Def Jam: Icon – What can I say, these Def Jam games are massively popular. This one integrates hip hop music and fighting like never before. The music actually affects the fight. Drive him down with a series of punches that grow stronger because they match the bass line. Environments pulsate and debris flies along with the music. There’s also an all new single player story mode that takes you from nobody to hip hop mogul as you build a record label, discover new talent, and become a hip hop icon yourself.
Medal of Honor Vanguard – I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again: Everyone likes killing Nazis. This latest installment of the highly successful WWII FPS is back and it looked great. They’ve simplified the HUD and gotten rid of the medpack system. Now when you’re hurt you go hide in the corner and heal. This ships in March 2007 for PS2 and Wii.
NBA STREET Homecourt – Featuring a brand new game engine that will knock your socks off, this wild street trick basketball game returns. This game is totally next gen with guys sweating, muscles rippling, cloth physics, all very smoothly integrated into game play. A new animation engine makes all the crazy moves you can pull look fluid. New controls let you create hundreds of tricks on the fly. Get ready to defy gravity and practice saying “Not in my house”!
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – January 17, 2007 – Fans can now defend their home court and bring the crowd into the game like never before with NCAA® March Madness® 07, after Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) shipped the No. 1 selling* college basketball videogame to stores throughout North America today. Rock the house, stifle your opponents with smothering defense, and create turnovers that lead to easy transition baskets as you punch your ticket to the Final Four®.
NCAA March Madness 07 features Adam Morrison of the NBA Charlotte Bobcats on its cover and is available on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system and the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. Last year Morrison led the NCAA® in Division I men’s basketball scoring and was selected third overall by Charlotte in the NBA Draft.
This year NCAA March Madness 07 debuts on the Xbox 360 by capturing the intensity and atmosphere that characterize college basketball with interactive, 3-D college environments. Never before have home court and the home crowd meant more as your players rise to the occasion or wilt under the pressure of charged-up, authentic college courts. Feel the intensity rise, then watch as each player responds differently, trying to maintain composure. As the atmosphere heats up your player composure ratings affect the all-new Intensity Control that changes momentum by allowing you to pump up the crowd, motivate your teammates, raise your own composure or even intimidate your opponent. Plus, become immersed like never before by interacting with student sections, school mascots, cheerleaders, and even the band.
Beyond the atmosphere, NCAA March Madness 07 delivers a strategic college basketball gameplay experience by offering custom playbooks for each team through the Floor General Playcalling system, the EA SPORTS™ Lockdown Stick that allows your players to pressure the ball, force turnovers and pester opponents on the court, and an enhanced Dynasty Mode™ with new School Pride and Recruiting features that let you build your school into a national powerhouse. The game features 325 Division I universities and colleges and the popular voices of college basketball with ESPN’s Dick Vitale and Brad Nessler calling the action courtside.
With the most advanced ESPN integration package available in NCAA March Madness 07, fans connected online via Xbox LIVE® will be able to watch college basketball game highlights, segments from Pardon the Interruption and Around the Horn, interviews and analysis from SportsCenter, and more. Fans will also be able to download and listen to ESPN radio podcasts as they play NCAA March Madness 07, including segments from Dan Patrick, Mike & Mike, Stephen A. Smith and others. All this is in addition to live ESPN Radio SportsCenter updates every 20 minutes, the ESPN Ticker and ESPNews.
NCAA March Madness 07 is developed at EA Canada in Vancouver , B.C. The game is rated “E” for everyone by the ESRB. Learn more about the game at http://www.marchmadness07.com or download new screenshots at http://info.ea.com.
* Based on total franchise unit sales in 2006 according to NPD Data.
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., today announced that Karaoke Revolution® Presents: American Idol for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system has shipped to retail stores throughout North America. Based on the #1 hit FOX television series, the game lets players put their singing ability to the test as an American Idol contestant, performing an all-new selection of 40 chart-topping songs while being evaluated by world-famous judges.
Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol lets players take on the coveted role of an American Idol contestant in the new American Idol mode as they follow the path of actual contestants on the hit TV show – auditioning, earning an invitation to Hollywood and facing the expert evaluation of three judges, including Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. Players can choose to sing 40 all-new songs, ranging from contemporary hits to classics from the 60s, 70s and 80s, using a PlayStation 2 system USB microphone of headset.
Introducing a unique new gameplay mechanic to the series, comments from the judges and popularity with the crowd will determine whether the player moves on to the next round of the competition. Harnessing the unique personalities of Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson, the judges will critique specific aspects of the player’s performance through fully-voiced commentary. These segments provide specific feedback for improving the player’s performance while further immersing them in the American Idol experience. Players can also create their own character in the Character Customization mode and even use the EyeToy™ USB camera (for PlayStation 2) to import their likeness into the game.
Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol is rated E10+ by the ESRB. The game comes bundled with a USB microphone for a SRP of $54.99 or available as a standalone game, compatible with any USB headset or microphone, for a SRP of $39.99. For more information on Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol, please visit www.konami.com
Minneapolis, MN – November 21, 2006 – Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI ), is giving gamers the chance to stop dreaming and start riding in Harley-Davidson®: Race to the Rally available now for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. Charge out on the highways and bi-ways across America on fully-upgradeable classic and late-model Harley-Davidson® motorcycles while facing outrageous road challenges.
“Harley-Davidson®: Race to the Rally offers gamers the chance to ride some of the most recognizable motorcycles in the world in this fast-paced, open-road adventure,” said David Oxford, Activision Publishing, Inc. “Players experience the thrill of saddling up an American icon and the camaraderie of its brotherhood from their living room.”
Harley-Davidson®: Race to the Rally takes gamers from coast to coast across America exploring classic rides centric to “Harley-Davidson” and the biker lifestyle such as Big Sur, historic Route 66, and the Badlands . Each of the 20 authentic Harley-Davidson® motorcycles including the Dyna®, Softail®, Touring®, and Sportster® are fully customizable and upgradeable with licensed parts and accessories, so there are thousands of possibilities on which to perform the gravity-defying jumps, and high-speed turbo boosts in this game. Plus, it features a soundtrack that captures the attitude of “Harley-Davidson” with tracks by George Thorogood, Heart, Poison, Great White and more.
Harley-Davidson®: Race to the Rally is available now for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system for a suggested retail price of $29.99. The PC version will be available on November 28 for a suggested retail price of $19.99. The game has been rated “E” (Everyone) by the ESRB.
About Activision, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.47 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2006 .
SUNNYVALE, Calif. ¾ Oct. 10, 2006 — Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games , today announced the release of God Hand™, a stylish over-the-top action game for the PlayStationâ2 computer entertainment system. Play as a drifter bestowed with supernatural abilities who must confront the fate and responsibilities inherent with this new found power. Hand-to-hand combat is at its best when gamers unleash the power of the “God Hand” to deliver righteous punishment onto worthy enemies. The brainchild of Clover Studio’s Atsushi Inaba, acclaimed producer of Okami and Shinji Mikami, director of Resident Evil 4, God Hand promises to deliver dangerous whirlwind adventures filled with slapstick antics. God Hand is now available at retailers across North America and carries an “M” rating for mature audiences by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board).
Centuries ago, the world was in imminent doom until a man with the divine powers of god in his arms defeated Demon King Angra. Grateful that Angra’s threat had subsided, people bestowed this fighter with the title “God Hand”. Legend states that to this day, a single clan continues to protect the sacred hands and anyone who acquires such immense power could become a deity or demon. Fast forward to a small town overrun with thugs wielding super-human strength. A gruff drifter named Gene finds his way to this troubled region only to fall unconscious after his right arm is severed while trying to defend a woman in distress. He later awakens to find his limb whole again and is now the possessor of the legendary “God Hand”. Now the burden of being hunted by demonic legions seeking the right hand of god begins.
In God Hand, it’s judgment day as players try to ward off the demons that seek to obtain the coveted appendage. Although Gene may have been granted the strength of the almighty, keeping these foes at bay won’t be easy as evil approaches one after another for the ultimate showdown. Fortunately with a vast repertoire of moves and accompanying canned laugh tracks, delivering deadly blows and crushing attacks has never been so satisfying. Featuring a deep fighting system, customize combos to suit any particular desire by choosing from more than 100 moves or trigger the “Roulette” to execute a number of flashy and often humorous finishing attacks. Or better yet, build up the special “God Hand” meter and unleash the power of god to make attacks effortlessly stronger and faster. It’s Armageddon time!
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