Much like EA's new brand of All Play sports games that we showed you earlier this year, the company has made sure it's latest Madden title is accessible enough for anyone to get into. The Madden games have always been a bit complicated, since they are essentially the most complete NFL package you'll ever find. But this year, Madden will be playable not to those new to the franchise, but to those new to gaming as a whole.The Adaptive Difficulty Engine can tailor the game to your playing style and needs. You'll even get a chance to improve your game with the Core Trainer, which will give you a Madden IQ that reflects how well you're playing. The game constantly accesses you, so you'll always know which individual skills you have to improve. A new feature called Backtrack will even tell you what your mistakes are on the fly. Then you can rewind your plays, and take what you've learned to do it all over again. Clearly, this game is a whole lot more forgiving than most major sports titles.
Even the TV-style broadcast in the game is vastly improved. Remember to pay attention Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond who will be on-site making the calls, because you never know when you can benefit from their array of football knowledge. A new Options OnDemand Picture-in-Picture playcall window offers you a wealth of stats, tips, and in-game options that you don't even have to pause the game to use.
One of the most exciting new additions to Madden NFL is that it finally has online leagues. It feature trades and statistical tracking, and up to 32 teams can compete using flex-scheduling.
Madden NFL '09 hits stores on August 12th on all major systems, so you won't have wait months upon months to get your game on. Check out our exclusive video interview with Ryan from EA, who tells us some more about the game.