Electronic Arts has announced that it will be bringing Madden NFL Arcade to PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE Arcade "just in time for the holidays in December."
Developed by EA Tiburon, the game is designed to appeal to casual fans as well as "diehard NFL fans," with an emphasis on pick-up and play controls. Madden NFL Arcade will feature 32 NFL teams (along with their home stadiums) that compete in five-on-five games, with no penalties and no field goals. The first team to score 30 points wins, as the games are designed to be more fast-paced that traditional football titles.
EA is also tossing "power ups" to the mix, with 13 "Game Changers." You'll be able to add a bunch of linemen to get a sack, freeze a player, turn off your opponents passing icons, and other things that will generally annoy the crap out of the opposing team.
Madden NFL Arcade supports four players on a single console, features online modes, and leaderboards. All this for only $14.99 (or 1200 MS Points on Xbox 360). Somewhere right now, our Sports Editor Samit Sarkar is freaking the hell out.
Day one sale - when it comes to Europe.
NFL Xtreme = WIN.. I am gonna hope its more like Xtreme, with the graphics shown I have a good feeling.
http://www.gamerankings.com/ps/198162-nfl-xtreme/index.html
Where Blitz was crazy cartoony and made for the Arcade [arcade game with a splash of football] and all the twitch junkies, Xtreme was actually made for a 5v5 game [similar to other football games of the time just less players] and played like a football game in the yard.
ps. don't throw herd rankings at me that make no point, especially when you follow it up by saying Blitz was a football game. Xtreme was a Football game Blitz is and always will be an Arcade game.
Oh and throwing the ball that is covered in flames [that stretch 10 yards back] 200 yards [straight up into the air] to a receiver 40 yards down field [that can jump 100 yards into the air while doing a triple salchow] at 10x speed is not football my friend. I didn't enjoy it then or now.
Regretfully it seems like this Madden NFL is going the Blitz route what with "game changers" like "Freeze the player." Completely realistic events... I am hoping its going to be a mashup of the two styles [ie. playbook of Blitz|speed&style of Xtreme] with a good overhaul of both to bring them up to the expectations of today and some sort of limit to the "game changers."
But then again you probably would scoff at that because its 989 and they did mess a few games up. Must be lonely only liking games from companies that never produce a bad egg... or is it that 989 is/was a sony developer..
Fuck that, Blitz: The League FTW!