Games

Best of 2008 | 07 | 06 | 05
Advanced Search

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

Madden NFL 09

EMAIL PRINTxbox360

7.0 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 50 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 109 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >

Game Info

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: EA Tiburon

Genre(s): Sports, Football

Players: 8

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: August 12, 2008

Summary

For passionate Madden NFL fans, this year's iteration promises to take authenticity and depth of gameplay to an entirely new level with more than 85 new features and enhancements, including the all-new Virtual Trainer tutorial mode. Utilizing a holographic environment, this mode teaches gamers simple concepts about playing football and how to use the controls in quick, fun and stylized drills. In Madden NFL 09, the game engine is continually assessing the player's performance and adapst a custom experience to every type of gamer, from newcomer to the veteran Madden NFL player. Madden NFL 09 also features a network-inspired broadcast presentation. Players benefit from the authentic football knowledge of an in-booth play-by-play and color commentary team featuring Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond. In addition, numerous graphical enhancements have been made, including realistic weather and grass, sleeker player models and exterior stadium views. Madden NFL 09 gives gamers the ability to create online leagues. Avid Madden NFL fans can now take their rivalries online and compete in leagues with up to 32 teams. Online league play features in-depth stat tracking, player trades and a flexible scheduling option. [Electronic Arts]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Madden NFL 07 Madden NFL 08

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

1UP

The mud-caked Slop Bowls, bustling sidelines, and significantly varied player physiques mean that Madden 09's finally lived up to EA's next-gen target video from three years ago that -- for three years -- looked way better than the games themselves.

Read Full Review >

100

G4 TV

The new commentating team, Backtrack replays, soundtrack, and improved graphics really packs that extra punch of realism making this game a must buy.

Read Full Review >

XboxAddict

The game will satisfy the appetite of both casual and hardcore football fans and its mixes those two worlds together very well.

Read Full Review >

Gaming Age

Everything from the visuals, audio, and presentation have been bumped up a notch to a level that would make any fan who has turned their heads for the last 3 years take notice.

Read Full Review >

NZGamer

The most accurate description of American Football on a videogame console that I’ve ever seen.

Read Full Review >

GameFocus

This 20th version of Madden NFL will sure be known as one of best of the series and will sure keep the whole Madden Nation happy…until next year of course. Expectations will continue to grow.

Read Full Review >

WonderwallWeb

A real solid sports game that does not disappoint.

Read Full Review >

Console Monster

EA have this year won the Superbowl this year by providing the best NFL experience to date.

Read Full Review >

Kombo

Madden has finally entered the next-generation with a fierce new look and some ability to flex some powerful new features like Madden IQ.

Read Full Review >

GamerNode

Madden 09 is the best Madden of this generation. It's the first of the series which feels like it actually belongs on these consoles, and wasn't just ported with prettier graphics.

Read Full Review >

Gamervision

The game looks great, there are a ton of little nuances football fans everywhere will love, and most of all, it’s fun to play. Despite some issues with the AI, I think this is the first must-buy Madden for next-gen consoles.

Read Full Review >

GamePro

The controls are tight and responsive, and the overall flow of an NFL contest feels realistic.

Read Full Review >

Official Xbox Magazine

We're happy to report that Madden NFL 09 represents the pinnacle of the modern Madden era. [Sept 2008, p.68]

Read Full Review >

Gameplanet

Additions to this year's Madden title have truly made it shine. The franchise just keeps getting better and better!

Read Full Review >

Official Xbox Magazine UK

It's online that Madden 09 really comes into its own. [Oct 2008, p.88]

Thunderbolt

Madden NFL is a series which feels like Pro Evolution Soccer did in its peak. It’s a game which every year you wonder how they could improve it in any way other than basic graphical updates and the odd new mode, however unlike the former, Madden is a series which on its twentieth anniversary is still taking large strides every single year.

Read Full Review >

GameZone

Players will love the new features in this game and will come to long for them if they pop in an older game for nostalgia sake.

Read Full Review >

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Parity's finally come to Madden multiplayer, though - the new difficulty-balancing feature works great, and it allows me to finally play competitive games against better players. [Sept 2008, p.80]

IGN

Madden NFL 09 is the most loyal translation of America’s favorite sport I’ve ever seen. It looks great, plays great, and despite its few moments of inaccuracies, is still one of the best sports games in memory.

Read Full Review >

Planet Xbox 360

Even though Madden NFL 09 is not perfect in any shape or form it is the best football experience available on the Xbox 360 and should be checked out by new fans of the series as well as twenty-year veterans. The new features tossed into the game give Madden 09 a bit of everything for everyone who enjoys football.

Read Full Review >

Cheat Code Central

There are a lot of new features this year, but none of them are of much consequence. If you own Madden 08, there is no truly outstanding aspect that makes a repurchase necessary. In fact, the Superstar and Franchise game modes are nearly identical, and the Online Leagues aren't impressive enough to outshine the excellent online play of last year.

Read Full Review >

Da Gameboyz

Madden NFL 09 is far from a perfect game but at the end of the day this one is the best versions in its 20 year run.

Read Full Review >

Play.tm

I've not played many of the previous Madden games, and I wouldn't call myself an American football enthusiast by any stretch of the imagination. But this game really managed to capture my attention. Its addictive; its fun, and its very easy to get sucked into.

Read Full Review >

Games Master UK

Enormous US football sim that isn't as hard to get into as some of the previous versions. [Oct 2008, p.82]

Gamer 2.0

Madden 09 has far more successes than failures, enough that any pro football fan that’s been hesitant to actually pick-up the game for the past few should definitely give this game a shot.

Read Full Review >

GameTrailers

There’s a whole lot of game here, but that was true last year, and for every gameplay improvement there’s something annoying to dampen the enthusiasm. It’s still an excellent football game, but the casual player is going to like it a lot more than the grizzled vet.

Read Full Review >

Team Xbox

Madden NFL 09 is a competent addition to this twenty year franchise, and perhaps the best that Tiburon has to offer for the Xbox 360. But one has to wonder why issues such as unnecessary clipping, framerate/loading issues and the lack of full Live functionality are still around three years into the 360’s console cycle.

Read Full Review >

Game Informer

While the play-to-play action has some awesome moments, the Franchise mode is stuck in a boring rut.

Read Full Review >

MEGamers

Even with all the new features and promised tweaks, Madden 09 still feels a bit too familiar and some might even have a hard time separating it from last year’s game.

Read Full Review >

Xbox360Achievements

If you are looking for a football game to play with friends for the next year, you can’t go wrong with this one. Although the changes and new additions may not be game changing, they do enough to keep Madden 10 fresh and playing with a buddy in co-op is always fun.

Read Full Review >

Game Positive

Ultimately, Madden NFL 09 offers just enough to fans to warrant a purchase. Although meager, the new additions do help the game feel like it's worth the price of admission.

Read Full Review >

DarkZero

This is a game that has successfully changed my opinions on American Football, and could do the same for you.

Read Full Review >

Video Game Talk

If you've been waiting for a Madden that's going to be entertaining instead of frustrating, this is your year. I highly recommend the '09 edition!

Read Full Review >

LEVEL (Czech Republic)

The polished diamond called Madden NFL combines first rate playability together with adaptable AI and a very good multiplayer mode. Unfortunately, most parts of the game are the same as last year's version, so it is more of an add-on than a regular next version. [Sept 2008]

AceGamez

The refinements and tweaks made to the already exceptional game engine have resulted in the best Madden game to date, while the new additions of My Skill, Play Style and Rewind make it a surprisingly accessible introduction to the series for newcomers.

Read Full Review >

Level7.nu

Madden NFL 09 is a massive improvement and a great experience for NFL fans everywhere. The two new modes, Madden Moments and Online League are great additions although quite as good as the "classic" modes Superstar and Franchise. Virtual Training Centre works well even though the level of difficulty still isn't entirely well balanced. But if you're a fan of NFL, this is no doubt the game to get.

Read Full Review >

Gamestyle

An improvement on last year’s game no doubt, Madden NFL 09 is as impenetrable for novices as ever, yet is still the best and most comprehensive American Football game we’ve played.

Read Full Review >

Totally360

If you are already a Madden fan you will enjoy this title. If not, rent before you buy.

Read Full Review >

Games Radar (in-house)

We’ll happily play all season long, during which we’ll invent a thousand more reasons to love and hate it all at the same time. No matter what, though, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t a tad disappointed that this year’s version didn’t make the same jump we’d gotten accustomed to the last two years.

Read Full Review >

GameDaily

Madden NFL 2009 stumbles, but manages to regain its composure long enough to stiff arm critics and dive into the endzone.

Read Full Review >

GameSpot

For every addition, like the backtrack feature, Collinsworth, or improved visuals, there's a problem that rears its ugly head, like the unchanged Superstar mode, poor pass coverage in the middle of the field, or underwhelming online leagues. Newcomers will still face a steep learning curve, but if you're a football fan or series veteran, you can't go wrong with Madden 09.

Read Full Review >

GameSpy

Online play is a very enticing part of what Madden brings to the table this year.

Read Full Review >

PALGN

On the whole there is not much new going on in the world of Madden NFL 09, but the implementation of features that make it more accessible to casual gamers is a step in the right direction if the franchise is to flourish outside of the United States.

Read Full Review >

Destructoid

I wanted this game to be exceedingly different, and I don’t believe I got that. It’s still much the same, even if the grass looks greener this time around.

Read Full Review >

Worth Playing

For every new mechanic implemented, there is something else botched just enough to render the neat new aspect moot.

Read Full Review >

X360 Magazine UK

In truth, we’re in distraction territory – beyond (admittedly quite a few) graphical changes, its only substantial addition will feel to football veterans like throw-in training might feel to, er, football veterans.

Read Full Review >

Eurogamer

Like most EA Sports releases, Madden 09 is a good re-entry point for anyone who's skipped a few years, but less than essential for anyone who picked up last year's edition. The changes may be numerous, but few feel essential and you're always aware that many of them will be back next year, in a further refined form.

Read Full Review >

Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

Individually this game should be superb and if you’ve never played a previous version this should be your first point of call. However, taken as part of a continuous series, this is a fairly pointless offering as it offers very little in terms of innovation.

Read Full Review >

GameShark

What you are left with is a great 2-player game, a lot of features that the well established fan base most likely won’t care about (even though Backtrack and Rewind are both pretty good ideas), a half-baked online league system, and gameplay that is at times highly polished and entertaining yet also plagued by AI issues.

Read Full Review >

Game Revolution

For years Madden has been improving visually and adding features, but to what end? What you're left with every year is a game with a split personality: An awesome football game that's great to play with your friends or even online, but makes you want to smash your machine if you ever play against the computer.

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.0 (out of 10) based on 109 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Moh S. gave it an8:
Alright, I'll be honest, this madden is an improvement, but nothing will top the 2k sports games. NBA 2k9 is way better than NBA live 09. ESPN 2k5, way better than madden 05,06,07,08,09. That is real serious. I mean it's the best nfl game out there, thats because its the only one. NCAA 09 is better than this game. I just love it because i love football, and i love smashing on cats in this game.

Joe D. gave it a3:
Online play is pretty terrible. You can't stop any offense no matter what. It could be the baltimore ravens offense and they could put up 40 against the 85 bears defense. The graphics were improved. Other than that, there were very little to no improvements on this game from previous years. It's a shame there isn't any competition because a monkey could make this game better.

McBain17 gave it a3:
I really don't know how the NFL continues to allow Madden to run unopposed. This year's edition is yet another reason to end exclusive licensing agreements. Pass defense is a joke totally throwing the game out of whack. Its a rental, do not give EA a full $60 of your hard earned money.

Chris G. gave it a3:
Madden has gone to the dark side. I refuse to hand them over my hard earned cash for some half baked piece of garbage. Just don't buy it. For those of you who like the series, as long as you continue to give EA your money, the series will probably never improve.

Jim gave it a4:
When you and your friend have more fun playing the "Madden Test" drills against each other rather than playing the actual game, does that say something about how the game plays?

Jason gave it a6:
I only buy the Madden games every other year, since I don't think they change enough from one year to the next to warrant purchase each year. But this year, with Madden 09, I was severely disappointed. A lot of the "improvements" EA was boasting about ended up either being disappointing or frustrating. Running in the game is a lot harder (which can be good for people who like that extra challenge), the skill-building challenges in the game seemed to be "off" from Madden 07 (especially the weight-lifting drill), and the "Madden Test" which determines your skill is either ridiculously easy, or ridiculously hard. For example, the running drill has you run, but gives you the button you're supposed to press to break away (which makes anyone who is familiar with the 360 controller able to get All-Pro or All-Madden skill level, even though they're not really there...) and in some passing drills, you take the role of a linebacker in a limited range of motion (usually not beyond a couple yards from your starting position) and you have to rush the quarterback, who has a blocker and releases the ball within a couple of seconds anyway. I tried the Create-A-Superstar using both a quarterback and a running-back, and the quarterback was way more satisfying, especially since you can run for more yards as a scrambling QB than you can as a HB... But I miss the "genetics" of Madden 07 and don't like the "Type" configuration of the players either. And for the love of Pete, please get rid of the e-mails in the Create-A-Superstar mode... they're annoying and don't contribute anything to the game.

Mark V. gave it a9:
best madden by so far good graphics good gameplay and about time franchise mode u can switch position best improvement ever.

Games

Sony

Microsoft

Nintendo

Other Platforms

Upcoming &Recent Releases

Madden NFL 09

Game Info

Summary

Also On Metacritic

What The Critics Said

What Our Users Said

Upcoming &
Recent Releases