XBLA Review: Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley

Twisted Pixel, the geniuses behind XBLA favorite, 'Splosion Man, have returned with another off-the-wall title. This time, instead of 'Sploding your way through a labratory, you'll be blasting fools away as you travel through four different comic books.

Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain smiley is really a hodgepodge of several different titles. The game takes the gameplay of Duke Nukem, the graphics of 'Splosion Man and the wise-ass nature of Matt Hazard and puts it into one title starring a superhero with an emoticon for his head.

Captain Smiley is definitely not your typical hero. He's clumsy and jealous, but the real kicker is that the star on his chest is actually attached to him biologically. Not only is this star (aptly named 'Star') a separate character altogher, but he constantly gives Captain Smiley a tough time, which leads to some very entertaining banter.

The story is definitely one of the most original concepts in the history of the Xbox Live Arcade. You star as the previously introduced Captain Smiley, one of the biggest stars in comic books. Unfortunately, as you'll see for yourself in the first mission, Captain Smiley's comic has been terrible lately. A very funny live-action cutscene after the first mission shows the comic being buried at a playground, given away for free at comic shops and even used as toilet paper (ok, thankfully you don't actually see this, but it's definitely implied).

The sales of the comic have turned down so sharply, that the team is actually broke and getting canned. Turns out that the only thing Captain Smiley can do to make some money and attempt to save his comic series is to actually make cameos in more successful comics. That's exactly what you'll be doing throughout the entire game. You'll go from comic book to comic book, completing missions to help the characters in each universe.

The graphics are very nicely done. You can certainly see the 'Splosion Man-esque graphical style throughout the game. As you travel through the four comics, the art direction changes. This is a great touch and as you go, you'll see everything from modern comic-style to cel-shaded to black and white. The character models are very embellished, as they are in comics. Basically, if you are into comics, you will love the graphical direction of Comic Jumper.

The melee gameplay of Comic Jumper, however, is hit-or-miss. The beat 'em up aspect of the game can be a little frustrating. While the game does do a good job of giving the player a few different ways to interact with up-close adversaries, the combat can feel a bit clunky. This is very much remedied as you get futher into the game and get to use various weapons in melee combat.

We much prefer the gun combat, which can actually become really rather difficult. The main difficulty-increasers are certainly the enemies, who can take a lot of punishment. They also have a knack for over staying their welcome at times, with enemies coming out just as you thought you made it through that particular wave. You'll definitely find yourself in your fair share of Contra-esque firestorms. Luckily, the game does a generous job of giving the player checkpoints, which you'll definitely need since you don't regenerate health unless you die.

The controls during gun sections are pretty intuitive and fast-paced. You use your left stick to run through the levels and your right stick to aim. To make matters easier, you use the right trigger to fire and the left trigger to jump. It all works out very well, but if you prefer to do it another way, you can also use the face buttons for a more old-school feel.

Throughout the title, you'll find various Easter-Eggs for other Twisted Pixel titles. The best tip of the hat has to come in the form of actually having 'Splosion Man and The Maw arcade machines in Captain Smiley's lair. Of course, to play them, you actually have to own the games through the Xbox Live Marketplace, but it's neat to see them in there. Captain Smiley and Star even make reference to the criticism that many people had concerning Twisted Pixels' DLC releases for The Maw, which is incredibly humorous and does a great job of addressing the critics.

Overall, Comic Jumper is a game that takes a level or two to feel better than average, but once you get going, the story and above average gameplay will grip you unmercifully. The banter between Smiley, Star and the other characters are as entertaining as we've ever seen in any title, and the story is always entertaining to the point that you'll find yourself laughing out loud on occasion. At $15, you'll get more innovation and fun than you will in most $60 retail titles. Sure, the game has a few flaws, but they are very easily overlooked when the overall product is this well-made.

XBLA Review: Hydrophobia

Hydrophobia has been billed as "A Digital Tsunami of Epic Proportion". Whenever we see the word "epic" in a description, we are always somewhat skeptical. In this case, however, there are few things more epic than the situation the characters in Hydrophobia are in.

In the beginning of the game, the character awakens and the player learns that several years ago, the world was flooded, wiping out much of the population. To take refuge, Kate, the main character, has joined thousands of other people on an enormous, city-sized ship called The Queen of the World. Kate decides to go out and partake in the "Party of the Century" to celebrate the anniversary of the ship itself.

Unfortunately, things go the way that they usually do during big celebrations in video games, that is, they don't quite go as expected. Rather than fireworks and fun, Kate is treated to a full-blown terrorist attack that threatens to plunder the ship and it's citizens into the overgrown ocean. While the ship slowly goes down, it looks like it's up to Kate to save the floating albatross.

It turns out the terrorists are operating on a fanaticized version of social theorist, Thomas Malthus' theory on population growth. With this, the terrorists operate on the idea that humanity has over-populated the earth to the point that the planet cannot support the race through its resources. Thus, the group has sprawled their slogans, "Save the World - Kill Yourself" among them, across the ship, creating an eerie setting.

As you play through the title, you'll notice numerous similarities between this game's style of play and that of another revolutionary title, Mirror's Edge. To get from point A to point B, Kate must free-run, climb and jump from ledges and ladders. Often times, she'll be doing so with obstacles closing in on her, such as an elevator that is about to see it's brakes fail while she's in the shaft, so she's pressed for time as well.

The Mirror's Edge style of gameplay is present in the combat as well. Throughout the adventure, Kate will encounter several of the Malthusian terrorists, all of which are heavily armed. Even later on, when Kate receives a pistol, she is still out-matched and out-skilled. Therefore, she must take roundabout methods to take out the patrolling enemies.

Since Kate must utilize various tactics, such as defeating enemies by destroying environmental hazards surrounding them. This is where the game shines. The water flows in an incredibly natural manner, which is unlike anything we've seen in any game before. Water can sweep you or your enemies away, so you must plan very carefully when attempting to take out enemies.

Despite the great aspects of the game, there are definitely a few misfires. The navigation, while not terrible, does feel a little jerky at times. Running and jumping will sometimes leave the player feeling a little out of control, which will cause a few deaths throughout the story. The free-running is also nowhere near as controlled or fluid as seen in other titles that use similar mechanics, like Assassin's Creed or the aforementioned Mirror's Edge.

Aside from a few strange textures and some pretty bad voice-acting, the presentation in Hydrophobia is among the best offered on the Xbox Live Arcade. The water, as mentioned before, looks and feels as good as it has in any title, retail, downloadable, or otherwise. The environmental damage, which also plays a big role in the title, works as well as one could hope.

Throughout the story, players will also put a device called a MAVI to good use. The MAVI, which acts kind of like a highly advanced iPad, will put several detective style tools at Kate's disposal. The device will be used to hack locked doors and computers, detect useful objects within the environment, and even scan ahead to alert Kate of danger. The device is very useful, but can feel like a bit of a burden at times, as some of the situations feel a bit forced.

In addition to the story, there are a few things that will add to the replayability, including a pretty cool challenge mode, which rewards players for keeping their chain multiplier up and using the room's hazards to their advantage. Also, while you're running through the campaign, you'll be coming across several different types of collectibles, including quotes from Thomas Malthus, which will help the player to better understand the motives of the social theorist.

Overall, Hydrophobia is one of the top Xbox Live Arcade titles of the past several months, but there are a few key things keeping it from being in the running for Downloadable Game of the Year. With a slightly improved free-running engine, as well as a better voice acting team, the game could've been one of the best titles available for the Xbox Live Arcade. Instead, what we get is a satisfying adventure that capitalizes upon the theme of a reluctant hero to the fullest. Hydrophobia is worth the purchase price of $15 if you are truly looking for something a little different, yet slightly familiar.

iPhone/iPad Review: Rocketeer

The iPhone has some pretty sweet apps, but have you ever felt like you might want to take a few rocket men and launch them into a black hole? Well Rocketeer, Wired Developments' new physics based aiming game, might be able to fill that void in your app library.

Rocketeer's setup is about as simple as it gets. You have a spaceship on one side and a wormhole on another. The goal is to aim your Rocketeer into the wormhole to transport him to the next level. It's not always so simple, however, as planets and meteor belts will be glad to get in your way.

To remedy this, Wired Developments actually uses the concept of gravitational pull to swing the Rocketeers around these obstacles. The bigger the planet, the stronger the pull. This means that you'll have to pay close attention to not only the layout of the planets, but also the size.

The game, like most games on the market, starts the player off with a set of training wheels. You'll begin by passing by one planet, then two, then three until you fully understand the concept of the gravitational pull. There were a few points that I felt a little overwhelmed, but not to the point where I got frustrated, so the developers did a good job ramping the difficulty curve. Before you know it, however, you'll be blasting your Rocketeers through more difficult puzzles and bouncing, spinning and even rapid-firing them towards the wormholes.

The graphics are pretty run of the mill, but look very nice and crisp on the display. The mixture of 2D and 3D graphics works well in the game's formula and plays really nicely, especially on the amazing displays of newer devices.

Overall, Rocketeer is a well-made game that combines interesting concepts with an addicting gameplay style. The game does a good job of taking a simple style of play and making the most of it through little innovations and tweaks upon the original idea. The game won't be replacing your Angry Birds addiction anytime soon, but it's definitely a worthy companion to the title.

XBLA Review: Sonic Adventure

In 1999, my perception of video games was changed forever. The Sega Dreamcast, which was, at that time, the most powerful machine on the market, came out and featured the 3D re-imagining of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, entitled, Sonic Adventure.

The title was a pivotal title in the franchise and really set a new standard for the platforming genre. The game did a phenomenal job of taking levels that look like they are ripped straight from the 2D Sonic games, and transforming them into the 3D realm.

Despite all the innovation, in the eyes of many, the title was far less than stellar. Despite the great points, there are certainly enormous, unavoidable issues that cannot be ignored and have only become amplified with age.

Before we get into the issues that exist with the title, let's examine how the title's presentation has held up over the years. The first thing the player will be greeted with upon entering the title is a fantastic opening cutscene.

For those that are seeing it for the first time, the graphics hardly look like they've been out for 11 years. The CGI is incredibly advanced for it's time and the soundtrack featuring Crush 40 is fantastic. For those that have seen it and remember the game from it's Dreamcast days, this cutscene will act as a welcoming back with a heavy dose of nostalgia.

For how old the title is, the game really does look great. There's definite signs of aging, but the gameplay doesn't look terrible and certainly looks good for an Xbox Live Arcade title. The sense of speed has always been great and while it's definitely not as fast as newer titles like Sonic Unleashed, it's definitely faster than most titles today.

The issue with the speed is that the technology wasn't quite fine-tuned enough to keep up with Sonic's speed, as you'll notice parts of the level loading in the distance as you run through levels at top speed. The loading never causes any major hiccups in gameplay, though there will be some framerate drops from time to time.

The only real issues with the presentation lie in the actual port-job itself. The most noticeable issue is with the aspect ratio. If you have a widescreen television, blue bars will appear on either side of the screen, which is to compensate for the fact that the game was not originally made in widescreen format. The other problems are in the audio. A few minor audio glitches exist from the port, but it's mostly just an absence of background sounds in cutscenes.

Despite the terrible lip-syncing and mostly embarrassing, the presenation was never the issue of contention with Sonic Adventure. The problems that critics always pointed out were the awful camera and the awkward controls. Unfortunately, both of those issues are still present and they have only become worse with age.

The camera is pretty rough, to be perfectly honest. While players can control the camera with their right stick, it does little to remedy the issue. Players will find themselves falling to their deaths or running right into enemies due to the camera angle. If you look back at reviews from when this title came out, you'll notice that this is actually one of the only negative things pointed out.

The gameplay of Sonic Adventure is a peculiar case. The strength of the gameplay is that it is diverse, as you can choose between several different characters, each with their own abilities and style of gameplay. Sonic runs through the levels very quickly and uses various platforming elements and Tails goes through levels slower than Sonic, but can fly, which adds to the platforming fun, but the gameplay only gets more varying from them.

Knuckles has the ability to glide and climb, but rather than making it from one point to another, his missions are focussed around finding shards of the Master Emerald. Despite their fresh ideas, these treasure hunting levels are one of the main downsides of the game. The missions are overly frustrating and really serve simply to elongate the time that the players will spend on the title.

While those are the three main characters, there are three other shortened stories from some of the franchise's auxiliary characters. Amy, from Sonic CD, makes an appearance as a playable character. In her story, you are working to escape from a pursuing robot the whole time, with only a giant mallet as your weapon. E-102 Gamma is a robot designed by Dr. Robotnik, but becomes self-aware and goes on a one-bot mission against the dictator. The rogue bot's story is probably the most fun and focuses on slowly and methodically going through missions and blowing everything up on the way to the goal.

The final story is definitely the most questionable one. Big the Cat, a new character in the Sonic series, has an incredibly slow pace and has missions that are centered around... fishing. When you think of Sonic, you don't exactly think about fishing, an activity that relies on patience as it's main key to success. The story is interesting, but overall the gameplay is frustrating and very tiring after even just one mission.

After beating all of the stories, a seventh story mode unlocks that features one final, epic battle between the team and Chaos, the most well-developed boss in the Sonic franchise. The fight is laid on a bed of Crush 40's "Open Your Heart", which gives it an amazing feeling, but by the time you beat the battle, you'll be sick of it.

If playing through missions at a blistering pace isn't really your thing, there are other actviities to do in Sonic Adventure. The most notorious activity is definitely the Chao mini-game. The mini-game acts much like virtual pet game, where you adopt a Chao and raise, feed and even train it to compete in races. It's fun and can definitely pass the time if you are sick of running from Point A to Point B.

Other than that, you can spend your time collecting emblems throughout the Sonic Adventure maps and missions. Each mission consists of three sub-missions (much like Mario 64 did), so there are three emblems to get from each mission. In addition to those emblems, there are also emblems to find throughout the various maps. Some can be pretty challenging to hunt down, so those that are completionists might have their work cut out for them. If all else fails, you can always take a break and blow stuff up as E-102 or play some pinball at the casino as Sonic.

All in all, Sonic Adventure acts as the perfect introduction to the line of Dreamcast titles coming out on current generation consoles, just as it was a perfect introduction to the Dreamcast itself. There are definitely problems that are brought about from the port, as well as the game's age, but the gameplay is fun most of the time and the issues can often be circumvented.

We're actually all still wishing that Sega would just continue with the Sonic Adventure series, rather than try to revitalize the 3D Sonic games with gimmicks, as they did in Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Heroes. If you've ever been curious to check out a good 3D Sonic the Hedgehog title, Sonic Adventure might just be the one to help you check that goal off your list.

XBLA Review: Plants vs. Zombies

I need to preface this review with a confession. I know it will likely cause many to look down on me and will make it so I lose a lot of credibility in the video game communities, but I feel it necessary to issue this disclaimer: I have never played Plants vs. Zombies prior to it's release on Xbox Live Arcade this week. Shocking, I know. The title, which has been critically acclaimed pretty much across the board, just made it's first appearance on a home console and it's making me regret not trying the title until now.

For those of you that are as new to the title as I am, Plants vs. Zombies is the epitome of a well-executed tower defense title. You are a gardener that is in charge of strategically placing defensive plants throughout your backyard to prevent invading zombies from reaching your house. You'll have a variety of plants to choose from, with more unlocking as you get deeper into the arcade mode, from peashooters, which are the most basic defensive unit, to sunflowers, that are used to gather resources.

The game maintains a perfect difficulty curve and does a phenomenal job of easing the player into the more difficult and advanced levels, making sure the player has the skills necessary to survive before tossing them into the deep end.

Once the player is tossed into the deep end, however, they had better be prepared for all-out war. As you continue along your zombie-fighting journey, you'll encounter nearly 30 different types of adversaries looking to devour your brains.

You'll start off with normal, easily defeated zombies, but you'll eventually begin encountering super-powered zombies that have shields, armor or even special abilities. The first zombie that will likely knock you down is one that comes out and dances, which summons four zombies that will walk through and wipe out any plants in their path.

The developers seem aware of the issue with most tower-defense titles: the fact that the formula is so simple that the gameplay tends to get old slightly quicker than games in other genres. With that in mind, PopCap has brilliantly diversified the gameplay by adding new dynamics for levels that take place during the nighttime. It's more difficult to plant new plants due to the lack of sunlight, so you'll be required to get a little creative.

PopCap has even helped those that get bored quickly by throwing mini-games in for good measure. Every now and again, you'll have the chance to go zombie bowling or play whack-a-zombie, which are surprisingly fun.

The biggest addition to the game has to be the Co-Op and Vs. modes, which make the game Xbox Live worthy. Co-Op mode is exactly what you would think it is, but Vs. mode actually allows you to play as the zombies for the first time in the series' history. The mode definitely adds a new twist to the game and will give fans of the previous iterations of this title something to really look forward to.

There's no denying that Plants vs. Zombies has unbelievable staying power. Most people who have played this game have bought it through several formats, which is further testament to this game's greatness. At $15, you can't really ask for much more in way of gameplay. If you've never played Plants Vs. Zombies, but, like me, have been wondering what all the hype is about, go download the Xbox Live Arcade version of this title now!

XBLA Review: The Deadliest Warrior

For those living under a rock for the past couple of years, Deadliest Warrior is a television show on Spike, which takes some of the most debated upon match-ups between the most fearsome combatants in the history of civilization, confers with experts and declares a victor in the "battle" at the end of the show.

Now, for those living under a rock for the past month and a half, Deadliest Warrior is also an Xbox Live Arcade release by Spike Games that has very much divided the gaming community. While some praise it's simplicity, others have bashed it's tendency to reward button-mashing and bare-bones design. We felt it was only necessary that we give our take on this controversial, yet popular title.

From the get-go, Deadliest Warrior will remind you of the 3-D Mortal Kombat titles. From the battles that see blood spraying everywhere to the way the characters rotate around eachother, the only thing really missing is the iconic announcer declaring "Finish Him!" as Scorpion engulfs his enemy in flames. Even a form of fatalities exist that rival the sheer brutality of those that made the Mortal Kombat series so popular.

Unfortunately, the game is not very rich in features. You have an arcade mode, where you choose a warrior and fight through all of the adversaries in the game, back to back. There are no bosses, but there are "Test Your Might" type of challenges, that fall somewhat short of the car-punching challenge in Street Fighter.

One challenge will require you to run through a meat-locker, slicing up all of the hanging pieces of meat. This activity falls short of being fun or challenging, but one where players face off against one enemy head-on, where each blow leads in some form of dismemberment, is much more fun, if not way too quick.

When facing the AI in arcade mode, the game has a very steep learning curve and will often frustrate when not on the easiest levels. The game takes full advantage of it's knowledge of the fighting engine and uses various one-hit kills and dismembering blows to take you down quickly and relentlessly.

While the single player may be a bit monotonous after a few run-throughs, the multiplayer is a blast if you have a few people watching and commenting. The yells of "ohh!" will definitely add to the competition more so than they would another title or genre. There's just something about watching characters decimate one another in a group setting.

The number one issue that has divided players and critics on this title, however, is the core gameplay. The game's defining aspect is that it sacrifices combat-system depth for "realism", in that it relies heavily on one-hit deaths and a single combo taking down a player for good. This works well in that context, but the lack of overall depth will leave many fighting game vets longing for more.

Another issue is in regards to the fact that many fights will just break down into the players button mashing their way to victory. While other franchises, like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, have found a way to neutralize that breed of player for the most part, in Deadliest Warrior, players of that nature tend to thrive.

The movement can a little off and artificial, particularly when the characters run in an opposite direction of the enemy and don't auto-turn to face the enemy. This is a key flaw in the overall gameplay and will, more times than not, end up hurting the player who is attempting to honestly evade attacks (a key component to this title).

The graphics look dated, but at the same time, they aren't awful when you consider that this title is a $15 download. The game really looks about on par with the previous generation Mortal Kombat titles. The blood spurts out nicely and the character models look great. Of course, it's always nice to have destructible environments, which this game does have to an extent. Having a pirate hiding in the bamboo forest, only to run in with your samurai and chop that forest to the ground, along with him, is very satisfying.

The Deadliest Warrior is going to be very hit or miss for you, depending on what you're looking for. If you want depth and fights that always seem "fair", then you might want to skip on this title. However, if you want a title that is fun, satisfying and fully backed by it's developer (the promise of new DLC characters coming soon has been stated over and over again by Spike Games), then you'll definitely want to check out The Deadliest Warrior on Xbox Live Arcade.

Indie Game Review: Jump'n Bounce

 

Sure, most games in the Xbox Live Indie Games section are gimmicks featuring avatars or somewhat short-lived, but every so often, a gem comes along that just separates itself from the rest. Jump'n Bounce, a game developed by DeRail Games, is a retro arcade-style title that is both addicting and well-made.

The game  is the first of three "new retro arcade" titles that DeRail will be releasing into the Xbox Live Indie Games library featuring the smile emoticon, Hug. Jump'n Bounce requires you to get from the start point of a level to the goal, which is represented by a large star, much like in the Mario 64/Mario Galaxy titles. While the mission is simple, actually completing the mission is not always so easy.

Much like most arcade titles, the first couple of levels act as an easy tutorial, building the confidence of the player, while teaching them the ropes of the game. The learning curve is a sharp one, however, as the next few levels will likely knock the player down and have them begging for mercy.

Each level contains checkpoints and several obstacles, including spark-like creatures that move in simple, predetermined patterns, to Sonic the Hedgehog-esque spikes. Touch any of these obstacles and Hug will explode and he will be transported back to the last checkpoint.

Along the way, Hug will be able to collect retro sprites that will give the player bonus points and extra lives, which will be VERY valuable as the levels get more and more difficult later in the game. Luckily, if you run out of lives, there is a continue option at the main title screen.

With most levels, the player will be able to determine for themselves what the path of least resistance is. In an ingenious turn of level-design, DeRail decided to include several paths in each of the levels. Some will be there for the beginners to just simply pass through, while other paths will be there for the high-scorers and speed demons.

Everything about this game's presentation screams "retro," which is the main goal of the title. The entire level is presented at all times, which allows players to plot their every move out before they get to hopping and prevents players from hopping into a hidden danger due to awkward camera angles. Overall, the entire game is just one big nod to the designers that forged the way for the current kings of video games.

Just like the retro arcade titles, there is an actual high-score leaderboard, which allows for name entry. If you're the kind of person that shares your Xbox with someone else, this will definitely spark some great competition. Entering the game, only to see that your roommate has beaten your latest high-score is one of the greatest motivators to try and improve.

The gameplay feels tight and responsive. As Hug, you have three ways to move. You can jump, which is the base move, you can double tap the jump button and perform a valuable double jump, and you can slam Hug down hard after a jump, which will allow him to break through the softer bricks and get him to the jewels and 1-Ups.

With all the praise we've given the title, we haven't even covered the best part of the title: the price. While this probably could've passed for a $5 title on the Xbox Live Arcade, this title is able to be added to your library for the measly sum of $1 (80 Microsoft Points). With all of the prices going up on Xbox Live, it's nice to find a great value like this.

That being said, if you're a fan of classic platforming and feel like administring yourself a healthy dose of nostalgia without the dated-feeling, you'd be foolish not to pick this title up. Even if you're worried about the lack of features and modes, which can be an issue for those extended play-sessions, you'd be foolish to skip the free trial mode, which will give you a perfect glimpse into what this game is really all about. Jump'n Bounce is easily one of the top titles, if not THE top title, in the Xbox Live Indie Arcade. The bar has been set by DeRail Games for all Indie developers.

Review: Madden NFL 11

Here we go again! With the new season of America's biggest sport just around the corner, it's time to take a look at the latest installment of the one and only NFL title on the market. Sure, we've criticized the title in the past for the lack of innovation since they signed the exclusive contract with the NFL in 2006, but we can't really fault them; they put out a quality and fun title year after year.

That doesn't mean that fans don't crave more from the series. From 2006 until 2009, fans were clamoring for more innovation and new features. From refs showing up on field to field goal nets blocking the kicks from going into the screaming crowd, Madden 10 gave many fans what they were clamoring for, but with Madden 11, EA Sports looked to perfect upon that formula.

The most obvious addition to the Madden franchise with Madden 11 is the addition of GameFlow, a revoluationary new system that is best described as "The 'Ask Madden' feature on Steroids" (though the NFL would likely find some reason to be upset with that description). Essentially, with GameFlow enabled, between each play, you'll be prompted to either use GameFlow (which will select a play that fits best with your pre-determined gameplan and the situation at hand) or use the full playbook. This cuts out much of the playcalling and leaves it to the "coach", which makes many of the calls very realistic. It also speeds up the game significantly, or as EA Sports says "allows you to play an hour-long game in 30 minutes." This works particularly well in single-player, but probably could use some fine-tuning for when multiple players are using the same screen.

The GameFlow works incredibly well with the new pre-snap control system. Before, you would be forced to run through seemingly endless menus to find the play you want, which would lead to several "Delay of Game" penalties. To remedy that issue, EA Sports has implemented a system that uses the d-pad for pre-snap calls like hot routes and coverage audibles, while offensive audibles can still be accessed via a simplified menu that can be viewed by pressing a single button. The d-pad system works perfectly once you get used to it, but the audible menu for offense leaves a little to be desired on same-screen multiplayer.

As far as actual gameplay goes, the title remains pretty similar to it's predeccessor. The game plays very smoothly and the pass and run games remain fairly balanced. That's not to say there aren't some key frustrations that will cause you to want to throw your controller into the wall, however. Interceptions have been rightfully toned down to add realism, but the manner in which EA Sports tried to fix the issue was by making the players drop incredibly easy picks. With this, players like Ed Reed see balls going straight through their hands on any mode more difficult than All-Pro.

Even outside of the easy picks being dropped, sometimes players will just seem to give lackluster efforts towards going after the ball in an interception attempt. Throwing one's arms up to their chinstrap and then dropping them down just as quickly doesn't quite qualify as giving 110% in our eyes.

Another issue that had us ready to create EA Sports Ultimate Frisbee 11 with our disc was the officiating. For the most part, we can't complain. The calls are generally fair and calls like holding and facemask don't seem as random as they have been in previous installations. Occasionally, however, there will be some absolutely terrible calls that wouldn't even be made in the worst of calls in real life. While sideline calls are always in question in real and virtual life, at least in real-life, the refs can review where the receiver's feet were and make the correct call. In Madden 11, the ref can still review a sideline catch, but sometimes the calls will be blatantly wrong even after review.

The most infuriating, yet satirically comcial at the same time, had to be one instance where Peyton Manning threw a pass, walked forward three steps and tripped over a defender on the ground and the defender got calls for Roughing the Passer. We don't know if this was ridiculously incorrect or if EA was simply making fun of the NFL's incredibly sensitive policy when it comes to QB protection (particularly concerning Peyton Manning and Tom Brady). We think it's probably the former.

If you want a good looking football game, you can't get much better looking than Madden 11. The player models have been improved slightly over last year, but the most noticeable addition has to be in the players' faces. Recognizable players, such as the aforementioned Peyton Manning, where pretty recognizable in Madden 10, but lesser known players, like Baltimore's Joe Flacco, just received the generic face treatment. Now, however, most players look eerily similar to their real-life counterparts.

A small addition that the team at EA did that really adds to the feel of the game was making the field goal nets sensitive to where the ball is, rather than acting as sheet metal and staying stiff when the ball hits. The presentation in which the games are presented have been upgraded as well. From the commentary to the graphical overlays, nearly everything in this aspect has been given an overhaul.

While, on the surface, these new features in the presentation department look and feel great, it actually amounts to becoming the only major issue with the game. The commentary is the most blatant issue. From overused terms to obviously incorrect calls by the play-by-play announcers, there are so many things that are so laughably bad that it takes you right out of the game. For instance, if a player gets free, the announcers will likely say "and no one will catch him!" in anticipation of a touchdown. Unfortunately, 9 out of 10 times when this call is made, the player is caught and the announcer just seems foolish.

Within the gameplay, sponsor's such as Doritos, Verizon, and Old Spice will pop-up, as they would in a typical broadcast. We don't mind hearing "Here's your drive summary, brought to you by Verizon" or "Let's look at the Old Spice Redzone Report" every so often, but when the announcer uses the same hackneyed phrases over and over again, it becomes highly distracting and ridiculously annoying (I swear... if we have to hear "Old Spice: Smell like a man, man!" one more time...). There's also an issue with the color commentators sounding more enthusiastic when talking about the sponsors than they do about the game.

Occasionally you will get a few graphical glitches and overly repeated cutscenes as well, but they aren't nearly as distracting as the commentary issues. The most distracting glitches, aside from the usual stuff that Madden usually has, like players walking through walls and refs, has to be one that occurs when a cutscene shows the QB from the defensive perspective. If you look over the focal point of the QB, you'll notice that all of the fans are facing the wrong way, as in they are looking towards the back of the stadium. It must have something to do with the camera being in a reverse angle, but it rarely happens, so it can definitely be excused.

In addition to the typical Franchise, Exhibition and Superstar modes found in Madden 10, players will find a more-fully featured online mode, as well as the features that were added to Madden 10 through DLC like the retro AFL mode and the fun trading card-based Ultimate Team mode. The only issue that players might stumble upon as far as features go is in the use of EA Sports' "Online Pass" idea, where if you don't buy the game new, you'll have to pay $10 to play the title online.

All in all, Madden NFL 11 is perhaps the greatest football title ever created. The presentation, despite it's many flaws, is above average, the graphics are amazing, the gameplay is better and more streamlined than ever, and it's just an all-around fun title. It's very full-featured and will certainly leave more people satisfied than disappointed. Any issues that were mentioned in this review could easily be fixed with a patch, so we'll be hoping that EA Sports hears the pleas of the fans and does the right thing. With those fixes in place, the game might become known as a near-perfect title. As the title is now, however, it's just an extremely well-executed and phenomenally fun game.