chang
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Re: Madden 08 Preview!!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MADDEN 08May 18, 2007 - The Bengals have weapons!In most cases those words are followed by flashing lights and sirens. In Madden 08, those weapons make them one of the most dangerous teams in the game (and not just on the streets).You see, Madden 08 is about superstars. It's about what weapons (skills) separate Chad Johnson from Ashlie Lelie at wide receiver. It's about being able to recognize the abilities of the best players on the field and taking advantage of match-ups.It's about seeing Ocho Cinco lining up against a rookie corner and crossing another name off of his list.That's what having weapons is all about and it's one of the cool new wrinkles in EA's playbook.But there's a lot more you need to know about weapons, not to mention owner mode and the twitch controls, so here's my list of the five biggest things that stick out in my mind after a night of playing 08.1. Dog Fighting is not a WeaponPeyton Manning's mind is a weapon. The man watches so much film, when he walks to the line of scrimmage and starts doing the hand jive to receivers, sure, some of it is a bluff, but other times he can immediately read the defense's coverage scheme, make the split-second adjustment, and send Marvin Harrison deep for a game-changing play. In real life, that's called Super Bowl MVP. In Madden, the term is Smart Quarterback and it's 1 of 24 superstar abilities in the game. Here's how it works: There is an icon under Manning as he lines up (in fact, anyone who has a special weapon ability has an icon that looks similar to NBA Live's Superstar icons). When you start the game, Manning's icon is gray. The more the defense calls the same plays throughout the game, the more Manning's icon turns to gold. When the icon is completely gold, the guy controlling the offense can hold down the right trigger + LB to reveal the play art of the defense. This is where it becomes a chess match as the offense can quickly hike the ball knowing where to exploit the D or call a hot route or audible if they don't like the match-ups, but at the same time, with defensive hot routes back in the game, the defense can also make adjustments to what the offense is doing. And just like Manning does in real life, you never know who's bluffing and it makes for some great moments of trying to outthink your opponent (while at the same time talking junk to your opponent about how his mom looks like one of Ron Mexico's pitbulls, of course).But Peyton Manning isn't the only smart player on the field. Guys like Ray Lewis and John Lynch are leaders out there on defense and have been designated as Smart Linebacker and Smart Safety. If you have a guy like this on your team and the offense keeps calling the same plays, their meters will turn to gold as well and you'll be able to see what the offense is about to do (everything is revealed but the wide receiver play art).There are Possession Receivers who will make catches in traffic with the tap of Y. Shutdown Corners like Champ who will run stride-for-stride with the best in the game in man coverage (even if there are no guarantees in zone), and Spectacular Catch receivers like Randy Moss (who is always motivated in Madden, making the Patriots ridiculous in this game), who have their own set of animations when it comes to wowing the crowd with their big-play ability.And the cool thing is, for every weapon, there is a counter. For power backs who use the Truck Stick, defenders can use Hit Stick 2.0 to tap down on the right stick and take out their legs. For players like Brett Favre who have a "Cannon Arm", sure he can throw the farthest and with the most velocity, but he is also more likely to overthrow his receivers. Guys like Laurence Maroney carry a wicked "Stiff Arm" as their weapon, but are prone to the defensive strip at the same time.The complete list of weapons includes:# Cannon Arm# Hands# Spectacular Catch# Power Back# Press Coverage# Pass Blocker# Finesse Move Defensive Lineman# Route Running# Power Move Defensive Lineman# Possession Receiver# Shutdown Corner# Smart Quarterback# Stiff Arm Ball Carrier# Smart Safety# Speed# Smart Corner# Smart Linebacker# Big Foot Kicker# Accurate Kicker# Elusive Back# Big Hitter# Accurate Quarterback# Brick Wall Defender# Crushing Run BlockerPlayers also have the ability to play with more than one weapon. For example, Ray Lewis is a Brick Wall Defender, a Smart Linebacker, and a Big Hitter. You will also be able to train players throughout your franchise and give them additional weapons by bumping their ratings up, earning new animations for that player with their new abilities. 2. The Next Jerry JonesA couple of years ago I lucked into a ticket to the Leigh Steinberg party during Super Bowl week. Players like Shaun Alexander are roaming around eating crab while the rich and famous talk about yachts, golf clubs, and private planes (or whatever rich folk discuss at these types of events). Anyway, the drink of the night is Remy Red and champagne, and as I sip and try to act cool, Jerry Jones and his wife walk by. My friend Vick wants to go talk to Jones and drags me with him. He walks up all Iceberg Slim smooth and says, "Jerry, I have someone I'd like you to meet." Jones smiles at Vick and I could tell his brain was working overtime trying to figure out who the hell he was, but Jones is all gracious acting like they're old friends. Vick blows me up, "This is Jon Robinson, Editor-in-Chief of IGN Sports, this is the guy you need to know." Jones sticks out his glass and clinks mine, then his wife does the same. "Pleasure to meet you," he says, then starts asking me about IGN. We probably talked for ten minutes about a variety of random stuff, then after a quick joke, I remembered George Costanza always wanting to leave the room on a high note (yes, everything I do is based off pop culture), clinked his glass and walked away like I owned the place.Ever since then, when something big goes down, my wife likes to buy Remy Red and champagne to celebrate.Why do I bring this up, you ask?Owner mode is back in Madden! According to producer David Ortiz, not only will Owner mode be in Madden for the 360 and PS3, it will include everything that was in the PS2 version and more. We don't have too much info other than that, but the fact that this mode is now confirmed makes me want to break out the Remy Red.3. How Come My Campus Legend Never Got a House for his Family?The more games work together, the happier I am. That's why I was ecstatic to learn that you can take the player you build in Campus Legend mode in NCAA Football 08 and transfer him over to Superstar mode in Madden. That means all of your hard work building up a player doesn't have to end after four Heismans. You can enter the draft like every other hot shot and see if your player turns out to be the next Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf.If you're not into creating players, you can actually play through Superstar mode this year as one of the impact rookies. EA wouldn't specifically say how many rounds deep you can go picking a player, but if you always wanted to be just like Adrian Peterson, now's your chance to see what it's like to run behind that Minnesota line.The guys at EA Sports also guaranteed that the camera angles for all positions have been improved to make the mode more playable, no matter if you want to be Calvin Johnson or JaMarcus Russell, and there is also an addition of something called The Super Sim where you can simulate through a game and jump in to play as your character when you need to make that first down run or sack the QB on third down.4. There's No Such Thing as a Polygonal Blood DiamondFlip on the game and first thing you notice is the new trophy room presentation. Clips of your favorite team are being shown on a giant Jumbotron thanks to NFL Films, and as you scroll around the room, you will see all of your trophies and accomplishments, from the time you ran for 200 yards in a game, to the game where you passed for over 400. The more trophies you earn, the cooler your room looks, not to mention the fact that you will now be able to bet trophies head-to-head and online.But that's not all. The room also has a special showcase section for rings. Think of it as an extension of the Madden Gamer Level from last year. The more you accomplish in Madden, the more your ring starts to fill out. There are 5 rings total you can pimp out, with the first couple your basic gold, but as you work your way through the game, you'll be adding diamonds, even your team logo if you win the Super Bowl in franchise. It's a visual representation of your skill level, and you'll take that ring with you when you play online so people can instantly recognize the bling of a Madden vet or the iceless gold of a newbie.5. The Twitch is BackThe more I played Madden yesterday, the more I was blown away, not just by the flashing eye candy of graphics and animations and gang tackles and 60 frames-per-second, but by the amazing responsiveness of the controls. From spins to stiff arms to jukes to the way you work your receiver back to the ball then sidestep defenders and take it to the house, David Ortiz calls 08 "the most responsive Madden ever" and I have to agree. This is going to be the game where your skills on the stick are the difference between a 5-yard gain and high-stepping 50 yards for the score.The way the animations branch from one move to the next, the ability for runners like L.T. to bounce off a tackle, stiff arm the safety and maintain his balance as he shows everyone why he's the MVP are just so fluid, so smooth at this point, it's amazing to think that the Madden team still has 5 weeks to fine-tune and polish the product before they get ready to ship.Looks like the competition from 2K Sports really does bring out the big guns (and in this case, weapons) from EA.And as always, when there's competition, it's the gamers who benefit most.From what I've played, we could be talking about one of the best Madden experiences in years.</div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MADDEN 08May 18, 2007 - The Bengals have weapons!In most cases those words are followed by flashing lights and sirens. In Madden 08, those weapons make them one of the most dangerous teams in the game (and not just on the streets).You see, Madden 08 is about superstars. It's about what weapons (skills) separate Chad Johnson from Ashlie Lelie at wide receiver. It's about being able to recognize the abilities of the best players on the field and taking advantage of match-ups.It's about seeing Ocho Cinco lining up against a rookie corner and crossing another name off of his list.That's what having weapons is all about and it's one of the cool new wrinkles in EA's playbook.But there's a lot more you need to know about weapons, not to mention owner mode and the twitch controls, so here's my list of the five biggest things that stick out in my mind after a night of playing 08.1. Dog Fighting is not a WeaponPeyton Manning's mind is a weapon. The man watches so much film, when he walks to the line of scrimmage and starts doing the hand jive to receivers, sure, some of it is a bluff, but other times he can immediately read the defense's coverage scheme, make the split-second adjustment, and send Marvin Harrison deep for a game-changing play. In real life, that's called Super Bowl MVP. In Madden, the term is Smart Quarterback and it's 1 of 24 superstar abilities in the game. Here's how it works: There is an icon under Manning as he lines up (in fact, anyone who has a special weapon ability has an icon that looks similar to NBA Live's Superstar icons). When you start the game, Manning's icon is gray. The more the defense calls the same plays throughout the game, the more Manning's icon turns to gold. When the icon is completely gold, the guy controlling the offense can hold down the right trigger + LB to reveal the play art of the defense. This is where it becomes a chess match as the offense can quickly hike the ball knowing where to exploit the D or call a hot route or audible if they don't like the match-ups, but at the same time, with defensive hot routes back in the game, the defense can also make adjustments to what the offense is doing. And just like Manning does in real life, you never know who's bluffing and it makes for some great moments of trying to outthink your opponent (while at the same time talking junk to your opponent about how his mom looks like one of Ron Mexico's pitbulls, of course).But Peyton Manning isn't the only smart player on the field. Guys like Ray Lewis and John Lynch are leaders out there on defense and have been designated as Smart Linebacker and Smart Safety. If you have a guy like this on your team and the offense keeps calling the same plays, their meters will turn to gold as well and you'll be able to see what the offense is about to do (everything is revealed but the wide receiver play art).There are Possession Receivers who will make catches in traffic with the tap of Y. Shutdown Corners like Champ who will run stride-for-stride with the best in the game in man coverage (even if there are no guarantees in zone), and Spectacular Catch receivers like Randy Moss (who is always motivated in Madden, making the Patriots ridiculous in this game), who have their own set of animations when it comes to wowing the crowd with their big-play ability.And the cool thing is, for every weapon, there is a counter. For power backs who use the Truck Stick, defenders can use Hit Stick 2.0 to tap down on the right stick and take out their legs. For players like Brett Favre who have a "Cannon Arm", sure he can throw the farthest and with the most velocity, but he is also more likely to overthrow his receivers. Guys like Laurence Maroney carry a wicked "Stiff Arm" as their weapon, but are prone to the defensive strip at the same time.The complete list of weapons includes:# Cannon Arm# Hands# Spectacular Catch# Power Back# Press Coverage# Pass Blocker# Finesse Move Defensive Lineman# Route Running# Power Move Defensive Lineman# Possession Receiver# Shutdown Corner# Smart Quarterback# Stiff Arm Ball Carrier# Smart Safety# Speed# Smart Corner# Smart Linebacker# Big Foot Kicker# Accurate Kicker# Elusive Back# Big Hitter# Accurate Quarterback# Brick Wall Defender# Crushing Run BlockerPlayers also have the ability to play with more than one weapon. For example, Ray Lewis is a Brick Wall Defender, a Smart Linebacker, and a Big Hitter. You will also be able to train players throughout your franchise and give them additional weapons by bumping their ratings up, earning new animations for that player with their new abilities. 2. The Next Jerry JonesA couple of years ago I lucked into a ticket to the Leigh Steinberg party during Super Bowl week. Players like Shaun Alexander are roaming around eating crab while the rich and famous talk about yachts, golf clubs, and private planes (or whatever rich folk discuss at these types of events). Anyway, the drink of the night is Remy Red and champagne, and as I sip and try to act cool, Jerry Jones and his wife walk by. My friend Vick wants to go talk to Jones and drags me with him. He walks up all Iceberg Slim smooth and says, "Jerry, I have someone I'd like you to meet." Jones smiles at Vick and I could tell his brain was working overtime trying to figure out who the hell he was, but Jones is all gracious acting like they're old friends. Vick blows me up, "This is Jon Robinson, Editor-in-Chief of IGN Sports, this is the guy you need to know." Jones sticks out his glass and clinks mine, then his wife does the same. "Pleasure to meet you," he says, then starts asking me about IGN. We probably talked for ten minutes about a variety of random stuff, then after a quick joke, I remembered George Costanza always wanting to leave the room on a high note (yes, everything I do is based off pop culture), clinked his glass and walked away like I owned the place.Ever since then, when something big goes down, my wife likes to buy Remy Red and champagne to celebrate.Why do I bring this up, you ask?Owner mode is back in Madden! According to producer David Ortiz, not only will Owner mode be in Madden for the 360 and PS3, it will include everything that was in the PS2 version and more. We don't have too much info other than that, but the fact that this mode is now confirmed makes me want to break out the Remy Red.3. How Come My Campus Legend Never Got a House for his Family?The more games work together, the happier I am. That's why I was ecstatic to learn that you can take the player you build in Campus Legend mode in NCAA Football 08 and transfer him over to Superstar mode in Madden. That means all of your hard work building up a player doesn't have to end after four Heismans. You can enter the draft like every other hot shot and see if your player turns out to be the next Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf.If you're not into creating players, you can actually play through Superstar mode this year as one of the impact rookies. EA wouldn't specifically say how many rounds deep you can go picking a player, but if you always wanted to be just like Adrian Peterson, now's your chance to see what it's like to run behind that Minnesota line.The guys at EA Sports also guaranteed that the camera angles for all positions have been improved to make the mode more playable, no matter if you want to be Calvin Johnson or JaMarcus Russell, and there is also an addition of something called The Super Sim where you can simulate through a game and jump in to play as your character when you need to make that first down run or sack the QB on third down.4. There's No Such Thing as a Polygonal Blood DiamondFlip on the game and first thing you notice is the new trophy room presentation. Clips of your favorite team are being shown on a giant Jumbotron thanks to NFL Films, and as you scroll around the room, you will see all of your trophies and accomplishments, from the time you ran for 200 yards in a game, to the game where you passed for over 400. The more trophies you earn, the cooler your room looks, not to mention the fact that you will now be able to bet trophies head-to-head and online.But that's not all. The room also has a special showcase section for rings. Think of it as an extension of the Madden Gamer Level from last year. The more you accomplish in Madden, the more your ring starts to fill out. There are 5 rings total you can pimp out, with the first couple your basic gold, but as you work your way through the game, you'll be adding diamonds, even your team logo if you win the Super Bowl in franchise. It's a visual representation of your skill level, and you'll take that ring with you when you play online so people can instantly recognize the bling of a Madden vet or the iceless gold of a newbie.5. The Twitch is BackThe more I played Madden yesterday, the more I was blown away, not just by the flashing eye candy of graphics and animations and gang tackles and 60 frames-per-second, but by the amazing responsiveness of the controls. From spins to stiff arms to jukes to the way you work your receiver back to the ball then sidestep defenders and take it to the house, David Ortiz calls 08 "the most responsive Madden ever" and I have to agree. This is going to be the game where your skills on the stick are the difference between a 5-yard gain and high-stepping 50 yards for the score.The way the animations branch from one move to the next, the ability for runners like L.T. to bounce off a tackle, stiff arm the safety and maintain his balance as he shows everyone why he's the MVP are just so fluid, so smooth at this point, it's amazing to think that the Madden team still has 5 weeks to fine-tune and polish the product before they get ready to ship.Looks like the competition from 2K Sports really does bring out the big guns (and in this case, weapons) from EA.And as always, when there's competition, it's the gamers who benefit most.From what I've played, we could be talking about one of the best Madden experiences in years.</div>
Watch videos of both of them.