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Madden NFL 10

(2009, Video Games - Sports, Rated E, Play it on: Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Xbox 360, iPhone, iPod)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 6, age appropriate for kids over 8; suggested age 8.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Excellent football game for players of all ages, skills.

In this game kids can:   get active, improve hand-eye coordination, play multiplayer games, play with others, strategize

Why We Rated This on for Ages 8 and Up

The good stuff

  • Ease of play:

    The game offers a number of tutotials to help players learn the game, plus the analog stick support (in Xbox 360 and PS3 versions) makes it easier to throw and catch balls. The Wii version relies on motion-sensing, which works well, too, as you can pretend to throw the football by swinging the Wii Remote. In addition, the Wii version has something called "point and pass" which makes it drop dead simple to play the game as well as other extras including an all-new, four-player party mode.
  • Educational value:

    Players can learn the game of football or in the GM mode, how to run a team.
  • Messages:

    This game demonstrates the fun of participating in sports and working as a team to accomplish a goal.
  • Role models:

    In real life, football players are role models, though that's not always a good thing (e.g. Michael Vick).

     

 

What to watch out for

  • Online interaction:

    The game adds a number of online modes but be aware that kids could chat with others online using a headset and might hear inappropriate language.

  • Violence:

    This is a pro football game, which includes tackling, but other than that, there is no violence in the game.
  • Sex:

     

     

  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    ESPN is mentioned a lot as EA Sports has entered a partnership with them and the NFL, to give the game more of a broadcast feel.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Madden NFL 10 was written by Marc Saltzman

Parents need to know this football simulation game is appropriate for players of all ages, but if you deem football too violent, then you won't want your kids playing this. Overall, though, it's a great footbal game for kids to play and might encourage kids to play the real sport with their friends. Parents of younger children should be cautious of playing online with a headset because children may hear language that is inappropriate.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about whether or not EA Sports should release a new game every year or should the publisher allow a free download to update team rosters for existing gamers (which you can do only until the end of a current season).
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More on Madden NFL 10

What’s the Story?

Like clockwork, a new version of Madden NFL kicks off each August, giving football fans new features to play around with while retaining the ones that worked well from previous years. This formula works well for fans -- and EA Sports, too, as the publisher sells a gazillion copies of the game year after year. Here's the basics of MADDEN NFL 10: this is the only football game that lets you play as or against any NFL team, in realistically recreated stadiums, in a handful of single-player and multiplayer modes (including support for online matches). This year's version adds a number of improvements such as more responsive player handling, incredibly fluid animation (including up to nine-man gang tackles) and in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, photorealistic players that would truly cause passersby to do a double-take because this game looks like a televised NFL game. Close

Is It Any Good?

While not flawless, Madden NFL 10 is one of the better football offerings in recent memory. While it falls just short of pigskin perfection, Madden NFL 10 won't disappoint finicky football fans thanks to its tighter controls, high production values, and new modes including an online co-op option (tackle the CPU together on the same team) and an impressively deep franchise mode, now supporting up to 32 friends with real NFL scheduling and live drafts -- all manageable from your console, on a PC, or via a downloadable iPhone app. Some of last year's fun features are back, too, such as the Madden Test hologram drills. And for younger children, the Wii version makes playing the game simple with something called "point and pass" as well as other extras including an all-new, four-player party mode.

But Madden NFL 10 still needs work in its defensive Artificial Intelligence (which is inconsistent at best) as well as play-by-play commentary (it sounds bland or repetitive), but overall is an extraordinary game that should yield many weeks -- nay, months -- of football fun for the entire family.

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Publisher’s Details

Released on 8/14/2009, price $59.99, online enabled
ESRB rating: E (for (No Descriptors))

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  •  I think this game is

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See all 6 member reviews

Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive consumerism

    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models
    • Safety isn't an issue

    Perfect for tweens, difficult for smaller persons

    I love this game because of it's great graphics (even though I've never played it for PSP). It's really hard at first but then once you know how to play it gets easy.

  2. Adult Reviewer
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Easy to play

    This is got to be the best Madden game by far.

    This is one of the best games I got for free from amazon. But I'm a big Madden fan anyway. Again thank god I got this game for free at amazon. bit.ly/tzFEv

  3. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • Easy to play

    Love Football? Hate Football? Try this game either way your gonaa love it

    This game is awesome it gives you the actual feel as if your playing.Great graphics, and gameplay make for a great game.

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 4.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Easy to play

  5. Parent Reviewer
    I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Easy to play

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