It is hard to believe that Madden games have been around for 20 years. That is a serious accomplishment in and of itself. No other franchise has consistently released a game each year and remained a top-selling game. While there have been a few missteps (quarterback vision anyone?) this series really has improved with each iteration. This year is no different, there is a plethora of features that gamers will find out they cannot live without in a football game.

\When players first boot up the game, they will notice a major change. John Madden comes up and asks if players would like to participate in a skills test. It is highly recommended that players do this as it sets up their Madden IQ and their "My Skill" difficulty level. My skill really changes after each game, depending on player's performance. This is a good way for the computer AI to adjust to how gamers play and give them more of a challenge. The main problem is that at times it overworks itself. For instance if players have a great wide receiver they always pass to, the defense will step-up on its pass protection to where it is near to impossible for that particular player to get the ball. Thankfully the developers allow players to adjust the skill level, so players will always get to play the game to where they think it is fair.

To help newer players learn the ins-and-outs of the game, EA has included the new Backtrack feature. This tool breaks down players and shows players what they could have done under the same circumstances. When players make a mistake Cris Collinsworth will break down the entire play and show players where they went wrong, and how they can improve on the play next time they are in the same situation. This is a great tool that really helps any gamer become a better Madden player in a short amount of time.

Hot chocolate is must on a day like this.

One feature that players will either love to death or hate is the EA Sports Rewind. This allows players have a "do-over" for any play they wish. When players are loading a game they can choose between one, three, five, or unlimited rewinds they will have access to. While many players might be turned off by this idea, they will find that they will be using it more then they think, especially by a few cheap calls by the referees. If players do not want to use this feature they can turn it off from the Team Select screen.

Since celebrations are a big part of scoring a touchdown, the developers of Madden NFL 09 decided to incorporate this into this year's game. When players make a touchdown, they will see a big box on in the end zone. If players can reach that box in time and press the right button, the football player will do a celebration, and it also changes depending on the player and the position they are at in the end zone. While this is not a huge addition to the gameplay, it does add more realism to the sport, since a lot of the players do celebrate after a touchdown is made.

The staples of this series are back in this game, and they are better than ever. As always there is the Exhibition, Superstar, and Franchise mode that will consume player's lives for months. This year there are two new additions: Madden Moments and Online leagues. Madden Moments will have players reliving some of the classic moments from last year football season, and seeing if they can change history.

Someone is about to feel pain.

Players have been clamoring for an online league system for years now, but the developers didn't fully deliver on the promise. When players go online they will find that the Online Leagues is a real bare bones system where 32 different players can go online, pick a team, and then try to win the championship trophy, and there is nothing more than that. While it seems to work in theory, it is really lacking in the feature department. Nevertheless it is a great foundation for Madden NFL 2010 can build upon.

This year EA really stepped it up with the graphics department. The player models look fantastic and are chalked full of details. This is also complimented by the new player animations, which will have the players moving a lot more realistically then they have in past games. Players will especially enjoy the new tackling animations as they look great as well as painful at the same time. The stadiums looked better than ever, and this is due to the more lively crowds. After years the developers have finally added the needed details to the spectators and it is a great addition because it makes the game feel more realistic.

The sound for this game is great. The developers at EA have finally heard gamers pleas and have added commentary from Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond in the broadcasting booth, which makes the game feel better. For the most part their commentary is really accurate, but there will be occasions when players will wonder if they were looking at the same game they are playing.

Don't drop the ball...don't drop the ball...

Each year the sound effects seem to get a nice overhaul as the on-the-field sounds bring the game closer to realism. Players will love hearing the various smack talk going on the field before the ball is hiked. The developers also have gotten the sound of bone crunching tackles down perfectly, but it also unnerving hearing them as they rattle through the subwoofer and the speakers. As always the developers picked a nice mix of music from various genres, so players are bound to find something they like.

Madden NFL 09 is rated E for Everyone. It will take up to 41MB for game saves, supports HDTV 720p/1080i/1080p, in-game Dolby Digital, and custom soundtracks.

Gameplay: 8.8
Madden has not changed its core gameplay in 20 years, and there is a reason for this. Sure there are tweaks made each year that improve it, but overall it feels the same with new additions that gamers cannot live without.

Graphics: 9.1
EA really stepped up this year with the graphics department and it shows. The character models look fantastic, in part due to the attention to small details. Also the player animations are a sight to behold. While this game runs at a solid 60 fps, there is some occasional framerate hiccups that does distract from the gameplay.

Sound: 8.7
Adding commentary by Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond really improves the game four-fold. The only thing that would have been a slight improvement is the delivery by John Madden needs a little more finesse. The on-field sound effects are still great from the name calling and the bone-crunching tackles. As always the soundtrack is great to listen to and what people expect from EA.

Difficulty: Medium
The Madden IQ and the My Skill is not as wonderful as the developers hoped that it would be. This is a great new feature but it still needs a little work. I personally found the game to be easier because the AI couldn't keep up, although at times the AI would crush me due to an over compensation when players have a blow out against a lower-ranked team. Thankfully players can still manually adjust this feature.

Concept: 8.4
There are many new features in this game that make it better than ever. One of my personal favorites is the new rewind feature that basically gives players a "mulligan" on a single play. I think that this is a great feature, especially if you ever get cheated on by a stupid call by the referee.

Multiplayer: 8.2
Finally gamers get the chance to create online leagues, but it feels that the developers put this addition is as just an "afterthought" to please the fans that wanted it in there. Hopefully next year the developers will really flesh this out even more.

Overall: 8.9
Madden NFL 09 proves that a franchise can last 20 years due to the developers constantly adding new features to improve the core gameplay, without making to many radical changes. 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. I can only ponder what new features will be added in the future, and will be happy to be first in line to try them out.