Madden NFL 11

Did You Know?

• For the first time in the series, fans voted for the cover athlete; the choices were Alex Smith, Drew Brees, Jared Allen, and Reggie Wayne, with Drew Brees winning.
• In August 2010, Time Warner offered a free copy of Madden NFL 11 and a Making of Madden NFL DVD with a paid subscription to Sports Illustrated.
• A similar offer with Sports Illustrated was made in 2009 for Madden NFL 10.

Features

The 2010 installment of the Madden NFL series introduced a play-calling system called GameFlow, which creates a situational game plan based on down and distance and was advertised to reduce playing time by up to half compared to previous versions. Another new mode, Online Team Play, supports 3 vs. 3 cooperative play. Players can scout opponents in online head-to-head games for a competitive edge. Other additions include a new kick meter, a new audible system, and an improved locomotion animation system.

Gus Johnson replaced Tom Hammond as play-by-play commentator, with Cris Collinsworth returning as color commentator. The superstar mode was removed from the Wii version. Madden Ultimate Team, a downloadable game mode released on January 7, 2011, allows users to build a team by purchasing player packs with coins earned in-game or with real money through PlayStation Network or Xbox Live accounts.

Reception

The game received positive reviews. GameRankings and Metacritic gave the Xbox 360 version scores of 85.71% and 84 out of 100, respectively; the PlayStation 3 version received 85.40% and 83 out of 100; the iPhone version got 79% and 78 out of 100; the iPad version scored 77 out of 100; and the Wii version received 76.50% and 75 out of 100. GamePro awarded the Xbox 360 version four-and-a-half stars out of five, noting that hardcore players might not appreciate all changes but casual fans would find much to like.

The same site gave the iPhone version four stars out of five, praising the on-screen players and stadium visuals. The Escapist gave the Xbox 360 version five stars, stating the game made a skeptic a believer. The A.V. Club gave the same version a B+, calling it a refreshing change of pace for newcomers and veterans alike. The Daily Telegraph gave the Xbox 360 version eight out of ten, expressing a new appreciation for the sport.

Ultimate Team received negative feedback regarding Player Contracts attached to each player card; cards have a ten-game contract that decreases each game, and replenishing contracts requires coins, making it difficult to maintain a good team without spending real money.