For the past few years, Madden games have been riddled with too many turnovers, or a "lateral" button that makes you fumble accidentally, or other dumb little mistakes. But finally, Madden NFL 09 brings back fantastic pro ball that is perfect and addictive.
You begin by taking a brief test to see how good you are at running, passing and defending. The game then adjusts the difficulty level. Next, you have a bundle of choices. You can play a one-off game immediately. You can start a whole season. You can draft college kids and, as usual, trade your players or buy free agents.
The game play itself is flawless and beautifully illustrated. It's a breeze to change a play at the line of scrimmage, whether you want to call an audible or merely put a man in motion. And, of course, you can play against real gamers online.
This is what I call an all-year game. It is worth the price of admission, because you will play it all year long, even though the other people in your home might wish you wouldn't.