JOYSTICKLER: The Eagles reign supreme in Madden NFL 12

POSTED: Thursday, September 8, 2011, 12:00 PM

Filed Under: Video Games

Michael Vick in Madden NFL 12. Looks real, huh?

Shawn Proctor sets his controller aside to hash out the goods, bads and uglies of the latest games and gadgets.

BACKGROUND: Yo, it’s been a good decade for the Eagles, especially during the Michael Vick era, a time when the Linc’s scoreboard lights up like a pinball machine.

The rest of the league is running scared. Want proof? Look no further than Madden NFL 12. When Electronic Arts simulated the regular season, the Birds went 12-4 and Vick logged career numbers on his way to winning League MVP. What fan wouldn’t be thrilled with an Eagles QB passing for 29 TDs and nearly 4,000 yards?

Every ESPN expert, save one, picked Philadelphia to win the division this year, and EA even released a video specifically to help Madden players slow down the Eagles razzle dazzle offensive attack.

You almost have to feel bad for the Giants, ‘Skins and Cowboys. Not really.

PREVIEW: The trailers and E3 videos for Madden look amazing, almost like you’re watching a real game on television. The camera angles pan through the sidelines and locker rooms. Game designers even captured the tiny green sticker quarterbacks wear on the back of their helmets. Fans demand insane levels of realism and EA delivers.

These are graphics designed for the huge flat-screen television in your basement. Just don’t be surprised if you grab your controller when watching the Eagles on Sunday by mistake.

TIPS: EA recommends that you learn to pump-fake during your receiver’s first move to freeze the cornerback. Hey, if it works for Aaron Rodgers, it’ll work for you, too.

Also, with the league’s lock out, the team rosters aren’t current. Make sure to download the update as soon as you get the game.

COMPARISONS: With the exclusive agreement between EA and the NFL, if you want to play an NFL video game this is the only option. Luckily, the game is a product of an evolution, building upon past successes. Except for having to endure the thoroughly mediocre announcing of Cris Collinsworth, it’s a monopoly where everyone wins.

FINAL SAY: I have played football games going all the way back to Tecmo Bowl and the early Madden games. As the graphics improved, the control suffered to the point where the fantasy — that you were playing in an actual game — diminished.

EA has brought balance between graphics and game play back to the Madden games. It’s a grid-iron winner: Vick looks, runs, and passes just like the real thing. He also takes a hit so hard I got flashbacks to that playoff game against the Packers. Here’s hoping both Vicks avoid the big sack and win the Super Bowl for the City of Brotherly Love.

(@shawnproctor)

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