Madden 09 is a beautiful education in gridiron football. This version has lifted the series to the next level.
User Rating: 9.5 | Madden NFL 09 X360
I have experienced the Madden franchise since it's infancy. Madden is a pleasure to play. The gameplay is so much like the real thing. As a youth football coach, I have actually told my players that their homework was to go home and play "Madden". The 2009 version of the Madden series has lifted it to a new level. I appreciate that the playbooks are very congruent for the last few years. It makes being a long-term addict easier. The tweaks to the running game and the inclusion of "lead blocker" are excellent. The growth of the audible system is very intuitive and fun to use. There is one thing I find truly shocking, however: it is the live, in-game ads that are present on the menu screen!! I can overlook it, even though it is somewhat invasive, because this game fulfills my spiritual requirement for football. 
