It's another year and there's yet another entry for the EA sports juggernaut known as Madden. Last year saw a dramatic increase in the quality of the next-gen versions, due to a culmination of new and old features that finally proved that EA was capable of both improving and adding to a nineteen year old formula. Now, with its twentieth anniversary upon us, Madden 09 adds several new features and reworks some of the older ones. However, these changes are not as extensive as they could have been, and even those most heralded seem to be lacking something. All in all, this year's Madden has a lot to offer fans of the franchise.

The 09 edition opens with a digitized John Madden explaining this year's newest feature, the Madden IQ. After the brief presentation, players must complete four separate drills which encompass the basic fundamentals of the game: passing, rushing, pass defense, and rush defense. Each drill takes place on a holographic football field with non-descript blue and red players filling in. As drills are completed, the difficulty ramps up until players fail, moving them to the next task. When finished, an overall score is calculated between rookie and all Madden, and totaled to equal your Madden IQ. This is Madden's attempt at leveling the playing field by custom tailoring the difficulty to the player's skill level, as opposed to the standard cookie cutter difficulties of previous years. As players complete games, the sliders either increase or decrease based on their prowess on the field. It even allows you to retrain based on in-game performance, providing more of a challenge as you move forward.

This is still very much Madden, but with a few new enhancements.

Additionally, those who know little about actual football or are unfamiliar with Madden can have more simplified playbooks. Although many of the new features in the game are designed for those who have never played Madden before, these often fail, because no matter how simplified things get, those who have been playing for years will almost always walk all over new players. In an effort to try and level this playing field, two other abilities were added. One is called the backtrack feature, and it's a fantastic addition. Cris Collinsworth gives an in-depth analysis of why a play failed, whether it's a fumble or a pick, and this can really help players figure out what went wrong. On the flipside, EA also included a feature that was originally tested out on the original PlayStation to negative results: the ability to rewind. Originally called a Mulligan, this allows players to entirely rewind a play and try it again. Although it's meant to make things easier, it's annoying for a great play to get reversed simply by the press of a button from a less skilled player.

Even though this year's game is seemingly geared towards newcomers, veterans are provided with a few new tricks as well. Plays can be changed without changing formation, meaning that savvy players are now able to walk up to the line in one formation and change their play on the fly, throwing off opponents that like to jump routes. Another old feature making a return is the ability to have players run to the first down marker. Although it's something players should do automatically, it's just another thing that makes the gameplay feel more refined. Defensively, there are some enhancements as well, with the ability to spotlight specific opponents. This will enhance coverage on any player you choose, which helps when there is a threat on the field. This doesn't necessarily shut down receivers with real skill, but it at least makes the playing field a bit more level.

Some of these features actually hurt the game a bit, though. For instance, the smart route option seems to make slant and out routes even more open than in previous seasons, meaning that even mediocre quarterbacks will connect far too often with tight ends. Additionally, passing has once again taken the front seat, as running the ball has become exceedingly difficult. Even great running backs can struggle to find a lane, as players often jump right into a gap as soon as it opens. Also, linebackers are back to their old jumping tricks of a few years ago, wherein they jump ten feet off the ground to pick off the ball.

On the game mode front, there are a few new upgrades. Franchise mode is fairly similar to last year, and Superstar is identical, past the inclusion of the normal Madden camera. Although it's disappointing that Superstar has no new upgrades to its core mechanics, the new camera actually makes it playable this year. EA has also included something called the "Madden Challenge", which is something that has existed in some versions for years. Although they are touting it as new, it's simply the ability to play a series of downs, or a single situational play. These run the gamut, and while reliving plays like David Tyree's Superbowl catch from last year is vaguely interesting, it's not something that really adds much to the game.

The visuals have received a noticeable upgrade.

Online multiplayer includes a new addition that players have been clamoring for: online leagues. The inclusion of this mode finally allows players to organize their friends and play a season together, with one serious exception: there's no inclusion of a playoff system or even a Super Bowl. As a result, once you've reached the end of a season, the person with the best record wins, even if the final game is a tie. It's a shame, because this is the only significant online addition and it doesn't even have the features necessary to make it a mainstay. The online gameplay itself hasn't gotten much of an upgrade, though it seems to play a bit more smoothly and with less lag than in previous years. Unfortunately, disconnections can sometimes be a problem.

Two of the most welcome additions to this year's game lie in its updated graphics and announcing. Since the next-gen launch, Madden has featured a tinny in-game "radio" announcer that was often a few steps behind the gameplay and extremely repetitive. Thankfully he's been replaced by Cris Collinsworth, one of the best current announcers in terms of actual football knowledge, and he translates extremely well into the game. Despite the fact that he's also joined in the booth by uninspired play-by-play announcer Tom Hammond, Collinsworth's calls may be the highlight of the entire game, as he mixes a strong knowledge of football with interesting tidbits about players, stats, and position on the field.

In the graphics department, Madden 09 has also gained a significant boost, as stadiums no longer seem like blurry zoomed out messes. Players have the option to perform end zone dances after a touchdown in specific hotspots, jumping towards the better looking crowd. Additionally, the players have been upgraded accordingly and their scale, among other things, seems to be far more accurate than in past titles. The animation has also been updated, although some of the old issues still exist. Players still have problems running around after plays because the animation sometimes leads players out of bounds after they catch a ball on the sideline adjacent to the QB. The best looking visual update involves the weather, and snow and rain both look great. Blizzards realistically make spots in the distance difficult to see, while rain creates mud that dynamically builds up on players' jerseys.

Although this year's Madden seems to be missing the major upgrades of last year's title, it still feels like a good step forward for the franchise, even if many of the new upgrades seem to hearken back to older, previously discontinued features. That said, the game's focus on more accessible gameplay doesn't work well enough, so newcomers should approach with caution. Ultimately, Madden NFL 09 offers just enough to fans to warrant a purchase. Although meager, the new additions do help the game feel like it's worth the price of admission.