Here we are with the football season upon us and, of course, with the iPhone and iPod touch at a popularity high, we want this week's roundup to revolve around NFL video games. Three games stood out as we gathered together the best apps for this story. Today, we're going to highlight EA's Madden 10, Gameloft's NFL2010, and Chillingo's Super Shock Football.
Madden has been dominating the football game market for the past 20 years. EA Games has now released the first version of Madden for the iPhone into the App Store. Now there is quite a rivalry between Madden 10 and NFL2010 and gamers face a tough decision.
Graphics are good, but not as good as we would have expected. They look like console graphics from some time ago, but do not compare to what we see today. They are adequate for the platform, though. Sounds are decent, with the obligatory John Madden comments and helmet-to-helmet sound effects. Madden 10 allows you to play music from your own library, so you can skip the included tracks if you wish. Controls work well and offer a lot of options with just a simple tap or two.
Multiplayer should be included in a future update, as well as roster updates, which will add a lot to the game. Replay value is huge. After all, it's a Madden football game. You know you'll be playing it until the next one comes out. It is comparable to Gameloft's NFL2010, though each offers a great gaming experience and some attributes that the other lacks. If you can afford it, you might want to go ahead and get both. Madden 10 rolls into the app store at the expected $9.99 and will likely remain that way for most of the season. Madden hauls in a solid 4-Star touchdown pass, taking this grudge match against rival NFL2010 into OT.
Being released as the first full-featured football game for the iPhone, NFL2010 by Gamloft is designed to deliver. Of course, Madden 10 will be the title all comparisons are made by. Yet, in our reviewing NFL2010, we were excited to see it holds up and stands tall against its 20-year-old rival.
We really were shocked by the stunning visuals in NFL2020. Madden 10 better watch our as this smaller competitor is racking up to be a huge success. All the audio sounds are pleasing. Controls are well honed and respond appropriately to our commands. Some functionality does feel absent as the plays come off as preplanned. We felt like we just set them up and then watch them unfold in front of us. However, we did like the Kicking plays as we felt these offered the most control with aiming and power. This was probably our favorite aspect of the gameplay.
Gameloft really impresses with NFL2010, their first effort at iPhone football gaming. This will be on our most-played list for some time to come. The $7.99 price is a bit steep, but it is lower than Madden 10 and it's a huge savings when compared to console games. We have to give NFL2010 a 4-Star rating as well.
Chillingo has taken a different approach with Super Shock Football by basing it on the electric football gaming style. It won't replace Madden 10 or NFL2010, but it does present some coolness with vibrating players and other additions that justify it as a worthy contender.
Super Shock Football is a visual masterpiece - we loved the 2D players all zigzagging around the 3D environment. The game presents a top-down view when setting up your players but then it rotates to an on-field angle for play watching. Audio effects are very enjoyable as you can hear the little men humming as they vibrate around the field. Crowd noise and whistling add to the entire effect of being in a virtual stadium. Every game control mechanism can be accomplished with a single finger. At the bottom of the screen you'll see the usual stats like scores, time remaining, etc. These are a tad difficult to read, but they are not distracting from the game itself. A few options can be set like length of the quarter, and the number of players on each team.
Clearly, there are other games available for a more authentic football experience, but Super Shock Football is in a league of its own for nostalgia and humorous gameplay. If you don't take this game too seriously, it is an absolute blast. Replay value is very high, as anything can happen and the eventual outcomes are so random that no two games will be anywhere close to the same. Chillingo has priced Super Shock Football at $1.99 for a limited time, a very fair price for an enjoyable experience. Super Shock Football is worthy of a 5-Dimple touchdown dance.
The iPhone and iPod touch have skyrocketed to true gaming platforms in little over a year. We wanted to put together this NFL video games review for your benefit, but had no idea each would perform so well. All the titles: Madden 10, NFL2010, and Super Shock Football prove they are a few of the best apps available in the App Store at present.
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