As you can see, the in-game graphics are really good, while the crowd looks a little fuzzy. This is no big deal as you never interact with the crowd. The Vita graphics here look great and it is easy to play.
As with all Madden versions, the game appears to be an NFL broadcast complete with crowd noise and announcers telling you what happened and providing color. When I first played the game, my wife thought I was watching an NFL game on TV and only realized that I was on a game when she walked into the living room. While remaining faithful to the Madden production experience, there were some rough edges. On a few occasions, the announcers got the wrong down (telling me that is was second down when it was third), and the canned responses by the announcers seemed to be less numerous than on the PS3 version. Overall, though, the audio gives you the sense that the game that you are playing is a pro broadcast, just like the PS3 version of the game.
Touch Screen Control
Identifying a player to control is easy: just tap on the player on the touchscreen. This is really handy; you must use a controller to navigate that on the PS3. It is one area where the Vita comes out in front. Here is what you see:
Browns defender TJ Ward is selected, and you can see that he’s to drop back in a zone in this defense by the blue circled area. You can easily change out the player to control by touching the player. Easy.
Another cool feature of playing Madden with the Vita touchscreen is the ability to draw a receiver’s route on the screen. I came up in a run, noticed that the defensive backs were in man-to-man and the linebackers were all going to come at me, so I audibled to a pass and drew a sprint route for the wide receiver down the left side of the field. That audible created a 68 yard touchdown pass, with 37 of those yards after the catch. The audible process on the PS3 would take a few button mashes, but there is not a way to draw out the audible route for the receiver. This brings a higher level of control to your audible. Very cool!
Motion Sensor
This is another cool Vita feature that comes in handy. Getting a back to change direction is easy when you tilt the Vita; the back responds. I still tend to use the analog stick to change direction as old habits die hard, but I am learning to use the motion sensor to enhance my game play.
Statistics
One of the fun features of Madden has always been the in-game statistics. The Vita version does not disappoint. The full game statistics are captured, just like on the PS3 version. This one made me smile a bit:
And this one:
I think it’s fair to say that unless I am playing Madden, I won’t see a Browns offense rush for 188 yards and pass for 183 yards, and I ‘m pretty sure that Colt McCoy is not going to be putting up a QB rating of 133.1 and passing for 191 yards against Pittsburgh any time soon, but hey this is a game, right?
Gameplay Modes
I usually play Madden in franchise or practice modes, both of which are available on the Vita. They play just like they do on the PS3 and that is a really good thing. Online mode is available as well, although I did not play it, but that capability is a good thing as it is one of the more popular features of the Madden franchise. EA has delivered substantially the same set of gameplay modes for the Vita version, meaning that you can get your Madden fix while one the move. Very nicely done!
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