‘Madden NFL 10’ still super game as we reach Super Bowl

Nearly six months have passed since the release of “Madden NFL 10,” and I’m still getting mileage out of the game.

Many critics — including myself — have argued this year’s version is the best game in the franchise.

The unprecedented depth in the game continues to make it one of the more popular games on Xbox Live, where online franchises are still flourishing as the actual NFL season ends with Sunday’s Super Bowl.

“Madden NFL 09” had online franchises, but it didn’t offer near the comprehensive options of this year’s edition.

Online franchises have become a staple of all sports games, giving gamers a chance to simulate full-length NBA, NFL, NCAA or MLB seasons. This year’s feature played much more like an actual NFL season than an online league. The developers added a deeper free agency mode and a more realistic NFL Draft.

The game also introduced a much more realistic gameplay simulation. The player’s ratings were more consistent with their actual NFL counterparts. Yes, guys like Tennessee running back Chris Johnson and Philadelphia receiver DeSean Jackson are blazing fast. But that is the exception rather than the rule.

Reducing many players’ attributes made the game more realistic when playing online.

It became much harder for an opponent to just throw deep passes to receivers on every play, and it played like a true NFL simulation.

The game’s playability has also stayed strong thanks to the additions made by the developers.

EA Sports recently released a downloadable mode called “Madden Ultimate Team.”

The mode allows gamers to accumulate coins through earning certain gameplay achievements which, in turn, can be spent on packs of cards. As a player buys more packs, they get more cards, and eventually build an ultimate team with the players from the cards.

For anyone who hasn’t played the game yet, this weekend might be a good time to gear up your game system with the Super Bowl coming on Sunday.