It is finally here. I've been waiting on this EP for a while. Bars & NoBull is still on rotation until this day. I'm gonna be honest, I don't know what Jeese's direction or what "The One Day" even means. But the music indeed made up for it. I liked that he started the tape off with "Spiderman On Vitamins". I really like that song a lot and it made me hype to listen to the project. And "One Day feat. Eric Sosa" was a good look as a follow up track. I'm a Eric Sosa fan and the collab was a good look. Had no idea they even had music in the works lol. The song came out great and this might be one of my favorite songs I've heard from Jesse. I noticed this EP doesn't have any songs produced by Spills. The JA x Spills combo on Bars & NoBull and was hoping I'd see more on of that on this project. I didn't get my wish but I'm not let down at all. The production on this EP is way better than the Bars & NoBull tape. Shit songs also. On the previous project it got really weak in the middle. I can honestly say that on this EP I was interested from "Spiderman On Vitamins" to "Life Is A Free Throw". Production and overall song writing was stepped up big time on this project. Progession was made in that short amount of time. Standout tracks are "One Day", "I Wanna Hear Y'all" and "Play On". I actually had "Play On" on repeat. That !llmind beat was crazy as hell. But overall this was a very strong go around by Jesse. I'm impressed even off playing his last tape to the ground. I now have new music to play to the ground lol. Good shit Jesse. And good luck topping this on this next go around. Won't be an easy task lol. With that said.........
The name of this project is "Bars & NoBull". It's obviously a play off the book company "Barnes & Noble", but it pretty much describes the tape perfectly. I've heard Jesse's music plenty of times before I heard this tape and I really didn't know exactly what to expect on this one. When I turned it on the tape instantly grabbed my attention with the hilarious intro. Intro reminded me of the two old dudes on the muppets that use to heckle and judge every thing that the muppet characters did throughout the show. Gave me a little chuckle and brought back a lot of memories. That's always a plus for me. The next track is "Yoga". I've actually been bumping Yoga for a while (since he dropped it as a single) so I just went ahead and skipped it. With that said I would still say it is a standout track on the tape. Then we get into track 3. "Just Gettin' Goin" is a banger and I ran it back a couple times before actually getting to track 4 "Who's That?". Which is also a banger. The production on most of the tape is amazing. That plus Jesse unique flow made it hard to skip over much. You had to just bop your head and take a listen to what he was saying. But I will say there was a weak part in the tape that had me worried for a second. From track 5-7 was hard to listen to. I wasn't feeling those at all. The beats on those were weak and I felt like topics on those weren't appealing to me at all. I couldn't even listen to "Digit" all the way through, very unbearable to listen to. At this point I was going to count Jesse out but he proved me wrong with "Don't Taze Me". On this track he paid homage to the classic Don't Taze Me Bro youtube video. That's just full of win just naming after that. But the story on track is amazing. Definitely sounded like a very adventurous night and I wouldn't have minded experiencing it lol. From this track on the tape was solid as hell. Standout tracks on this would be "Yoga" "Don't Taze Me" and "Word of Mouth". All produced by Spills. That should tell you something. Gonna end it here. The tape is very solid and original. I can honestly say I've never heard a tape quite like that. And the subject matter is pretty original. Since when have you heard a track about girls doing Yoga? I'll answer that for you, never! Good job. Like I said early those 3 songs in my opinion almost killed the tape for me. Only real thing I saw wrong with it. And I'm looking forward to seeing more work from Jesse in the near future. With that said.........
If you follow me on twitter its pretty damn obvious I'm a KiD CuDi stan lmao. I'm gonna hold my standom in for this rewiew just this one time. *deep breath* This is the 2nd installment of Cudi's "Man On The Moon" series. Last year I declared Man on the Moon album of the year. Got a lot of hate for it, I don't give a rats ass though. MOTM 1 was played to death. It was one point where thats the only thing I would listen to. That in my opinion deserves the album of the year title. I honestly thought folk couldn't top this. Well I was wrong as shit, MOTM2 >>> MOTM1. Like everything overall on this album is better. Beats, lyrics, every damn thing. The big standout in this album was also transitions from track to track. It was just well put together hats off. Another thing I liked album this album is unlike the first installment this has less of those emo type tracks. Now I can put my fresh back of razor blades away :hat. Everything was feel good and I like that side of Cudi, pause. Even though I wouldn't mind some emo tracks here and there. I do feel he should have worked with Ratatat again on this one. And him deciding not to do the narrator format like he did on the first with Common was a good look. The music on it spoke for itself. Only thing I didn't like on this album was "Erase Me". I know it was an attempt as a radio single but it stood out like a mufucka. It should have been "erased" from the tracklist. But I do find my self bobbing my head here and there to it lmao x smh, I ran "Mr. Rager" and "Revofev" back like a trillion times when they first leak. But the standout tracks in my opinion are "These Worries" "Scott Mescudi Vs. The World" and "Marijuana". I'm gonna say Cudi is 2 for 2. Son once again has album of the year in my opinion. This time around though thats not saying much because what really dropped this year? Niggas was waiting on this and Kanye's album really lol. With that said...........
Chicago mcee The Boy Illinois recently dropped his new project "Inhale Pt. 3: After School Program". If you can read you can tell this obviously the 3rd mixtape of the "Inhale" mixtape series. And I must say this, it is in fact a great series to follow. All 3 tapes are really good. There isn't a dull moment on any of the 3 tapes. Though I may be the minority on this one, I think "Inhale Pt. 2" is better than "Inhale Pt. 3", that doesn't take away shit from it at all. Inhale Pt. 2 just had some personal classics. I don't know what his intended theme was from this, but what I got from it was the day to day life a College student. I could be wrong, but shit thats what I got from it lol *shrug*. The production of this was amazing though. It shits on a lot fools albums. The Baron Boys killed it on this project, but what the fuck is new. Have you honestly heard a bad Baron Boys beats? Send it to my email (thekidampgreen@gmail.com) so I can call you a goddamn liar. Weak tracks on this album would be "Top Of The World" and "Chi Lights", no particular reason really. Just couldn't vibe to them joints at all, through off the flow completely. Standout tracks "Right Around Winter [R.A.W.]" "Breakfast of Champions" and "Nu.P". Yo "Nu.P" is an amazing track. I swear I played that shit back like 10 times. It was just too epic. That's probably why I ain't like "Chi Lights". You really can't follow up to a track like that. Hands down one of his best tracks behind "Respect". Gonna end it here. Download this tape if you love great music. The shit is free! Like it don't cost you anything to peep it. Just your time. And if you're in Atlanta on the 15th of November, The Boy Illinois will be having a listening session for "Inhale Pt. 3" at "King Of Atlanta Grooming Lounge" at 7 PM. So bring yo goddamn ass in there and support. I def might be out there :hat. Also if you ain't heard #NT Secret Society will have showcase at next years SXSW 2011. And The Boy Illinois will be hitting the stage for sure, along with some other #NT act and some major names that will be named at a later date. With that said.
If you aren't familiar with Green Street they're a hip hop group consisting of 2 rappers (A-live & Soupa) and producer Renaissance. They're originally from Boston and now residing in Brooklyn, NY. I've posted their music in the past plenty of times. Even this Crossroads EP in the past. But I finally got around to listening to it and I must say I'm very impressed about it. I never co-sign crappy music (check my track record lol). Even though this EP is only 9 tracks deep, I can honestly say this cranks from front to back. Tracks that stood out to me the first listen would be Moon Light, Up To You, & Trail Blazin'. Moonlight definitely needs a video or footage of the track being performed on stage. The tone of this project is very smooth and feel good. Every track flowed together and was consistantly on point. Definitely unlike anything you're seeing posted daily on these other music blogs. Green Street definitely made their own lane with this one. Only flaw I saw on this project real was track 2 (The Come Up). I wasn't really feeling the chorus on it. I felt that a the R&B chorus wasn't really a good look. The verses were on point but I wasn't feeling the hook. Also one of the featured artist on the tape "Ken Ross" did his thing on the tape. He was just on 2 tracks but he stood out of them. Also kudos to the producer Renaissance, very talented. Production was on point. But to end this review, hats off to Greenstreet. And I'm looking forward to hearing more music from them in the future. Oh yeah I forgot to mention "Then I Rose", I'm a huge Nas fan and that sample did it for me lol. With that said........
If you didn't remember a couple months ago I did an interview on up and coming West Coast hip hop artist Qualmes. Interview was dope if I may say so myself. But one key thing he mentioned in the interview is that he had a new project in the work titled "Red Eye Flight". Well finally the mixtape is hear. With my unbias opinion I thought the tape was very dope. It had a very steady concept going on with it, which you don't see much with mixtapes.... shit even studio albums anymore. The tone and feel that was at the beginning of the mixtape had a rough gritty feel (turbulence). Then towards the end the tone began to be more feel good (smooth sailing). Qualmes really stepped his game a lot of this project from his first mixtape that dropped last year. Both skill wise and quality wise. Standout tracks on the mixtape are Lose Control, Bang Bang, and Am I Wrong. Good shit, everything flowed together perfectly. Which I notice is an issue when artist try to do a project with a theme to it. Shit ends up being all over the place. This project flowed together perfectly. Also Qualmes producer G. Cue did his thing on this project. Dudes need to make music together more often. They were made for each other (Pause lol). Only issue I had with the tape is some tracks he used auto-tune where it didn't needed to be used. I really think "What U Gone Do" could have been a lot better with the auto-tune. Also "I'm Gone (Sincerely Yours)" was a weak way to end such a good project. Not saying its a bad song but not a way I would end it. With that said........
This mixtape have been anticipated from the NT/Secret Society fam for a while now. I must say the tape worth the wait. Wes Duce took his time and dropped some quality material. Very impressed being that dude is young and this is his first ever project. Sound quality wasn't all that but I'll give him a break for now. Plus I'm not anal about stuff like that so I passed over it. Bars, delivery and content is what I was looking for. One thing I also noticed about the tape is dude really stayed in his lane on this. I don't think I heard one curse word throughout the whole tape. And nothing over the top. Production was really good also if I may say so myself. Half Amazin, Nemesis, FLU, Young Money, and TIME did their thing on this. Standout tracks on the tape would have to be Intro, Should've Known Better, Opinions Facts Lies, and Let Me. I did like Over Your Head(track 7) I felt that beat out shined him on that one. The chorus was weak I think he could have went harder on that one because Half bodied that beat. Out of the whole tape that maybe the only track I was disappointed by. Overall his delivery and flow was on point throughout the whole tape. Major improvement from when I first heard his music last year and he will only get better with time. Wes Duce and a couple other dudes from NT will be a major problem in a 1 or 2 tops. You can quote me on it. With that being said......
Not enough :hats in the world can relate the relief I got when I heard this album had an official release day. I think I've been anticipating this album for like a whole year straight. I was starting to think it wasn't dropping for a while. But the album is finally here and I feel relieved. Jake One is a really dope producer and Freeway is one of my favorite rappers ever(judge me if you want) yes I said ever. So I knew this project wasn't gonna be weak just need to actually drop. First reaction I had to hearing this is that Freeway is really doing it for than any rapper now on the lowkey tip and alot of fools are sleeping. After finally hearing the album I got it was really good. Not better than Free At Last (classic yes I used that word) but better than all his other ones. I will say this I thought Jake One was gonna go harder on the beats but I probably expecting too much from. Anticipation kills albums sometimes lol. But yea I was very happy with the final product though. Questions though. What's better Freeway on a Bink! beat? Or Freeway on a Jake One beat? If you think neither and go with Just Blaze log off my blog now. But as for the 2 choices I'm not sure. Jake One and Free was sounding like a great 1,2 combo on this album. Jake One was like Jay's Just Blaze or Kanye. Great combo and great chemistry. But I felt the same way when I heard Free At Last and Free was all over Bink! beats. I'm torn lol. Free should drop a Bink/Jake One mixtape and/or album next so I can make a better decision. Standout tracks on this album One Thing, Microphone Killa, and Free People. And Leslie I'm gonna need for you never put Birdman on your album ever again. The track was straight and it made my iTunes but don't ever do that again SMH. Alright I'm gonna rap this up. Album is really dope in my opinion. For sure worth your 10 cash. All the tracks go hard all the tracks made my iTunes. I just think the beats probably should have been just a pinch harder. I expect alot from Jake One lol. But it was good enough I guess. And :hat at Freeway putting Latoiya Williams on his album. Lowkey she's like one of my fave female singers. She needs to get some damn material out there. Only time I hear is when she does her 1 hip hop feature every other year. So yeah buy this album *whistles away with hands in pocket*
I'll start this off by saying... I FUCKING LOVE THIS WOMAN!!! I would take her to meet my grandma, momma and aunt without even smashing. I would hold her hand in the mall. I would stand outside her window with a dude playing saxophone while I'm singing the finest John Legend love songs. I would change my last name to Rae on some Sean Knowles tight shit. I would say with her even she abuses me and call me outside my name in public. You get it now. I fucking LOVE Corrine. New movie coming soon. Swim Fan 2: When A.G. Met Corrine. Seriously she is my fave Female singer. That can be a gift and curse due to the fact most if not 97% of female singers out now suck donkey nuts. But its great to see Corrine back doing her damn thing. She really needs to not leave the game anymore because the formula she has for her albums are damn near flow less and she really can't do shit wrong. Her first album was perfecto same result with this one. This album was actually slighlty better than her first effort if I may say so myself. Standout tracks ALL OF THEM NIGGA!!! I SAID ALL OF THEM!!! But If I had to pick a couple I would say "Are You Here" "I'd Do It All Again" and "The Sea". But the whole album is a masterpiece from start to beginning. This is a very cohesive and very well put together album. I know the year just started but this is my fave album of the year so far and I don't see shit topping it for a while. Probably nothing if 2010 is just like 2009(very shitty year) LOL. And I don't see anything dropping this year that will be crazy. But yea copp this album and a R.A.O.F. shirt and God will bless you and your kids in the future. Alright I'm done sack riding Ms. Corrine [II]. With that said....
Fools been waiting on this album for eons and eons. I mess with Sade and have all her albums but if she didn't make another album ever I would have been alright. I'll start this review off by saying I didn't feed into the hype with the first single "Soldier of Love". It was decent but fools were OD'n like its some of the best shit of the decade. I heard it and was like meh. LOL But don't mind me I was told I was a hater on twitter the other day. The Moon And The Sky: Pretty smooth song. Some what gave me a feel like the old Sade. But this.... never mind caring on. Soldier Of Love: Like I just said the track was aight. I'll keep it in my iTunes I promise. Maybe when I get older it will grow on me. Okay never mind a track by track review wasn't a good idea. But album was smooth as hell if I may say so myself. Standout tracks have got to be "Be That Easy" and "Babyfather". Those tracks reaked awesomeness(damn that was lame). But you get what I mean. I have no idea when this album drops but I might pick this up. I said might because Jordan Brand is shitting on fools this year with the retros and I need to spend all my money wisely lol. That $10 might come back to haunt a nigga when he standing in a release line for the Concord 11s and I relieve I'm 10 cash short. Someone would have to die that day and I don't think Ms. Sade would be willing to post a nigga bail or put money on my books. But don't follow me buy this album and I'll just be shitting on you with my Concord 11s and matching Starter Orlando Magics Snap back copped from vintagefits.com. Another stand out track is "In Another Time". Could actually be the best song on the album.*G.o.D. Jewels voice* Sade, now that's an old school ho! With that said.....
Hmm PPV was on point if I may say so. I had no real big complaints other than then them putting the belt on Sheamus early as hell but as long as Cena ain't champ I'm cool. I really see Sheamus losing the belt quick as hell like I mean within 2 weeks. No way on gods green Earth I'm I gonna believe Sheamus is gonna be headlining Wrestlemania with the belt. As for the Taker and Batista match. It ended stupid as hell but Bitchtista not with the belt is always good. And that TLC match was a waste. Should be only for wrestlers willing to take bumps not old ass vets that can barely move. And us having to see HBK and HHH on every show will be a pain in the ass. And RIP to Jericho that slap on the table with his face didn't look good. But I can't really complain about this gimmick ass PPV. Better than I thought.
Cleveland and NT's own Time created what I will say is a VERY VERY impressive mixtape. Not a lot of producers make a smooth transition from producer to rapper. But dude definitely made it. Only complaint I have is the Intro. I hate that Run This Own instrumental. But thats not his fault, he wasn't the one that made it HA! Pretty good way to start off a mixtape. But Time's and Joel Ortiz versions of this song are the only ones I'm feeling out of the 50 that I've heard. But he definitely did his thing on it. Stand out tracks to me on the mixtape would have to be Yes I, Come Up, Living feat. G.o.D. Jewels, and Recession Proof. Lyrics on the tape would have to get a 8/10 and the beat selection would get an 9/10. Flu, Nemesis and of course Time did their damn thing on the beats. Good shit foreal. Gonna keep this short and simple. Check the tape out you won't be disappointed. I've never in my life have hyped up bullshit and never will. I know how Hip Hop fans are now with "Oh I won't listen unless he have a major Co-sign". That what got the game f'd up now. *Get down from off my soap box* But yea worth the bandwith. It sound really be a tagline that "NT never disspoints". Goes to copyright it.
I HAVEN'T DONE ONE OF THESE IN WHILE SO IT WON'T BE AS IN DEPTH AS USUAL...
Cryme Tyme vs Chris Jericho and The Big Show (c) - Unified Tag Team Championship Match
AS MUCH AS I WANT CRYME TYME TO WIN EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE THE CLOSES THING TO SLAVERY I'VE SEEN IN MINUTE. I DON'T THINK THEY ARE QUITE OVER WITH THE FANS YET AND THAT MIGHT BE A FACTOR IN TONIGHTS OUTCOME OF THE MATCH
PREDICTION: BIG SHOW AND JERICHO RETAIN TITLES
The Great Khali vs Kane
NO COMMENT I WILL BE MAKING A BIG ASS SANDWICH DURING THIS MATCH. I'D RATHER PLAY IN TRAFFIC THAN LOOK FORWARD TO THIS MATCH.
PREDICTION: KANE
Jack Swagger vs MVP
THIS MATCH WILL BE EPIC AS HELL IF THEY ACTUALLY GIVE THEM SOMETIME TO WRESTLE WHICH WILL PROBABLY WON'T HAPPEN LIKE ALWAYS. THESE TWO DUDES ARE ON THE RACE FOR THE TITLE IF KING HGH ALLOWS IT. I THINK MVP IS REALLY OVER WITH THE FANS SO HE PROBABLY MIGHT DROP THIS MATCH TO MAKE A YOUNGER AND UP AND COMING JACK SWAGGER LOOK A LITTLE STRONGER. MVP IS A GOOD DUDE SO HE HAS NO PROBLEM PUTTING SWAGGER OVER. BUT THIS WON'T BE THE END OF THEM THOUGH.
PREDICTION: SWAGGER
Christian (c) vs William Regal - ECW Championship Match
I DON'T CARE FOR THIS MATCH IT HAS DQ WRITTEN ALL OVER IT.
PREDICTION: CHRISTIAN RETAINS TITLE VIA DQ
Rey Mysterio Jr (c) vs Dolph Ziggler - Intercontinental Championship Match
ZIGGLER IS NOT OVER WITH THE FANS YET SO MYSTERIO MIGHT RETAIN. BUT I CAN ALWAYS HOPE.
PREDICTION: DOLPH ZIGGLER NEW CHAMP
D-Generation X vs The Legacy
FUCK THIS MATCH!!!!!!!!!!!
PREDICTION: I DON'T GIVE A SHIT!!!
Randy Orton (c) vs John Cena - WWE Championship Match
FUCK THIS MATCH TOO!!!!
PREDICTION: RANDY ORTON RETAINS VIA DQ
Jeff Hardy (c) vs CM Punk - World Championship Tables Ladders and Chairs Match
SMH THEY PROBABLY GONNA THROUGHT THE TITLE ON PUNK CUZ JEFF HARDY IS TALKING ABOUT LEAVING. BUT I STILL GOT HOPE FOR MY HOMIE.
PREDICTION: JEFF HARDY RETAINS
AND IF YOU BROKE LIKE ME WATCH IF FOR THE FREE.99 -------> CLICK HERE
LIKE ALWAYS AROUND THIS TIME MADDEN IS DROPPING. I WILL BE PASSES LIKE ALWAYS AND COPPING LATER BUT MOST WILL GET IT. I WAS ON ONE OF MY FAVORITE WEBSITES IGN.COM AND SAW THIS GREAT REVIEW ON MADDEN. SO BEFORE YOU GO RICK ROSS IT CHECK THIS VIDEO OUT....
As leaves turn brown and the temperature drops the videogame industry knows that a new Madden game is just around the corner. Madden NFL 10 hits store shelves on August 14 and comes with new modes, gameplay tweaks and broadcast-style presentation changes that most football fans will appreciate. There are issues with some of the new aspects that have worked their way into Madden (and things that have been taken out), but there's no denying that this is the best pure football experience in videogame history.
Let's start on a positive note. This is the best looking Madden game yet. From the look of players on the field to new presentational elements, you've never seen a football game like this before. EA Sports has gone to great lengths to make the experience of playing a standard game of Madden as close to the real thing as possible and it shows. You'll see players getting yelled at on the sidelines, refs debating touchdown calls, and pre-game warm ups on the field with a bit of insight from Tom Hammond and Chris Colinsworth. It's all very conducive to convincing you that you're totally in control of a standard NFL football broadcast on Sunday. Yes, I'm even talking about the constant Snickers and Sprint sponsorships that pop up at certain times during a contest.
The new presentation elements permeate nearly every aspect of Madden NFL 10, right down to the menu configurations which are a strong deviation from standard EA Sports conventions. You'll see a newly organized franchise hub which houses the new Extra Point Show. Here you'll get a weekly recap of action in your franchise. The voiceover work by NFL Network talent is pretty atrocious, but the presentation is well done.
Not all is well with these new presentation elements, however. You'll see things like flickering hair textures and objects on the sideline that fail to load (phones in players hands, warm-up bikes). At the end of games, star players are approached by media for interviews. It's one of the first times we've seen Madden players in full detail without a helmet and I'd swear Peyton Manning has the mouth of a goat. So while most of the new broadcast-style additions pan out well, there are still issues that should be worked out by the time we see next year's game.
So, visual issues aside, the new presentation display certainly does help bring the Madden experience closer to the genuine article, but what about the gameplay? Isn't that the most important thing? Thankfully the gameplay in Madden NFL 10 is, in a word, fantastic. I can't tell you how many people walked by my desk as I was playing and wondered if the NFL season started early this year. The speed of the game has been ratcheted down only slightly so hitting holes while running and making jukes is just a bit easier than it has been. That's not to say that the game isn't difficult – ramp up the difficulty to find out for yourself – but everything has an excellent ebb and flow this time around.
I'm also very happy to see the Fight for the Fumble mechanic play out as well as it does. I was worried that every fumble would result in a button mashing frenzy, but that's actually not the case. EA Sports did a good job of tuning the mechanic so it only pops up when appropriate.
Most of the new moves available on the field are exemplary as well. On defense, you'll now be able to pull off things like swim moves with the right analog stick when grappling on the line. It's much more accessible than the bumper setup of the past. On offense, jukes are much more realistic looking, though defenders too often fall straight onto their ass when you fake them out.
The real change to gameplay, and the one that drives home the feeling of the NFL the most, is procedural tackling (Pro-Tak). It allows for massive pileups to accumulate on the field, just as you'd see on Sunday. This also changes the blocking system which now forms an adequate pocket around your quarterback, much like you'd see on Sunday. Are you starting to see a pattern here?
Quarterback avoidance is the one control change that I really don't care for. While you will see quarterbacks get out of some sacks and throw ducks when hit during their throwing motion, the fact that the avoidance moves are toggled to the right stick is annoying. Why would I use the right analog stick to avoid a defender – thus giving up my ability to pass to my receivers for a split second – when I can just use the left stick and the right trigger and still be able to hit an open man downfield?
When playing against the AI things could be a bit tighter. There isn't much of a leap forward from last year's game to Madden NFL 10, so you'll still see players running out of bounds when there's absolutely no reason to do so. AI-controlled players also occasionally run very unnaturally on the field. I once saw a wide receiver catch a ball, run up the field, then to the right, then up the field, then to the right again. He repeated the process until he was out of bounds.
Off the field, the artificial intelligence wonkiness doesn't have a negative effect on trade logic, which is sharper than I've seen in the past. I have no doubt that some Madden diehard fan will crack the code and somehow get ten first round picks in the Draft, but it seemed as though it was tuned better than in the past. One odd part of working with trades and free agency is that there's really no "player tendency" stat to be found. That means you can't pitch them on playing time or coaching habits when trying to sign someone. It's a small gripe, but it's something that franchise freaks will care about.
Speaking of Franchise Mode, there have been a few notable changes to everyone's favorite time sucker. First off, there's no traditional calendar system this year. That means you can't schedule practices before a game and improve certain players. Instead you just hop between games. It's not a huge omission, but some will likely miss the ability to tune their skills before an important matchup.
Another change is the hub. You'll now have a constant stream of league news being updated during your downtime. You'll see trades, injuries and signings right when they happen. It's a small detail but one that I definitely appreciate. Other refinements include proper scheduling after year-one and details like correct Super Bowl patches extending beyond your initial year. Just about everything else that you remember from Franchise Mode is retained, including the ability to relocate your team, design a new stadium and make additions to your current digs if necessary. Those hoping to set the price of hot dogs and popcorn will be letdown as there's no true Owner Mode present.
Superstar Mode is also back, and has seen some questionable changes. I still get a kick out of playing on Sunday with my created player (provided you pick a skill position like running back, quarterback or linebacker) but the practice system makes no sense at all. Selecting a practice day from the calendar lets you run one play over and over and over again. There's no end to practice; you just keep running the same play. Not only that, but you don't improve from practicing so there's really no benefit to participating. The mini-camp drills have also been totally removed rather than revamped which was disappointing for me.
There are two new modes of play: Online Co-op and Online Franchise. Online Franchise is probably my favorite mode in the game and it's something I really hope the community clings to and uses appropriately. You and up to 31 friends can hop in a league and play through seasons just like you would in Offline Franchise Mode. You can propose trades, draft players, and even start things off with a fantasy draft if you like. There's an iPhone application that will be launching shortly after Madden releases, but it wasn't available for our review. It promises just about all of the functionality that you'll see on the Web.
Sadly, Online Co-op doesn't pan out quite so well. It's mainly an issue with the camera angle that's used. It's a zoomed in viewpoint on the player that you're controlling. While it works fine on offense, playing defense can be dizzying. As you switch players the camera slowly moves around the field to follow your selections. That means if you begin as a defensive lineman and decide to switch to a defensive back when the quarterback throws the ball, the camera has a very difficult time staying with the action.
Things are better on offense where one player can be a wide receiver and the other can be the quarterback. The wide out can run custom routes and find his own space, unlike the more-restrained AI. The fact that the second player is constrained to watching the play call by the first player is a bummer. I would have preferred a system that alternates play calling duties.
The gameplay package is hefty and is without question the most refined on-field experience I've seen from the Madden franchise. Everything looks and plays wonderfully, even if there are a few faults with the presentation set pieces. I would have really liked to see more added to the franchise mode and Superstar could've been pulled off with more substance. Thankfully Online Franchise is fantastic, it's just disappointing that co-op doesn't work as well as it should. Despite the flaws and absences in the feature set, the football is undoubtedly the best I've ever seen from a videogame.
Visually, Madden NFL 10 is the best looking game in the series without question. Player details are wonderfully articulated, even if their faces look a bit odd at times. Animations are fluid and nicely varied. I'm still seeing new moves on the field despite having played the game for weeks now. The only true downside to the graphics is that slowdown occurs on occasion when the action gets too frantic. I've had games without a single moment of slowdown, but when it happens you'll know it. My other nitpick is the texture issue that I mentioned before, but even that doesn't happen every time you see a player on the sideline.
Things don't work nearly as well on the audio front. The commentary from Colinsworth and Hammond is just plain bad. It's fragmented and doesn't sound natural at all. It's high time EA Sports found a solution to this problem and while the duo is better than the former radio broadcaster, they've made no progression since last year's offering. They have more to say to be sure, it just doesn't sound any better. The soundtrack services the game well and has tons of songs for your aural delight.
Closing Comments Madden NFL 10 packs a lot of football under its 60 dollar price tag. While some of the modes don’t perform as well as I’d like, every football fan will still be able to latch on to something for months of fun. The graphics have taken a nice step forward from Madden 09 and the presentation does a wonderful job of emulating the experience of watching a game on Sunday. Commentary and general voiceover work is pretty bad, but it doesn’t overly dampen the gameplay. Madden NFL 10 doesn’t redefine the series or innovate in any monumental way, but that doesn’t stop it from being a truly great football game.
I'M GONNA KEEP THE REVIEW BRIEF BECAUSE I REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THIS REVIEW WITHOUT SPOILING THE DAMN MOVIE. IN MY OPINION THIS MIGHT BE THE MOVIE OF THE YEAR SO FAR. I'M A BIG TERMINATOR MOIVE FRANCHISE FAN AND THIS MOVIE DELIVERED. AND THEY MADE UP BIG TIME FOR MAKING THAT T3 RISE OF THE MACHINES A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. THE SPECIAL EFFECTS ARE CRAZY AS HELL. ALL ROUND IT WAS A GREAT ACTION MOVIE. AND THE STORY LINE WAS ON POINT AND THEY DIDN'T RUIN ANYTHING LIKE I THOUGHT THEY WOULD WHEN I SAW THE PREVIEWS. I JUST THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE SHOULD JOHN CONNORS A LITTLE MORE THAN THEY DID. BUT IT'S A BIG PLUS I GUESS BECAUSE I HEARD IN THE ORGINAL SCRIPT HE WAS ONLY SUPPOSE TO BE IN THE MOVIE 10 MINUTES TOTAL. THE MOVIE REVIEWS I'M SEEING ARE NOT GOOD SO ARE BUT I THINK ITS A GOOD MOVIE. PEOPLE ARE BUSY COMPARING WITH THE OTHER TERMINATOR MOVIES BUT I THINK THIS MOVIE STAYS IN IT'S BOUNDARIES. THERE WAS SO MUCH THING THEY COULD HAVE FUCKED UP IN THE STORY LINE BY THINKING TOO MUCH AND MAKING THE MOVIE TOO DAMN LONG AND THEY DIDN'T DO THAT. AND ANOTHER PROBLEM I SAY WAS THE EDITING IN THE MOVIE WAS A LITTLE OFF IT MIGHT JUST BE ME THOUGH LOL. BUT THATS WATS UP. GO SEE THIS MOVIE THOUGH MIGHTS BE MOVIE OF THE SUMMER BUT I'LL WAIT TO SEE TRANSFORMERS 2 FIRST BEFORE I MAKE THIS CLAIM.
I GIVE THIS MOVIE A SUPER MARIO(YES A SUPER MARIO) 9/10
BUT IF THERE ISN'T GONNA BE ANY OTHER MOVIES AFTER THIS THEN MY OPINION WILL CHANGE. SEE THEM MAKING AT LEAST 2 MORE MOVIES OUT THIS FRANCHISE. I SEE ONE WHERE JOHN CONNORS SENDS KYLE REESE BACK IN TIME TO MEET HIS MOM. AND MAYBE ANOTHER MOVIE WITH LIKE A REMAKE OF THE SOME SORT OF THE FIRST TERMINATOR OR JOHN CONNORS FIGHTINH A COMPUTER GENERATED ARNOLD. THAT WOULD BE ON POINT.
I'm going to keep this short for a few reasons. First, I'm watching the draft and getting ready for the Sixers game. Second, the interest in tonight's PPV seems to be at an all-time low. After the great WrestleMania thread just three weeks ago, the WWE has gone right back into the crapper with one of the weaker PPV cards in a long time. However, I think tonight's show could be a very interesting PPV, as I am expecting numerous title changes. Also, tonight's card will be the last night of the "old" rosters. The draft rotsters (that were set 13 days ago) will go into effect tomorrow night. So why didn't they just wait and have the draft tomorrow? Most people have probably forgotten 90% of the draft moves already. Anyway......... let's get right into it.
CM Punk vs Kane
I really have no idea why this match is even taking place. I guess they are playing up that Kane is angry that CM Punk won the Money in the Bank. Meh, that does nothing for me to draw interest for the match. I think this will be the first match of the night to give Punk time to recover for potentially more to come later on in the show. Punk should get the win as both of these men make the trip to Smackdown next week. I don't see a lot of chemistry between the two, hopefully it is kept relatively short or it could die with the fans.
Prediction: CM Punk
Santina on the Khali Kiss Cam
I can't believe they are wasting PPV time with this crap. Thankfully Santino's comedy will save it somewhat, but they need to drop Santina, and they need to release Khali. I suspect the official breakup of Santino and Beth may take place tonight.
Chris Jericho vs Ricky Steamboat
Following the Raw after WrestleMania, announcers were instructed to no longer even mention Steamboat's name because he would no longer be an active talent on WWE TV. However, when the WWE finally realized that Jericho didn't have a match tonight and there weren't enough matches for tonight's card, Steamboat was brought back. Yes, the two did have some chemistry at WrestleMania. They made the match entertaining, but I think it should have been left at that. Having Steamboat have to showcase his current skills in a singles match may not be the best idea. We could have had a great memory of the moment at WrestleMania. Now it will be washed away by this match. Unless they are bringing Steamboat back as an everyday talent, Jericho better get the win here. Again, it should be kept relatively short (under 10 minutes).
Prediction: Chris Jericho
Jeff Hardy vs Matt Hardy - I Quit Match
This feud just never took off the way it should have after a hot start at The Royal Rumble when Matt cost Jeff the WWE Title. However, the writing and story for this program has been poor, and the fans have just never taken to it. As a result, Matt has been moved to Raw starting tomorrow, so this will be their final match. Their match at WrestleMania was good, not great. I am excited to see the match tonight because I think they do have the opportunity to have a good match. Strictly based on storylines, Jeff should finally get his revenge tonight and make Matt quit. However, with Jeff's contract status being in question, he may remain in the dog house and Matt will pick up another victory tonight. Knowing how the WWE operates, I think it will be the latter.
Prediction: Jeff Hardy
Jack Swagger (c) vs Christian - ECW Championship Match
This feels like Swagger's first PPV in ages. I forget what show it was (maybe No Way Out), but Swagger had a less than par match against Finlay which put him deep into the WWE dog house. Of course you know Vince's mentality. If you aren't a polished superstar that fans pop for immediately out of the box, you are worthless and will become a jobber. I really hope the WWE hasn't given up on Swagger yet, because he has a lot of potential. These two have had some matches on ECW which have been good, but this will be the first real test. I think the right move is to keep the title on Swagger for now. It adds legitimacy to Swagger, and makes for a bigger deal when Christian eventually wins the title. However, we know in the WWE, it's always now, now, now, so that may not be the case. As long as the fans give it a chance, this should be good.
Prediction: Jack Swagger - Retains ECW Title
HHH (c), Batista, Shane McMahon vs Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Ted Dibiase Jr. - WWE Championship Match
If Legacy wins this match, Randy Orton becomes the WWE Champion. I hate having the WWE Title on the line in a silly stipulation match like this. The title is supposed to stand for who is the best in the business. If Randy Orton wins the title tonight, it doesn't mean he is better than HHH. It just means that his team was able to beat HHH's team. Of course, that works out perfectly here. HHH got his big win at WrestleMania (in his mind anyway) over Randy Orton. Now, he can drop the title because it makes for more entertaining television for Randy Orton to have the title and the faces chasing him, especially because Orton is the only top heel on Raw. After him, it's Matt Hardy and The Big Show, neither who are legitimate contenders. Chasing Orton for the title will be HHH, Batista, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, and maybe even MVP.
The other big thing going into this match is the possibility of a turn on HHH's team. Leading to this match, there has been major dissention among all of the team members, with each of them "inadvertently" costing each other matches by physically attacking one other. I would say specifically, you get the feeling that Shane may be the snake here. It would make perfect sense for him to turn on HHH and join Legacy considering his family tree. It would add instant credibility to Legacy, and hopefully it would keep Shane more as a mouthpiece instead of a ring talent. However, as I said above, Raw is desperately short on heels. A Batista turn is LONG overdue, so we may possibly see him cost HHH the match. I don't know if he would join Legacy, but he would instantly become one of the top heels on Raw (until he rips another muscle anyway). But I'm sticking with Shane as being the mole here and eventually costing HHH the title tonight.
I wonder if HHH will ever realize that the fans just aren't that into him. John Cena and Randy Orton are the real stars of Raw. Not HHH.
Prediction: Legacy - Randy Orton - New WWE Champion
John Cena (c) vs Edge - Last Man Standing World Championship Match
They didn't want to have these two face each other at WrestleMania because we have seen the match so many times, so instead we are getting it at Backlash. It should be good, as these two have great chemistry together, but we've just seen it so many times over a short period of time that it makes it hard to get excited for this match. Smackdown needs a title belt, so it makes sense that Edge gets the victory here. Maybe with a Conchairto. It will be interested to see if there is any blood on tonight's show (either this match of the I Quit match). It adds so much drama to a match like this, but the WWE seems to have removed blood as it is not family friendly. Anyway, Edge gets the win, and Cena then goes back to Raw (well I guess he's already on Raw ... oh, gotta love the "separate" rosters), and chase after the new WWE Champ, Randy Orton. With a stipulation like this, you have to assume that Vickie and Chavo probably get involved.
Prediction: Edge - New World Champion
I'm predicting that Edge wins the title in a good match. However, at that point, after being physically drained, CM Punk will cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase and defeat Edge to become the new World Champion. I think it makes sense because it immediately sets up feuds with Edge and Chris Jericho, and we can hope that down the line feuds with Shelton Benjamin, John Morrison, and Umaga.
Prediction: CM Punk - New World Champion
So on paper, it doesn't seem like a great wrestling show, but if things play out how I think, it will certainly be a memorable night. A major heel turn, cashing in the Money in the Bank, and three title changes should make for an entertaining show. We shall see.
