I love the ability to download games on a whim. Sure there are obvious drawbacks (like losing track of your bank account), but for me it’s the most important innovation of this generation. Frankly, I think that this is the best destination for gaming, as it’s better for the environment and consumers alike. The only people who get screwed are corporate retailers, who I could live without anyway. I know that it may be hard for some people to give up their hard copies of games, but I really think it would be better for gamers, as it would level the playing field for developers (at least initially) and allow for greater penetration by niche games. With that said, I just bought Madden Arcade (insert irony here), a game I would highly recommend, albeit with a few disclaimers.
I am a huge fan of the original blitz. Such a huge fan that I find few other football games fun to play competitively with friends. In fact, when I get together with my old buddies a highly competitive game of blitz always brings my N64 out of retirement. Madden Arcade has obvious similarities, but is also a little different. Like Blitz, however, you can’t play this game alone. There is no single player, so people with few friends, or no internet connection, need not apply. Also, it’s not as crazy as old midway titles, and feels more in line with the NBA Street franchise (I never played the NFL Street games, so I can’t compare). There are completely random power-ups, and technical knowledge of the sport is almost irrelevant. This game comes down to stick skills and luck of the dice, qualities I can get behind in my video games. Really it’s a throwback title and a cheap title. If you're down with the idea of a football NBA Jam, you could really get a kick out of this game, despite the slightly high price tag.
I’m pretty sure my affection for this game reveals some of my unique tastes as a gamer. I love sports, and I love sports video games, but I hate the modern landscape of sports games. Realism can be a real buzz kill when you’ve been trained to seek wacky colors, and unfettered entertainment from your valuable game time. It’s a surprise then that the one of the monsters of the gaming industry can produce such a simple and, in many ways, antiquated game. But, if it helps developers make better and more diverse games, I’m all for them going back to the well. So long as they don’t charge to much for it.
-DB
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