I'm disappointed that the friend-code-less Wii online play is apparently a bit glitchy and laggy - I'd like to think it's first-week overload, but presumably not many people were playing the game when IGN was working on the review. Mario Strikers Charged plays really smoothly online now that things have calmed down a bit (and now that I've replaced my high-latency satellite internet connection with land-based cable!)

It seems like a lot to take off a whole point just because of frame rate. Was it the same reviewer doing both?

And I'm surprised the Wii version was that high after the comment about being under embargo for reviews under 9 until the game's release.

DKII said: It seems like a lot to take off a whole point just because of frame rate. Was it the same reviewer doing both? And I'm surprised the Wii version was that high after the comment about being under embargo for reviews under 9 until the game's release.

Actually, the PS3 version got scored down on gameplay (360 - 9.0, PS3 - 8.0), graphics (9.0 vrs 6.5) & Lasting Appeal (8.5 vrs 8.0).

Its possible that a significantly worse frame rate could result in all these I suppose.

Same reviewer for 360 & PS3 versions - but not the Wii version. (this doesn't bother me - still say that people shouldn't really compare the Wii versions with the others).

 

 

Warlord_ said: That is the dumbest stuff i have ever read from IGN, how can the wii get better presentation if its the same crap on all systems. Bashing the PS3 for 30FPS when the other versions of madden had 30FPS on the 360. I've seen the PS3 and 360 versions next to each other and their is little to no difference. Plus they said the wii madden looks like the PS2 one then they give it a higher graphics score then the PS3 version is just stupid. Way to hate on Sony and show a true bias against the PS3. Then they also give the wii the highest mark for Sound is just more crazy, Sound effects are by far better on the 360/PS3 version of the game, the wii just does not have the power to give the same level of sound effects as the other ones, this has been seen on every single game that has come out across the 3 systems.  look at CoD and other games.

different people review games for different systems. So you can't expect them to have the same standards. Otherwise they be one person.

Warlord_ said: That is the dumbest stuff i have ever read from IGN, how can the wii get better presentation if its the same crap on all systems. Bashing the PS3 for 30FPS when the other versions of madden had 30FPS on the 360. I've seen the PS3 and 360 versions next to each other and their is little to no difference. Plus they said the wii madden looks like the PS2 one then they give it a higher graphics score then the PS3 version is just stupid. Way to hate on Sony and show a true bias against the PS3. Then they also give the wii the highest mark for Sound is just more crazy, Sound effects are by far better on the 360/PS3 version of the game, the wii just does not have the power to give the same level of sound effects as the other ones, this has been seen on every single game that has come out across the 3 systems. look at CoD and other games.

The Wii adds extra modes by including a lot of multiplayer stuff like minigames that neither the PS3 or 360 version have. By realizing they can't compete graphically, they added material to make a better presentation of the game itself. The graphics of the other systems will be rated different because they claim to be much more. The 360 sounds like its overall a decent game graphically for a 360. The PS3 not so much so it's another game that seems to fall short of graphic expectations.

Yea shams the comments makes it look like all three of those categories got docked points just for the frame rate, which by all other accounts isn't even noticeable.

There are a few things I don't understand about the IGN scores:

Wii: 8.5 Presentation
The Madden franchise has always been a powerhouse of football goodness, and this is no different. Updated rosters, new modes, clean interface, team-based playbooks, and more.

360 / PS3: 7.0 Presentation
Once a strength of the franchise, Madden 08 falls flat in terms of offering the feel of a televised NFL game. What's the point in having the ESPN license if it's barely used?

- Do the 360 and PS3 have "updated rosters, new modes, clean interface, team-based playbooks, and more" or not? Does the Wii version feel more like a televised NFL game, and why? Does the Wii "use the ESPN license" more than the 360 and PS3 versions?

Wii: 8.5 Sound
Stronger than last year, but just barely. The soundtrack offers over 40 tunes, and it’s a pretty solid mix of rock, rap, and punk. Expected Wii-mote audio still remains too.

360 / PS3: 7.5 Sound
The radio play-by-play is disappointing. There's some good smack talk on the field and you can really hear the crunch of a big hit. The crowd AI is often confused.

- Do the 360 and PS3 versions also offer over 40 tunes? Does the Wii version have different radio play-by-play and different crowd AI than the other two?

 

Wii: 7.0 Graphics
It’s a slight bump from last year, but still not nearly up to par. Madden looks like a PS2 game with a few improvements, rather than a true Wii experience.

PS3: 6.5 Graphics
The details are good, but Madden is ugly in motion. It's optimistic to call this a game that runs at 30fps. The animations don't look that great because of the lower framerate.

- Does the PS3 version look like a PS2 game? What FPS does the Wii version run at?

Are these three games being judged on different scales for some reason?

Different reviewers. Wow.

Warlord_ said: That is the dumbest stuff i have ever read from IGN, how can the wii get better presentation if its the same crap on all systems. Bashing the PS3 for 30FPS when the other versions of madden had 30FPS on the 360. I've seen the PS3 and 360 versions next to each other and their is little to no difference. Plus they said the wii madden looks like the PS2 one then they give it a higher graphics score then the PS3 version is just stupid. Way to hate on Sony and show a true bias against the PS3. Then they also give the wii the highest mark for Sound is just more crazy, Sound effects are by far better on the 360/PS3 version of the game, the wii just does not have the power to give the same level of sound effects as the other ones, this has been seen on every single game that has come out across the 3 systems.  look at CoD and other games.

1.360 version is 60 fps, PS3 version is 30, that's a fact.

2.graphics are based on systems ability not comparing console to console.

3.PS2 version does not look as good as wii version

4.a different person reviewed them.

5.calm down

Yes different reviewers, wow, fine. But to quote shams: Don't forget about "relative expectations".

But is that really fair? It's all one game, Madden 08, and many people will read these reviews before deciding which version of Madden to buy (and perhaps base which console to buy this generation on these reviews, in the case of many Madden-only people).

As shams stated, the Wii version is being graded with lower expectations than the other versions, it is being graded against other Wii games not against the PS3 and 360 versions of the same game. This seems likely based on the Presentation and Sound scores.