Wii sporting fans typically know that their favourite genre will be done a bit differently than on other systems. Developers will try harder to appeal to a much larger audience and some changes will have to be made. This is clearly the case with EA’s latest Madden title. What is certainly a game geared towards a more varied audience will make some Football fans happy and others utterly disappointed.

From the moment you start up Madden NFL 10, you can see that this is meant to be enjoyed with a group of people. All of the game’s modes that are available to you can be played with up to four people and playing them any other way doesn’t give you the same experience.

Madden Showdown takes the normal game of football and turns it upside down by giving you the ability to play modified versions of the sport. You have five game types to choose from, including "Tug of War" where possession changes hands after every play and "It’s Alive" where the football is still in play regardless if a catch is made or not. You can toggle to have one to all five of the types used, This can either cause a really interesting and challenging contest or one great big mess. As an added feature to this mode, you can ‘gamble’ with your friends for points. This includes wagering how confident you think you’ll win to who ends the match with the most pass completions among other things. In the end, the person with the most points wins the Showdown.

The other key mode is Road to the Super Bowl. Here, you can play a full or half season or just the playoffs in the hopes of reaching and winning the Super Bowl. If you decide to play with friends, you can be benched if your performance isn’t up to speed. Although this addition of putting pressure on you is interesting, it never really comes up. In order to be benched, you ultimately have to be running in the wrong direction or throwing constant interceptions. If you decide to play on your own, the moment you feel like your losing, chances are you will simply restart the match and try again.

If you don’t feel like playing any of the multiplayer focused modes, you will have to hunt to unlock Classic modes like Superstar or Franchise. Neither mode is available from the start, which forces you to play through the other parts to obtain them. For those looking for a fun single-player experience, you are better off playing Madden on one of the other consoles.

As for the game on the field, the game feels exactly as you would think it should. Controls are good although in some situations a bit loose. The point-and-pass option is nice while the running game is fairly decent. The idea of drumming the Wii-mote in the attempt to break from a tackle is good, but often your player turns in the opposite direction forcing you spin around to get him back on course, which essentially does not net you any bonus yards.

For those who like to change plays before the snap, including modifying your coverage, the idea of pointing on players to make the adjustment is a bit intrusive. In many occasions, I was in the middle of shifting the coverage of my Safeties when the opposing team would begin the play and the change would not be made. A more streamlined approach that does not take that long would make this a lot easier.

There are also Spotlight Moments that can occur at certain points. If you are put into a one-on-one situation with a player, the game might give you the ability to pick your next move and see how it turns out. This doesn’t happen often, but the coin-flip decision could lead to some extra yards or a smashing hit from the defense.

The last key addition this year is the ability to play your games in either a normal 11v11 or a more arcade-like 5v5. When playing 5v5, the field of play is a bit narrower and play selection is simplified. Again, this is certainly geared towards multiplayer enjoyment. If you are playing with friends, you will typically use this feature for maximum pleasure.

In the past, the EA Sports series of sports titles on the Wii have been branded as mere ports of their PS2 cousins in the visual department. Outside of Tiger Woods PGA 10, all of EA Sports’ Wii games have gone with a very unique style to distinguish themselves from other previous titles. Players have extraordinarily large bodies with tiny legs and it can look a bit goofy, but it works for the most part. While the players might look odd, the on the field action doesn’t suffer from any sort of serious issues.

While the visual style works well for the players, the liberties taken on giving the stadiums a similar look doesn’t work. Stadiums have all been re-done in a similar visual style but when the camera zooms out, none of them look particularly impressive. Even the crowds fail to give the game enough color, often looking extremely generic. It’s not awful, but could have used a bit more work.

Having been around Sports games for so many years, one thing that always stands out for me when playing is the commentary. When a game contains some great dialog from the announcers, it really feels like you are a part of the action. This year’s Madden commentary on is by far the worst anyone has had to endure. You will be hard pressed to find a good moment listening to Tom Hammond or Chris Collinsworth. From the monotone sounds of their voices and the constant repetition, it feels like punishment.

The icing on the cake occurs with the glitches in the delivery. On more than one occasion, Hammond would talk about a team scoring a touchdown when in fact they just got tackled on their own 20 after a kick off. While that is bad, the crown goes to Mr. Hammond again whenever he comments after a sack. If you pay close attention, rather than talking about the person getting sacked, he will mention that the Quarterback was the one who made the sack. It’s hard to explain in words, but the next time a Quarterback gets taken down behind the line, just listen to who he mentions.

If you have some people over, then Madden NFL 10 will keep you busy all for a very long period of time. Madden Showdown alone can turn a dull evening into an enjoyable one. For those looking to play online, you’ll be happy with the performance but don’t expect any sort of online franchise mode like its HD cousins. Again, this is clearly meant to be an experience enjoyed by two or more people, and if you can always have someone to play with, then you will not be playing anything else.

Your enjoyment with this version of Madden on the Wii will ultimately be determined on how you wish to approach the game. If you are looking for a game that will appeal to people who just want to have some fun, then you will be pleasantly surprised. On the other hand, if you like to play your Wii games alone, outside of the Road to the Super Bowl, there isn’t enough to warrant a purchase.

What hurts the game the most is without a doubt the horrible commentary. It is extremely disappointing for a game like this, EA Sport’s signature title, to have so many problems in the sound department. It’s the one thing that prevents this game from being a solid purchase. If you only own a Wii and need to play a football game this season, then by all means go with Madden NFL 10. On the other hand, if you have a choice, I would strongly recommend buying the game on a different console.