The biggest criticism of the Madden series (and most sports series, for that matter) is that each year’s edition is essentially an upgrade of the previous version, with no real innovation or change. Madden NFL 09 falls somewhere in the middle of that charge; it feels exactly the same to me as did the games in the series I was playing 10 years ago, but at the same time, does take some chances. Altogether, it’s as fun as hell, if imperfect.

The most significant addition, as far as I can tell — I skipped out on last year’s installment — is the new “My Skill” difficulty setting. My Skill basically changes the game’s difficulty on a game-to-game basis based on your performance, strengths and weaknesses. It was a nice try, but playing with My Skill is a recipe for an ulcer. Por ejemplo: during my season with the Jets, using Brett Favre as QB, I threw 4 TDs in one game. Next game, with My Skill adjusting the difficulty, I threw a ridiculous 6 INTs. In addition, your players will mind-numbingly fumble and drop passes at the most inopportune times, all because My Skill is trying to balance the game. There were moments where it was only through sheer will power that I did not throw my controller out the window. Moral of the story: Just put the difficulty on All-Pro and play the old-fashioned way.

Still, the graphics are pretty amazing. This is, without a doubt, the best looking football game ever. From the player models to seeing everyone’s breath on cold game days, it all looks fantastic (though it’s only in 720P, unfortunately). Also, and most importantly, the game controls are excellent. Passing — whether gunning or gently lobbing a ball — is amazingly intuitive, and the running game is rewarding with a revised set of moves. A particularly nice improvement is designating the right analog stick as the “Highlight Stick,” which will give your runner a special move (juke, leap, stiff-arm, etc.) when hit. Picking up and playing is easier and more fun than ever, really. And when you pull out that last second win, it’s a great feeling.

So, as usual, the new Madden is a mixed bag; some things work, some don’t, but it still plays a mean game of football. If you haven’t played Madden in awhile, then this is absolutely worth buying. If you bought last year’s edition, you may want to try it at a friend’s house first. But whichever category you fall into, you’ll have a great time playing this.

KFR Grade: B+

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No internet since Monday, plus a kidney stone attacking my innards yesterday unfortunately has equaled an unscheduled break in my posting. I’ll be back ASAP with some good stuff, as well as some other crap. Plus, there is some big news in KFR’s future. Whooo-ooo! Spooky!

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The next stoner classic from justifiably renowned animator Hayao Miyazaki, Ponyo On the Cliff by the Sea, opened yesterday at the Venice Film Festival. Warning: spoilers abound in the article.

Ponyo appears to be less popular in Japan than the Oscar-winning Spirited Away (although there’s strangely no mention of the more recent Howl’s Moving Castle…) — but considering Spirited Away is one of the best films of the last 10 years, I think that’s ok.

“I think animation at times needs the pencil and needs man’s drawing hand,” Miyazaki said.

Miyazaki’s animation depicts layers of sea life churning one over the other. Waves transform into fish and back again, schools of fish surge as if a wave. Details keep it real and modern: a passing frigate in the background, a knocked-over flowerpot in a storm, a broken piece of ramen noodle on the coffee table.

Miyazaki acknowledged inspiration from the Hans Christian Andersen story, but said the similarity was only glancing. He said he was always bothered even as a child that Andersen’s mermaids were deprived of souls.

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Will Wright, one of the of the great American gamemakers, has always produced titles (Sim City and The Sims, to name just two) that have been unique and innovative. (While I skipped out on The Sims, I was completely addicted to Sim City back in the day, and it remains a favorite.)

Will Wright’s upcoming Spore, which allows gamers to evolve life forms from simple cells to complex organisms and beyond, is one of the most anticipated games in recent memory. In a new article, The New York Times, whose video game coverage is becoming smarter than most game-centric sites, discusses the positives and negatives of the new title:

Unlike the typical shoot-them-till-they’re-all-dead video game, Spore was strongly influenced by science, and in particular by evolutionary biology. Mr. Wright will appear in a documentary next Tuesday on the National Geographic Channel, sharing his new game with leading evolutionary biologists and talking with them about the evolution of complex life.

Evolutionary biologists like Dr. Near and Dr. Prum, who have had a chance to try the game, like it a great deal. But they also have some serious reservations. The step-by-step process by which Spore’s creatures change does not have much to do with real evolution. “The mechanism is severely messed up,” Dr. Prum said.

Nevertheless, Dr. Prum admires the way Spore touches on some of the big questions that evolutionary biologists ask. What is the origin of complexity? How contingent is evolution on flukes and quirks? “If it compels people to ask these questions, that would be great,” he said.

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When Rich wrote about this a few weeks back in Lying in the Gutters, it sounded pretty, well, shitty. However, the teaser for No Heroics has hit YouTube, and it actually has a few laughs in it. Maybe it won’t bring the suck after all.

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