I know what you're thinking. This is going to be another inflammatory post about how one sport's video game is "better" than the other. However, I'm not here to shove my ideals down your throat. What I am here to do is lay down some simple facts and let you make your own decisions. Let's get down to business, shall we?
We all know what the most popular sports game franchise in. I dare you to find someone who hasn't played Madden football at least once. Almost every family in our nation watches football, so you'd obviously expect that almost every family has at least played Madden football at least once. However, as popular as the series is, I don't think that it deserves the amount of praise it garners. There is another EA game, however, that does.
The FIFA series I think has been the most underrated sports series EA has put out. It seems like whenever someone brings up sports games put out by EA, FIFA always seems to be left out. I can understand that the sport isn't as popular as it is in other countries, but I think too many people are being shallow about giving the game a shot. It's almost laughable, because FIFA requires much less memorization of inputs, but rather focuses more on strategies to score.
I think it's that difference that really sets FIFA apart from Madden. Despite Madden's popularity, it's a very difficult game to learn. Sure, most people in the USA know the rules of the game and how it works, but the play calling is very hard to get a hold of unless you've played the sport yourself. You have to remember formations, what each formation does, and plan routes for each and every play. Do you realize how many button combinations and inputs that requires? It's ridiculous.
FIFA however only requires one thing: on-the-fly planning. All you need to know is how to run, how to pass, how to shoot, and how to tackle. Once you've got those down, you get a solid grasp of the rules and penalties of the game, and the fun shortly follows. Don't believe me? Ask my friend JR. He has never played a soccer game in his life, nor has he watched soccer all that much. However, after two weeks under my wing, he's very solid competition for me. I have played Madden for years, and I still don't have a total grasp of everything you can do in that game.
Also, this simplification doesn't hurt FIFA in the slightest with regards to fun. I have a huge blast with FIFA, as the intensity of trying to score a goal with tons of defenders swarming on you is not only strenuous, but very challenging. When you actually succeed in scoring under these odds, the reward is just fantastic. In fact, I've found myself actually getting out of my chair screaming "GOALLLLLLLLL!" at the top of my lungs.
However, please don't get the wrong impression out of this post. The Madden series is a fine series of sports games. I really love how they have captured the spirit of American football. However, I don't understand why such a convoluted game manages to garner so much popularity when there is a much easier and much more enjoyable game created by the same publisher. I don't care how popular football is in the USA, because when you have a game with tons of convoluted controls, I think all the fun of virtually playing the sport goes down the drain.
