Madden 09 Is Causing Hype All Around The Internets

The day that will surely never end is finally here folks. EA Sports Madden 09 will be released for sale this evening at the stroke of midnight, which means gamers all over will be revising their story to call in sick tomorrow because they’ll be playing a video game all night long. A few notes for fans who are wondering about the state of the game today.
Brett Favre Cover

EA plans to offer a downloadable cover insert depicting Favre in Jets regalia via the official Madden website. Completionist fans are urged to print off a copy and replace the retail art as they see fit.
In-game, Favre is a member of the All Time Greats Team by default, though an August 11 downloadable roster update for the title will shift Favre to the Big Apple.

This will definitely make Green Bay fans puke and New York Jets fans rejoice. If you’re curious about the critics view on the game, just check out AP’s report.
EA’s Madden Is Better Than Ever:

You start off with the Madden Test, which gauges your skill in passing, running, pass defense and run defense, then adjusts the game’s difficulty to your strengths and weaknesses. Each time you play a game, your skill level is adjusted according to your performance. If you’re particularly weak in one area, you can go to the Virtual Trainer, a holodeck-like gridiron, and bone up on the necessary skills. I’m hoping all this will put a stop to the 56-7 blowouts my brother’s been inflicting on me for the last 10 years.

A few more in-game features let you learn from your mistakes. Instead of kicking yourself over that end zone interception, you can hit the Rewind button and try the play again. Or you can watch a Backtrack video, in which the game shows you how you could have salvaged a botched play. “Madden 09″ also does a great job with onscreen menus that provide a helpful guide to all your options at the line of scrimmage.

Are you drooling yet?
Busta Rhymes “Maddenpalooza” Concert
Well, if that doesn’t hype you up, rapper Busta Rhymes has flown into Southern California to perform a free concert at what’s being called “Maddenpalooza.” He’ll be performing at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for 6,000 lucky fans, so get in line, take pictures and tell us how it went, k? But there’s more…
Jo Garcia Gives The Game A Nod Of Approval
Oh, and how could we forgot! Playboy’s cyber-gamer of the year and nudie-kin Jo Garcia has given the game a two-thumbs up. Now if only we could get her to make another video.
PlayBoy’s Garcia Praises Madden 09 [PS3 Extreme]
EA Promises Updated Favre for Madden ‘09 [Wired]
20th-anniversary ‘Madden NFL’ is better than ever [AP]
NEWS: Busta Rhymes Touches Down In Cali For Free Madden ’09 Concert [SOHH]
Image [Wired]