Madden 25 or NCAA 14?

[pk500]

My pigskin-covered testicles are perched squarely on the fence about which football game I want to get this year, Madden 25 or NCAA 14. I have played the hell out of both demos and have found polish and warts in both. I'm a bigger fan of the NFL than college football, but I like the idea of playing a season with polls and without all of the Connected Careers crap.

So for those of you who have put time into both games, which is better, Madden 25 or NCAA 14? Which do you enjoy more? Which plays a better game of football? And why? Please provide any specifics you want to offer.

My sons and I thank you!

[dbdynsty25]

If you're a bigger fan of the pro's in real life, it's silly to play college. Madden is a more refined game on the field when it comes to gameplay. That's all there really is to it. I've got both and being a bigger fan of the pros leads me to sell NCAA once the NFL season really gets going. It happens every year. It helps that the Madden games are always a step or two ahead of college when it comes to the gameplay engine.

[Inuyasha]

Answers to your specific questions below :


So for those of you who have put time into both games, which is better, Madden 25 or NCAA 14?

Right now : NCAA because of gameplay and season mode. Jury's still out on Madden.

Which do you enjoy more?

Madden. Because I like the NFL better. NCAA is solid, but the game is really stale.

Which plays a better game of football? And why? Please provide any specifics you want to offer.

Right now : NCAA - more balanced gameplay. Offenses are not all juggernauts. Madden Franchise is more balanced but I hate dealing with all the CCM stuff. You can just play the games though.

Commentary : if you like NFL more go with Madden. NCAA is a solid game, but at the same time, it's really stale. if you've played Ncaa in the last few years, you're getting the same experience. There's nothing really new about it except for the Season Mode this year and better gameplay. But if you're kids like playing PLAY NOW games and love scoring a lot and games ending in 55-54 scores, go with Madden.

Im really trying to like Madden, but its basically a roster update this year. I'm sure in the next week you'll see Madden at $40 if you want to wait. If you really want to save $$ and get a solid NFL game, my recommendation is just buy Madden 12 at Walmart bargin bin for $10, download the Madden 25 rosters from OS to use on 12.

[Rodster]

Im really trying to like Madden, but its basically a roster update this year. I'm sure in the next week you'll see Madden at $40 if you want to wait. If you really want to save $$ and get a solid NFL game, my recommendation is just buy Madden 12 at Walmart bargin bin for $10, download the Madden 25 rosters from OS to use on 12.

Amazon is selling Madden 13 for $9.99

[Zeppo]

Im really trying to like Madden, but its basically a roster update this year.

I cannot disagree with this statement more strongly. I played a gagillion games of Madden 13, and there are a lot of differences in this year's game. The most obvious include the addition of a variety of read option plays and changes to the gameplay that make them truly functional, but there are a lot of little differences all over the field.

It is after all a football game, so expecting it to be markedly different from previous football games is a little silly.

I can't give you any advice, PK. To me they are both solid offerings, so it's really up to whether you prefer the wide open, 100+ team choices of NCAA or the more refined gameplay and NFL-ness of Madden.

As to the "I don't like to deal with all the CCM crap:" If it's at all like last year's game, you can just skip/sim everything you don't want to deal with with a click of a button and just play the games.

One thing I'd say about both games, and heck even FIFA but especially EA's pigskin games, is that they are truly at their best when played head to head with another human. I mean it is miles different, ten bazillion times better head to head than it is v CPU. It seems to me that head to head is their focus, that's been their focus for a long, long time, and it's not going to change. It also seems to me that of all the sports, making really strong, dynamic, and challenging AI for a football game is the most daunting. Not players-on-the-field AI as much as strategic, play calling, game planning, depth chart, formation subs, etc type of AI.

That said, I've had some very fun and competitive games v CPU in both ofthies year's games, but I haven't played either of them all that much as yet. In the last two years in our Madden league, after a while it became very rare for the CPU to defeat any of us humans, but we are talking about playing season after season.

As a huge NFL fan, while I like the massive variety of teams and the resulting wide spread in team quality available in NCAA, I always gravitate back to Madden.

[pk500]

As to the "I don't like to deal with all the CCM crap:"

Yes, I've always been a Bauer man. Hockey players will get the joke.

Seriously, thanks to everyone for advice. Keep it coming!

[Danimal]

I'm a bigger fan of the NFL but I would be lying if I said Madden is better then NCAA. In fact I disagree with DB entirely in his statement that Madden is more refined. I can get a pash rush playing DE in NCAA, better pockets form and the running game doesn't feel over balanced to meet a marketing point.

Having said that I will likely play Madden more. I've been really messing with the slider and there is something to the penalty sliders messing up (effecting) gameplay. I've almost got a slider set I like and I'm resigning myself to not playing a D-Linemen which means there is a pass rush for my team.

NCAA plays a slightly better game IMO, but not enough to make an NFL fan play a college football game.

[pk500]

I must admit: The $45 trade-in offer for Madden 25 through Oct. 5 is damn attractive. Basically turns the game into an economical one-month rental if I tire of it.

[Leebo33]

Not sure what happened to my long write-up that I started this morning before the soccer tournament and just finished and submitted but it is lost and I'm too tired to type it all again.

The bottom line is I really like both and if you made me choose it would be Madden primarily because it really annoys me that running backs do not fumble in NCAA.

[pk500]

I bought Madden 25 today at Best Buy, with a $5 Rewards Zone coupon. The game becomes a $14 rental for the next five weeks if we don't like it or tire of it -- a no-risk situation.

Thanks for your opinions, boys.

[10spro]

As to the "I don't like to deal with all the CCM crap:"

Yes, I've always been a Bauer man. Hockey players will get the joke.

Seriously, thanks to everyone for advice. Keep it coming!

.

Just saw your thread. I also have both games although I am more of an NFL follower. When I lived south of the border in my late high school years I loved the college stuff. In terms of gameplay I really like NCAA, not saying its better but I didn't have to mess with the sliders as much as I had with Madden. The speed threshold is the only adjustment I made with the college game and I am enjoying my online franchise.

Madden 25 is not as bad as some dudes like to pile on but for everything good that they bring this time, there are other issues that linger around as well. Find the proper settings and sliders and you may have your football fix. It was cool that I could draft some players from NCAA too.

The read option play is overly done in the college game while in Madden I seem to struggle with it.

And surprisingly I am enjoying MUT as well. Quite challenging trying to play with your team that it's in the high 60's, low 70's against more refined teams.

Enjoying both games really, but with Hockey season coming up, if I had to hold on to one game right now, it woud be Madden. Although with both franchises on its last legs for the 360, I might just keep them both for my ultimate collection of games dating back to the Genesis years.

Looks like you got already Madden for a good deal so enjoy it.