Another year brings us another dose of what can arguably be called the biggest sports game in North America. Madden 12 is a game that you can play any number of ways. Given such wide options, and the unique nature of each game you play in Madden 12, we've structured this guide in an very simple way. Three sections will talk about what you need to know to play this game, starting with General tips for the newer or casual players, and ending with a quick look through the achievements for those dedicated to sinking in the time.
General Tips
Practice will make all kinds of perfect. If you are new to the Madden experience this game will appear to be daunting at first glance. This will be doubly so if you aren't too familiar with the game of Football itself. However as with any game, real or virtual, practice is the key to success. Try exhibition matches first. Try online play with your friends who can help you to learn the plays, teams, players, and anything else you need to know to feel comfortable diving in deeper.
Read the manual. No not the 2 page one that came in the case but the digital one inside the game. At any time you can pause the game and read through it. If this is your first Madden then we can’t stress this enough as it has a breakdown of the controls that will be incredibly useful to you. The different stages of play within the game have their own unique controls and knowing what each button does and when can make or break the game for you.
Pick the Green Bay Packers. We know lots of people will be loyal to their favorite team and want to play with them. However if you are new, or looking to practice your skills picking the Packers will give you the slight edge you may need until you are comfortable with lower rated teams. The rating we speak of can be seen in the image below. The 92 rating on the Packers is the highest in game. This means that in the universe of the Madden 12 game, they are the best team. Playing as them will give you the edge, a handicap, that will help you out as you learn the game.
Run the ball. Throwing looks nice, and it is great to do a 50 yard throw and run it in for a touchdown but it doesn't always yield results. Throwing is risky for many reasons, the biggest being the chance for the opponents to get an interception. Running the ball although not as pretty can get you those 2 yards you need to get to a new down.
When playing Franchise Mode keep an eye on your money. You can find it under team income, and team expenses. Obviously a good team needs to keep the income higher than the expenses. In the beginning your biggest concern will be with signing new players. If you get carried away you can bankrupt your team very quickly. Keep an eye on their salaries and your other expenses so that you can keep your team’s income reasonably high.
Game Types
They're a few different modes within Madden 12 that you should check out. Each one has its own unique play style. In the section below we will go over each mode and the basic things found within.
Exhibition – This one is pretty simple. Pick two teams. Pick the basic details of time, weather, and stadium and kick off the ball and have some fun. There are two things of note in this mode. The first is the general ease and quickness of playing it. If you just pick this game up, this is where we suggest you start. You can learn a lot about the teams, the different plays you can call, and the basics of control and how to play as your characters. Exhibition is also the game mode to look out for if you want to mop up some of the easier achievements. One such as the San Diego Chargers Award, where you must hold the opponents to 67 yards of total offense, can easily be done here along with many others.
Superbowl XLVI – This is similar to an Exhibition game but with the added flair of a Superbowl game. Other than that it can be used for the same achievement hunting and practice play.
Online Modes – These are all fairly straight forward and don't require much explanation. Keep in mind that you can't earn achievements when you play Online Team Play (OTP as the game calls it) or co-op.
