Madden NFL 09 All-Play is an overall solid game, but it falls flat. Why? Read on.
First off, the graphics. The graphics in this game are pretty sharp. The players, field, and sky looks pretty good. But the crowds are horrendous. The people are look like a person in the stand from an SNES game.
The controls in this game work pretty good. There are moves for everything from passing to hiking to juking to crowd control. They generally work pretty good, but occasionally I will find that when I try to throw to Boss, who is wide open, I end up throwing to Burress, who has three people on him, and I end up getting picked. And sometimes, I will find that when my RB is running, and he gets hit, he'll just stand there, leaving himself open for a tackle.
There are many games modes. Play now is a simple exhibit match against any team of your choice. Franchise, Superstar, training camp, and Wi-Fi are all there, and generally work good. (See next paragraph for Wi-Fi.) A new mode, 5on5, is a mode in which you play an exhibition backyard football game, set for younger players. This is a nice addition, but it needs work on it.
In Wi-Fi, you can play a regular game, along with other modes. Wi-Fi runs beautifully, and is overall good, but I just wish that you couldn't quit from a battle, because it is not fair to be winning, and then your opponent walks away because they are a sore loser right in the middle of the game.
Call Your Shots is a feature in which you can draw your own receivers routes. It works great, and it gives you plenty of more plays.
Overall, Madden is a nice addition to the series, but it falls a bit short due to its graphics, physics, and controls.