NFL Head Coach 09 for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

I am a 32 male that has loved playing dynasty mode in Madden and NCCA Football for years. The Madden Dynasty mode always was very lacking when compared to NCAA football. But now, with NFL Head coach 2009, I think there is a closer match.

So in this game, you are the Bill Parcells of the Miami Dolphins, you are a teams Executive Vice President. So you have the ability to hire the coach (or create your own) and the rest of your staff. Then you have to keep the owner, the staff, players, media all happy. This is done by a goal system and of course winning. For example, the owner might give you a goal to acquire a QB that is at least 85 or do not draft a 'bust' in the 1st two rounds.

I can go on and on about the details, but one of the best parts of this game is something called player potential. When you draft a player or sign a free agent, a stat called potential is hidden. Once you have them on your team, this number is revealed. So let’s say you acquire a player rated at a 75. Well their potential could be 75 or higher, such as 95. This means that by playing him in games, he can become an elite player. In the Madden games, this type of stat was never known. The coolest thing about this is that is makes the draft amazingly fun.

So you can draft a 1st round pick that is and 79, with a potential of an 80. This would be considered a bust as you just signed him to a very large contract. But you can draft a 6th round pick of a 70, that has a potential of a 95, now you have a sleeper. Of course, if you never play the player, he can never develop into the elite player. So by really spending the time in figuring out how to find the sleepers and avoiding the busts, you really feel like you are the VP.

Oh, and you need to sim as watching the games is not fun. So if you are 12 year old and love playing actual Madden games, then this game is not for you. But if you really want to feel like Bill Parcells and build an elite team, then this is a great game.

I enjoy games that give you a lot of control. This game lets you control a NFL franchise as the coach and somewhat the GM. I love the draft feature of this game. The negative is you need a lot of time to play this game. The more you play the more it gets interesting. I could easily spend 10 hours a day on this game. The problem is I dont have 10 hours a day. A good game, you just a lot of time to play.