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‘Madden 09’ inches toward pigskin perfection

Are you ready for some football?

Twenty years and 70 million units later, EA Sports’ popular “Madden NFL” series is celebrating a milestone anniversary.

Available for multiple platforms and in two versions, “Madden NFL 09” ships as a standalone video game ($39.99 to $59.99, depending on platform) or the beefier “Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition” (at a pricey $89.99), which includes the latest pro football simulation, a copy of the all-new “NFL Head Coach 09” game — the only way to buy the game this year — and hours of DVD-like bonus materials for the ultimate fan.

The slick production values jump out at you when loading the game — namely, the high-definition graphics, adrenaline-pumping soundtrack and wealth of options available from the animated main menu.

Before you tackle any of the solo or multiplayer modes, you might want to try out new features that help set your skill level, to ensure a gratifying experience. This includes Madden Test, a collection of holographic drills and minigames that determine your skill in four key areas: rushing, passing, rush defense and pass defense; Madden IQ, a cumulative score that sums up your performance and dynamically adjusts whenever you play a game; and My Skill, a custom skill setting you can select prior to each game instead of general difficulty options such as “rookie” or “all-pro.”

In the Microsoft Xbox 360 version, the game feels as good as it looks with tight and responsive buttons. As with last year’s version, the “weapons” system is back, special skills assigned to elite players in the league to reinforce what makes them great. For example, when activated, LaDainian Tomlinson becomes a truck who plows through defenders, whereas a Smart QB, like Peyton Manning, can read the field and expose players who simply stick to their money plays. The plays are still balanced, however, since one weapon might help cancel out another. A receiver adept at catching big air to snag a ball might be placed opposite a serious midair tackler.

If you make a mistake, however, you can “rewind” the play and try again. Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond, who offer play-by-play and color commentary, respectively, can also tell you where a bad move went wrong and how to get it right the next time. Plus, you can benefit from John Madden’s insightful advice, playbook recommendations and picture-in-picture replays with tips.

You can choose from a number of solo and multiplayer modes. With the former, there are quick pickup games, a deep franchise mode that challenges you to stay on top for three decades, and a create-a-superstar option focusing on one player’s career (you can even import the player from EA Sports’ “NCAA Football 09”). Head-to-head modes are great for two friends to face off on the same TV or over the Internet. While we didn’t get a chance to test this out because we played a prerelease version of the game, new to “Madden NFL 09” is the ability to create online leagues with up to 32 teams and a scheduling system, auto stat tracking, player trades and more.

Those who buy “Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition” also get a copy of “NFL Head Coach 09,” which gives you complete control over team coaching on-and-off the field. This includes hiring a GM, playbook building, scouting new players and so forth. It’s not for everyone, but it rounds out the complete NFL experience.

The third DVD in this “Madden XX” special edition is packed with supplemental material for football nuts including behind-the-scenes footage, making-of videos, Madden interviews and media appearances, a historical look at the series and much more.

The Nintendo Wii version of the game, dubbed “Madden NFL 09 All-Play,” features easy-to-pick-up controls, using the Wii’s motion-sensing controllers, a streamlined playbook system and an all-new 5-on-5 party mode.

When it comes to game play, modes, presentation quality and extra material, “Madden NFL 09” is arguably the finest football game in the franchise’s 20-year history. Too bad the anniversary edition is a hefty $90, but serious “Madden” fans with deep pockets will no doubt love these two games and wealth of bonus materials.