On Thursday night at 12:00 A.M. the release of Madden NFL '10, the most anticipated football game of the year, came out. There were hoards of lines around the globe anxiously waiting to pick up this game and play it for hours on end. This night is an annual occurrence, and it has become so constant that people actually refer to it as Maddenoliday, as if it is an actual holiday. And due to its widespread popularity, it basically is. 

In my specific case, I went with three friends to pick up the game as we do every year. While we were on line waiting, we saw the latest of promotions by Chick-Fil-A as they were giving out free chicken sandwiches to everyone on the line. The next thing I realized was that my friend, Charlie, who I had not seen since the 6th grade, was in the front of the line playing the demo version of the game we were all waiting for. And if that wasn't crazy enough, the first play that occurred was a kick return for a touchdown by Charlie. I could not believe my eyes. This was a kid who I had not seen in about ten years, and he happens to be waiting on the same Madden line at 12 A.m., scoring a touchdown on the opening kickoff! It may not seem so crazy to a lot of people, but honestly, it was for me. Anyone that knows Charlie would definitely agree. Finally, after waiting for about ten minutes it was our turn to go pick up the game. The second we got it, we darted out of the store with huge smiles on our faces, ready to play the new game.

We proceeded to play the game for the next five and a half hours, studying and enjoying everything that the game had to offer. It was another year, and another Maddenoliday that did not disappoint. There were added features that really helped the overall game, and the gameplay seemed a lot smoother than in years past. Great job EA! If you have not yet picked up the game, go out and get it. You will be glad that you did.