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Backbreaker the challenger to Madden NFL that got one very big thing right but a lot of little things wrong (or not at all), will get a "major patch" taking into account community suggestions, the studio said on Friday. More »

Get a taste of the action glory.

Design flaws and a case of identity crisis keep this one out of the endzone.

#review Twenty-five years ago saw the last game of the USFL - a league given no shot against the NFL's monopoly, but beloved to this day for the rebellious challenge it posed. Today, similarly pitted against the Madden monolith, comes Backbreaker. More »

Today, 505 Games' Euphoria-powered Backbreaker hits the retail gridiron, and above you'll find a handy video guide to its many modes. Whether it's a quick exhibition game or compiling an entire season, there are a host of customizable gameplay experiences available to players. And, of course, it wouldn't be a sports game if there weren't pages and pages of stats to pour over.

Highly anticipated football videogame from 505 Games and NaturalMotion now available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

#dong Backbreaker's creators included a design customization engine so deep, a producer says you can recreate Da Vinci's The Last Supper in your team's end zone. He knows what most folks will try first though: "People, yeah, they're gonna create dicks." More »

#screengrab The first thing game reviewers see in the box containing review code for next week's Xbox 360 and PS3 football game Backbreaker is that piece of paper, that saying. Hope the game isn't maddening. More »

#sports Maybe the only way to make the Oakland Raiders' season interesting past the sixth week would be to force them - and every other wretched team - to play for the right to stay in the National Football League. More »

Having educated us in the ways of offense, 505 Games has released a new video to acquaint digital linesmen with Backbreaker's defensive game. Much like the offense game, playing D in Backbreaker uses flicks of the right analog stick to perform various actions, whether they be flying tackles, bull rushes or sneaky evasive spins.

Backbreaker tackles retail shelves -- and the notion of unlicensed football -- June 1.

A demo for the Euphoria-powered, tackle-infused Backbreaker is now available on Xbox Live. The demo clocks in at 415MB and allows players to try out the training mode, an exhibition game and the "Tackle Alley" mode. Tackle Alley is an arcade-style game that has you running the ball up the field against a pre-placed set of defenders. Using Backbreaker's offensive options, it's your job to shake the defense and get the ball to the end zone.

Backbreaker also has another innovative feature: being one of the only football games that isn't Madden. Unfortunately, the team editor isn't available in the demo, so you'll have to wait for the retail release in order to create your totally fictional team that doesn't use any NFL names or trademarks.


Xbox.com: Add Backbreaker demo to your Xbox 360 download queue

#demo The demo for Backbreaker, the football alternative promising real-time physics in place of canned animations, will hit Xbox Live for gold subscribers tomorrow. PS3 owners will get the demo "soon." More »

#clips Tired of Madden's arbitrary approach to contact? How its running looks, and feels, more like ice skating? Upcoming football game Backbreaker is, which is why it does things a little differently. More »

Backbreaker continues to promise a little innovation in the football genre, even as it tries to take on the mighty Madden juggernaut. In this new Training Camp video, you can check out the running game and how it works. In theory, it sounds great -- just use the right stick in an intuitive way to bump, stiff arm, and hurdle your opponents in the constant drive towards the end zone. In practice, though, it's tough to see how well the game will determine the gestures, like comparing a simple hurdle (pushing the right stick up quickly) versus an all-out leap (pushing the right stick up for a while).

Still, even though Backbreaker is starting out deep in its own territory against the long-lived, well-funded and officially-licensed Madden series, if there's anywhere a plucky young underdog with a big, physics-based heart can win, it's in the sports genre. The game will set, hut, hike on June 1 for a discount price of $49.99.

The Euphoria-powered football game, Backbreaker, shows off team customization tools in its latest trailer. Sure, you could use the robust editing suite to manufacture a pretty sweet team logo and end zone design ... but we know most people won't.

When it launches on June 1st, could you at least promise us to keep your creations clean and devoid of objectionable genitalia for, like, the first day? How about you be a bit more mature and go with something like the Sioux City Slammers or, dare we suggest, the Jasper Joystiqs? No no, not the Joy Sticks. What is wrong with you people?

#clips NaturalMotion's Backbreaker might not have the official NFL license like Madden does, but who needs that when you've got the tools to make the football team of your dreams at your fingertips? I'm going to call mine the Atnalta Falchions! More »

Backbreaker allows players to build the ultimate football team.

It's okay, you don't have to read this. You saw that there was a new Backbreaker video and you came to watch some dudes get tackled. That's fine, and we understand. So, really, you don't have to read this just to make us feel like we're earning our keep. Besides, we've already seen the video, and you should totally watch it. Like, seriously, so many dudes get tackled.

Actually, there is one thing you should read: The Backbreaker release date has been pushed back a week to June 1. Okay, now you can watch.

One of our favorite aspects of the Euphoria-powered football game Backbreaker has to be its innovative camera. While many focus on the game's graphics and its incredible physics animation system, it's the low-angle camera that truly separates Backbreaker from its competition. Not only does it make the game look more visceral, it drastically changes the gameplay, making it feel far more like an action game.

"One of the benefits of having this down-on-the-field camera view is that it really makes playing as the quarterback -- like the passing mechanic -- feel really natural," Rob Donald explains in the dev diary above. While we're inclined to argue that the game certainly looks more real, we wonder if the close view will make players feel like they're at a disadvantage. It's something we'll have to judge when the game comes out in May.

505 Games' ambitious tackle-em-up Backbreaker is looking to prove that an NFL license isn't all one needs to make a good football game -- and it'll get its chance on May 25, when the Euphoria-powered game will release in North America. Europeans anxious to break a back (and maybe an arm or two) will have to wait until May 28.

So, what's your favorite part of football? Is it all of the home runs or the great names, like Dick Butkus?

Split-screen football is about to hit your local retailer and we've got all the details so you know what to expect come gameday. New multiplayer gameplay footage included.

Click to enlarge Backbreaker may be the greatest football game no one will ever play. While I can attempt to detail its incredible use of the Euphoria physics engine, its spectacular graphics and truly innovative gameplay, all these features are moot thanks to the crippling fact that the game does not have the NFL license. Without the license, the annual Madden devotee won't have this on his (or her!) radar -- ironic, because Backbreaker makes good on the lofty promises of Madden 06's teased "CG movie" effect, which EA Sports has yet to deliver on, even four years later.

It's easy to get jaded about sports games as they iterate, releasing slightly improved games year after year. We've grown accustomed to complacency. But simply watch a video of Backbreaker and you'll probably agree: this game is a breath of fresh air no one expected from the genre. It goes to show that with proper competition, there's a lot of room for innovation.

Perhaps the most obvious thing to discuss are Backbreaker's animations, powered by the same tech used in Grand Theft Auto IV and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Euphoria allows game characters to react to their virtual environment and create dynamic animations. Unlike canned ragdolls, these animations are surprisingly lifelike, and because they can be generated on the fly, ensure the game feels spontaneous. Backbreaker has one huge advantage over games like The Force Unleashed, though: it's developed by NaturalMotion, the studio that made the Euphoria tech.

The long-awaited underdog football title is finally about to hit retailers.

It's almost time to step on a different kind of gridiron.

Get into the action like no football game has before.

This video showcases how developer NaturalMotion is engineering the next generation of football.

Pound the gridiron with hard-hitting sacks, jukes and tackles in this brand new trailer.

Hit the field with this exclusive trailer for the upcoming football video game BackBreaker.

Backbreaker revolutionizes the football videogame genre on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.