Madden Mondays returns again this week with an update from Gamestop’s blog featuring a closer look at the ability to return field goals in Madden NFL 09.  Who else would be better to be featured in the screenshots than Devin Hester.  The following is the excerpt from Gamestop’s blog, enjoy!

In chatting with the Madden NFL 09 production team, we find that every year they are challenged with a dichotomy of sorts. They want Madden NFL to raise the bar in innovations and features, yet, in keeping with their reputation for authenticity, the Madden franchise must remain true to the overall game experience. That’s why, no matter how many times we ask, we won’t see a running back activate his rocket boots to get a first down. In fact, we’re told that the list of the more than 85 new features for Madden NFL 09 does not contain rocket boots, gravity guns nor mushrooms that make players grow to twice their size.

However, sometimes innovations in gameplay easily lend themselves to NFL authenticity. One of these Madden NFL 09 innovations is the ability to return missed field goals. Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen in the real-world NFL how a seemingly insignificant field-goal attempt can be turned into a momentum-changing, or even game-deciding, touchdown return. Some of these are among football’s most memorable plays, like Nathan Vasher’s and Devin Hester’s 108-yard returns, or Antonio Cromartie’s record-setting 109-yard return last year for the Chargers.

This may change the way you think about that end-of-the-half 55-yard field-goal attempt. If you look into the end zone and see Devin Hester flapping his arms and practically salivating for the chance to take your kick to the house, will you go for it or just take a knee and regroup for the third quarter? You just might face that exact scenario when the Standard and 20th Anniversary Collector’s Editions of Madden NFL 09 release August 12. We’ll bring you another exclusive sneak peek at another Madden NFL 09 feature next Madden Monday.