GS said: "While the game will look similar to what you're used to, there are some significant differences between the PSP game and its console cousins. The difference is most obvious when taking snaps on the field, because the illuminated passing cone, featured so prominently in the console games, isn't part of the PSP version. The exclusion of this feature is tied mainly to the control limitations of the PSP itself, so the lack of a right analog stick would prevent the user from being able to manually control the passing cone, as you can do in the console game. That said, the passing game has not been ignored completely. While the "vision" portion of the revamped Madden passing game may be absent, the precision feature is in full effect. You'll still be able to accurately pinpoint your ball to your wideout's position so you can put the ball in exactly the right position to make the play--be it high, low, behind, or ahead of the receiver.

The unique control configuration of the PSP will mean that some of the familiar mechanics of Madden will be necessarily mapped to different buttons than you might be used to. The sprint button for quarterback rollouts will be mapped to the X button, for example (which is exactly the same as the PlayStation 2 version), but calling smart routes will be tied to the circle button in the PSP game. As well, lack of a right analog stick means many of the special right-stick functions found in the console game will either be substantially altered or removed altogether. An example is the offensive truck stick, a new feature in the console game. When playing the PSP version, you'll be able to use truck-stick moves (such as plowing through opponents) by pressing the triangle button. Unfortunately, the back juke, designed specifically to make opponents miss tackles, won't be part of the PSP game.

The good news is that the PSP version isn't simply a console port with all the cool features missing. One of the best inclusions in the game is the ability to transfer files between the PSP and PS2 versions of the game. If you own both the PS2 and handheld versions of the game, you can share a number of different file types between the two games, including rosters, profiles, and spawned games. Rosters and profiles are well and good, but sharing spawned games may be the best reason for the PSP version of Madden to exist. In a nutshell, transferring data between the two versions of the game will let you take your franchise mobile, play your franchise games on your PSP, and then resync your games with your PS2 once you get home. "