Not to be outdone by Nintendo’s revolutionary no-glasses-necessary 3DS technology, EA Sports' mega-franchise, Madden NFL, is making its own bold move by releasing for the handheld at launch.

It has been customary practice for the Madden series to release a few weeks before the start of the NFL season but this 3DS iteration will break the current trend and release during the offseason.

Madden on the 3DS will have several modes for gamers to choose from, including the traditional 11-on-11 exhibition matches, a faster paced 5-on-5 mode, and its own Season Mode for those who have the highest aspirations for their favorite franchise. Each mode will facilitate play calling using either Madden 11’s GameFlow, or the classic and arcade styles.

Making great use of the 3DS’ touch capabilities, a new “Call Your Shots” feature allows the player to draw their own plays at will, directly onto the game screen. Not satisfied with what package the defense has brought out, create an even more sophisticated audible than seen in any Madden game before. On top of that, the game will utilize 3D specific camera angles in order to maximize the player's experience on the handheld.

Madden 3DS - Coin Toss

One of the main thoughts that came to mind upon hearing of this 3DS release was what it meant for the Madden curse. Since this title will be releasing after the 2011 season has ended does it mean that player injuries can now occur year round or will the injuries for the ’11-’12 season be two fold. Speculate away.

A franchise that has based much of its success on pickup and play it makes complete sense that Madden would swoop in to place itself among the many great 3DS launch titles. Unfortunately, Nintendo has been silent as to when exactly the 3DS will be releasing but we anticipate it to be sometime around March.

Are there any gamers out there looking forward to picking up an offseason Madden for the 3DS? Does 3D technology make for a better Madden experience or would you rather stick with your console?

Madden 3DS releases spring of 2011.