System: X360, PS3, PC, PS2, Wii, GC, Xbox, PSP, DS
Dev: EA Tiburon
Pub: EA Sports
Release: Aug. 14, 2007
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Review by Jonathan Marx

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Review Rating Legend
1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
2.5 - 2.9 = Average
3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
3.5 - 3.9 = Good
4.0 - 4.4 = Great
4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
5.0 = The Best

The graphics look great. All the movements and animations look very smooth. The stadiums look real, the jerseys pop brilliantly off the field, it's easy to spot holes in the line and the open man, and the somewhat omnipresent micro-glitching in Madden games of the past seems to have vanished. I think you'll really get into the experience due to the refined visuals.

The sounds and commentary are quite good. On field grunts, hits, and cadence all sound great. John Madden and Al Michaels do a superb job of setting the tone, and Mark Schlereth is there to guide you through the tutorials. The addition of ESPN Radio to menu screens is neat. I thought music track selection was questionable at best. I've heard alley cats with more harmony. I only enjoyed the classic and re-mixed football tunes. All of the contemporary music selected for the game is awful, but I'm sure some of you will think I'm crazy for saying so. Taste, after all, is entirely subjective. Therefore, I won't let the music selection ravage the overall score, but suffice it to say that the tunes aren't for everyone.

The online play is phenomenal. The menus and formats are easy to negotiate, and the lobbies will always be filled with eager gamers. The stat tracking is impressive and allows you to size up the competition's quality and tendencies before challenging them to a match. Being able to see some of these jokers' overdependence on the passing game will allow you to make good defensive decisions early and thwart the big play. I wish there were ranked leagues that allowed you to take your franchise team online. That way we'd know not only who the top dogs are, but who can put together a top-notch organization. Overall, the online component is solid. You'll lose countless hours working your way up the EA boards.

Madden NFL 08 is a really great game. For football fans it simply cannot be missed. There are really no glaring faults at all. One would be hard-pressed to improve upon the graphics, controls, sounds, modes of play, varied content, and online play. The new additions to the title are innovative and impact the gameplay positively. This is not a game that everyone will enjoy regardless of whether they like sports or not, but sports fans will be logging some serious hours with this title. Madden NFL 08 by EA Sports is the undisputed football champion, and the sport title by which I will judge all others. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to managing my franchise. Bear down!

By Jonathan Marx
CCC Freelance Writer

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