GamerNode: Reviews - Madden NFL 07

Madden NFL 07

• Madden NFL 07
• PlayStation 2
• EA Sports
• EA Sports
• August 22nd, 2006

To say that Madden NFL 06 was a disappointment on the Xbox 360 would be putting it lightly. As the first next-gen edition of the popular series, gamers expected it to offer more than the PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and PC counterparts-but they were wrong. Instead, '06 took away features present in the current consoles, making the 360 version a waste of money compared to the much cheaper current-gen versions. With Madden NFL 07, EA hoped to make a next-gen version of Madden worth the $60 price tag. To a degree, it is-but there are still a few features missing on the Xbox 360 version, causing it to once again fall short.

If you've played Madden '06, you'll find that just about everything from last year's version finds its way into Madden '07. Of course, given that Madden '06 was very underachieving (on the Xbox 360), that's not too hard of a task to accomplish. EA has also added the Superstar mode to the Xbox 360 version of the game, which was present in the other versions of Madden '06.

New gameplay elements have been added to all versions of Madden '07, including an improved running game, lead blocker controls, and a new and improved kick meter. With the lead blocker control and highlight stick (which is a new version of the truck stick used for runners on offense) the running game in Madden '07 has seen a vast improvement on previous years. Using the right analog stick (or highlight stick, as they call it), players are able to perform maneuvers to avoid the defenders. Unlike past titles where all runners would share the same move, EA has taken the time to add unique jukes and jives to the running backs in the game. What this means is that players like Jamal Lewis will be likely to plow over their opponents using the abilities assigned to the highlight stick, while other players such as LDT will perform sophisticated ankle-breaking twists and turns. Other small details to the running game were also added, such as Tiki Barber's unique carrying style and Shaun Alexander's little stutter-step.

One of my favorite new gameplay features in recent years is the lead blocker control. Coined "Run to Daylight," the lead blocking mechanic adds much versatility to the running game, and for once places an emphasis on the blockers rather than just the guy with the ball. Before running plays, you'll be able to quickly switch to the blockers (your offensive line, fullbacks, tight end, etc.). Once the ball is snapped, you're able to control the blocker in order to open holes in the defense. Using the analog stick, you can perform blocking maneuvers ranging from pancakes to cuts. When you believe the hole is large enough, you can either continue to control the blockers on the field, or switch back to the guy running the ball in order to exploit the hole in the defense. One problem I did notice was that if you allowed the computer to keep controlling the running back, it would tend to miss the openings you created-so you're better off switching back to the runner and controlling him yourself. A feature like this may seem small-or even boring-to casual football fans. But for enthusiasts and diehards, it's great to see a game putting importance in the blocking game, and making it fun while they're at it. Offensive linemen are constantly the most underrated players on the field, so it's nice to see them finally get some love.

The new kick meter is also nice, and improves upon past kick meters, making it one of the best I've seen yet in a game. Rather than just being a process of aiming your kick and timing the power by pressing a button, the new kick meter forces you to aim your kick, and then move the right analog stick back-to-forward in a set path in order to send it flying. What this means is that not only do you have to aim correctly initially, but you're also forced to continue aiming as you power your kick with the back-to-forward motion. This creates a kicking game in which no kick is easy, and long field goals are truly rewarding.

The Superstar mode present in Madden '07 is slightly improved in comparison to that in the '06 edition. Unlike Madden '06, the Superstar mode in '07 doesn't include a lot of the pointless off-the-field aspects, or the annoying house hub. Instead, the emphasis is put entirely on football, which is where it should have been the entire time.

For those of you unfamiliar with Superstar mode (or those of you unlucky enough to have gotten Madden '06 for the 360), the premise of the Superstar mode in Madden NFL 07 is simple: take a football player from his pre-draft workouts to the NFL Hall of Fame. This begins with the game generating a set of parents for your player, which determines what position he'll play and the skills he possesses. If you aren't happy with what the game selects, you can shuffle the parents again and again, until you land your "perfect" player. This can be frustrating at times (such as when you want to have a specific position and have to keep shuffling), but it is entertaining to see the kinds of backgrounds EA came up with for parents.

Once you've selected your player and created his appearance and background information, it's off to pre-draft workouts for you. Using a variety of minigames such as the 40-yard dash and bench pressing, the workouts help determine where your player gets drafted, and what team you end up on. I didn't really notice a vast difference in player abilities depending on how I performed in these workouts, however (and due to a very poorly worded instruction set for the 40-yard dash I tripped my first two workouts). After a few sessions and the NFL Combine are over with, your player will be drafted and you'll begin your NFL career.

From there it's pretty straightforward. By playing more seasons and becoming a better player-and by winning, winning, winning-your player will increase their Hall of Fame meter. If it's high enough by the time you hang up your cleats, you'll find yourself among the football legends in the Hall of Fame.

Gameplay-wise, the Superstar mode offers an entertaining feature in the unique camera angles each position uses. Since you're playing as only one player, you won't get the standard top-down view of the action on the field. Instead, you'll see a much more limited field, determined by which position you play. For some positions such as a defensive back, this can make the game incredibly frustrating. For others like the quarterback, it makes the game much more fun. While you're able to enter the Hall of Fame as each position (and I'm sure there are gamers out there who will do so) in the end it's really only fun with a few of the skill positions. Being able to enter the Hall as any position does add a nice touch of replayability, though.

In regards to the franchise mode, once again the Xbox 360 version falls short to the current-gen consoles. If you were unhappy with the franchise mode in Madden '06 for the 360 last year, chances are you won't change your mind in this outing. Many of the features are once again surprisingly missing from the 360 iteration of the game (such as Tony Bruno, newspapers, the Owner mode, and the fantasy draft) making it suffer in the replay department. For the Xbox 360, the franchise mode gets the job done, but it's far superior on the current generation of consoles. EA tried to redeem the franchise on the 360 with a feature known as the live franchise game, but even that falls short. On paper, it's supposed to allow you to press a button during a franchise game, allowing anyone waiting in a lobby online to hop in and control your opponent. However, every time I tried to use the feature the connection would fail, or one of the two players would untimely drop. Assuming EA can work out the issues with the online connectivity, this will add a lot to the Xbox 360 version. Until then, though, it's just a novel idea implemented poorly.

Graphically, the game is obviously superior on the Xbox 360. While it looks aged on the current consoles, there's nothing like seeing your games play out in HD to get the blood pumping. It's not a huge improvement over Madden '06, but to be fair, '06 was a great looking game. One complaint I do have with the 360 version is the constant framerate issue. On the PS2 and other current-gen consoles, the game runs at a fairly constant 60fps. On the 360, however, it runs at 30fps. This causes a much slower feeling game, and in some of the more graphically-heavy modes like the Superstar mode, it's very easy for the game to stutter or get choppy. Sadly, the Xbox 360 version also suffers from some odd animations and sometimes-humorous-but-ultimately-disappointing clipping issues. The current-gen consoles have the same problem, but with the 360 it's much more noticeable.

The sound is another mixed bag for me. On one hand, the on-field chatter and music is great, as usual. On the other, the lack of Tony Bruno for the 360 and the small radio announcer make the game suffer. Rather than having the big names handle the announcing for the entire game, EA once again opted to have a "small team-oriented radio personality" broadcast each game. While this creates a more intimate feeling at first (the announcer relates to your team as the Good Guys, the opponents as the Bad Guys, has nicknames for players, etc.) in the end it gets extremely annoying with the biased announcing and limited announcing one man can do. I never thought I would say this, but I miss hearing Madden announce-at least he was funny on occasion (whether it's intentional or not is beside the point).

In the end, Madden NFL 07 is an improvement on the series. With some new running features and an Xbox 360 version worth the price of admission, it seems EA is trying to prove that they still care about improving their game, even without competition. Sadly, the 360 version fell short of what was expected of it, and the current-gen versions are still superior. If you plan to play Madden '07 until next year's version comes out, you'd be better off getting it for the PS2 or another current-gen console in order to get the most features available in the franchise mode, allowing you to play the game longer. However, if you plan on picking it up just to have a football game to play on and off, by all means get it for the 360. It's not perfect, but the better graphics and better online play make up for the shortcomings-as long as you aren't looking for a huge franchise mode.

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