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The Madden franchise is nearing the end of its run on current-generation consoles. That means, however, that these are the consoles providing the most nuanced and intricate games of football available, with some features in the current-generation versions not being offered on the Xbox 360. Madden NFL 07 improves on the Madden formula, although not as drastically as it did in past years.
Madden NFL 07 includes the expected game modes. You get the basically same franchise mode from Madden NFL 07, quick play, online (except on Gamecube) and the new superstar mode. The franchise mode includes all of the features found in last year’s Madden, including some features not available in the Xbox 360 version. These “exclusive” features include the owner mode, minigames, newspaper headlines and the Tony Bruno show. New this year is the ability to scout rookies. You can get rookies to workout, giving you more detailed information as well as play through a college game to get find out how they really play.
In superstar mode, you begin with a new player who is just starting off in the NFL. You are tasked with making this player the best he can be and perhaps getting him into the Hall of Fame. For instance, if you’re playing as a quarterback, you’ll gain more prestige and fame as you throw more completions, increase your yards-thrown-per game, and throw a few touchdown passes per game. Aside from playing well, you’ll also have to establish a relationship with your team. If you’re a quarterback, and have taken on the role of field general, you’ll see a boost in the passing-accuracy rating. As you gain more trust, you can eventually become team leader. Be careful though, these roles depend on performance and if you have a sloppy game, you’ll see your team influence rating drop.
The actual gameplay has seen some improvements, as well. EA Tiburon added a new kick meter, a highlight stick, and better lead blocking controls. The kick meter is the same as the excellent meter used most recently in NCAA Football 07 where you push the analog stick down to get power and then up to get accuracy. The highlight stick is a new version of the trick stick, which can greatly improve your running game. The highlight stick lets you pull of jukes and fakes to let you run it all the way.
The lead blocking controls help enhance the stronger running game. This feature lets you switch control from the running back to a defender to allow you to create holes for the running back to go through. Once you create this break for your running back, you can switch back to him and finish the play. It’s a good feature since the AI doesn’t always find the best routes to use and gives hardcore players more control of their fate. In addition, the jump the snap feature from NCAA Football 07 has been included so that you can get an early jump on the play and let your defender have an advantage over his blocker. As you play through the game, you’ll be able to unlock Hall of Fame players. Some of these players can even be signed into current teams. This is done by increasing your Madden gamer level, which works similarly to the Maddencard of previous games.
Madden NFL 07 looks remarkably similar to Madden NFL 06. Although it is unreasonable to expect the game to look as good as the next-generation version, nothing appears to be added except a few animations. Though the engine is showing its age, the game’s player models are respectable; the animation is still fluid, and the stadiums get the job done well.
The audio is largely unchanged, as well. The sound effects are still impressive, providing some life to the onscreen action. The EA Trax provided soundtrack is notable in terms of sheer scope. The commentary sees the biggest change since John Madden is replaced by someone from EA Sports Radio but joins the familiar Al Michaels. The new guy is pretty good and plenty enthusiastic. Don’t worry that you’ll miss Madden too much; he’s still present in the Ask Madden feature.
Madden NFL 07 manages to add a few wrinkles to an established franchise. It’s also quite possibly the last Madden title to appear on either the Xbox or the Gamecube, though we’ll probably see the franchise continue on PS2 for a few years. It’s hard to improve on such an established series, but Madden NFL 07 does that on current generation consoles. It isn’t revolutionary, but the game still delivers a mean game of football. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Aug 28, 2006
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