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Madden NFL 07 Review (X360)

From Eric Qualls,
Your Guide to XBox Games.
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EA is back with attempt #2 at NFL football on the Xbox 360 and this year’s game is head and shoulders above last year’s dismal try. It doesn’t match up mode for mode with the Xbox version of the game, but it makes up for it with far superior graphics and equally as good, if not better, gameplay. It is far from perfect, but the Xbox 360 version of Madden NFL 07 is actually worth playing this year and stands as my preferred version of the game.
Quick Hits

  • Title: Madden NFL 07
  • Platform: Xbox 360
  • Publisher: EA Sports
  • Developer: EA Tiburon
  • ESRB: “E” for Everyone
  • Genre: NFL football
  • Pros: Great graphics; highlight stick and lead blocker controls; radio announcer, superstar mode, best achievements of any sports game yet
  • Cons: Not as many features as Xbox version, choppy transitions

Features and Modes

Madden 06 on the Xbox 360 was a train wreck. Not only did it not play nearly as nice as the other versions, it lacked the majority of features that gamers actually wanted. That has changed for 2007, and even though it doesn’t have some of the more flamboyant modes (create-a-fan?) of the other versions it does pack plenty of gameplay into the modes it does have. Along with standard quick play, franchise, and online play, we now have superstar mode and minigames. The minigames are sort of hit or miss, but superstar mode is impressive. In superstar mode you create a player and then only play their position with a zoomed in camera angle. You don’t pick the plays and you may not even play every down, but when you lay down a perfect block or run your pattern and catch a pass for a first down it is pretty darn satisfying.

Gameplay

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As I mentioned in my NCAA Football 07 review the amazingly sharp and detailed graphics on the Xbox 360 make these games a heck of a lot easier to play. You can work your way through the line easier or pass more accurately when you can see better so I greatly prefer playing the 360 version. This year’s game offers the same new controls that the other versions do – lead blocking, new kicking system, and highlight stick – along with most of the other precise controls introduced in Madden over the years. I’m also a big fan of the play calling system in the 360 version as it lets you choose plays by player or play type and more so you can find what plays you want to run far easier than before. This is just a really solid game of football.

It also needs to be noted that the achievements in Madden NFL 07 are easily the best in a sports game yet. They are based on real NFL records for season or single game stats and there are also separate achievements to be earned in superstar mode. It will take you quite a while to earn all of them, which is a very good thing.

Graphics and Sound

Graphically, Madden NFL 07 on the Xbox 360 is a great looking game with some key touches that really add a lot to the game. The players are nicely detailed, of course, and it is fun to see big fat linemen with big bellies hanging out. The stadiums are very detailed and the field breaks down over the course of a game. When it rains the water on the field reflects the stadium and sky (not the players, but whatcha gonna do) which is cool.

Unfortuantely, there is some severe clunkyness during transitions from play calling to the field or from a camera pan back to the action. The game just chugs for a couple seconds (or stops completely for a few seconds during rainy games) which doesn’t look pretty at all. It doesn’t affect gameplay at all, but it is immediately noticeable and annoying.

The sound is pretty good this year as well. John Madden and Al Michaels (thankfully) are not present and we get the same radio broadcaster and on the field banter as last year’s game. I’m a big fan of this type of presentation, particularly the fact that the radio host is supposed to be a local guy and isn’t afraid to use terms such as “we”, and “our” and “us” in the broadcast to show his connection to the team.

Bottom Line

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Overall, the Xbox 360 version of Madden NFL 07 is my preferred version and is the one I recommend if you have the option of the old-gen vs. new-gen version of the game. The two versions are really pretty equal in most respects, each with their own pros and cons, and you certainly are still getting an amazing game of football if you can only get the Xbox version. I simply prefer the look and overall feel of the 360 version, so there you go. It looks great, plays great, and will keep you busy for a long time so I highly recommend Madden NFL 07 for the Xbox 360.
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