- 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
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
