Madden NFL 08 (PlayStation Portable, 2007)

By this point, you’ve probably read countless articles on TeamXbox and other gaming sites talking about how the first few next-gen Madden titles didn’t [insert tired football analogy here]. It’s not like the games were bad or anything, it was just that they weren’t up to our lofty expectations. Before out first demo of this year’s game, many of my fellow editors and I were all ready to dump a cooler full of Haterade on it. However, even at that early stage, we had a feeling that we were finally seeing the game that we had been waiting on for 3 years. The only question was whether or not the team at Tiburon could follow through and give us what we wanted. Let’s find out if they did, shall we?

While some people care more about stuff like the Franchise and Owner modes, this editor is all about heading onto the field for some action between the lines. It’s here where Madden NFL 08 truly shines, as it offers the best action we’ve ever seen in a football game. Thanks in part to the new Hit Stick 2.0 (which allows you to tackle a ballcarrier either high or low), you’ll be able to dish out some absolutely brutal hits, and there will actually be moments when you wince after your star RB crumples to the ground. On the offensive side, your wideouts and tight ends will realistically twist their bodies to reach for thrown balls and will drag their toes if making a catch while falling out of bounds. All told, this game features some stellar animations that, while not always noticeable, help to make the proceedings feel much more authentic.

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2007 Super Bowl Champions!


For the most part, the on-field controls haven’t changed very much, aside from a few new mechanics like the ball strip and “hurdle control” which is implemented by, you guessed it, hitting the hurdle button. However, if you’re one of those players that know the difference between a hot route and a Hot Pocket, you’ll be happy to learn that there are a number of new mechanics that give you great control over your team. On the defensive side of the ball, you can now “spotlight” receivers, which makes it easier to shutdown superstar wideouts. Beware though, as that will usually leave another guy open.

The biggest new gameplay mechanic is the Weapon system, which is a great way to make star players stand out from the benchwarmers. There are a bunch of different categories that player can fall into, and they'll excel in those particular areas. Rather than giving the player super powers that can be used or some nonsense like that, they are simply better than their peers. For instance, Randy Moss will leap higher than an average player, Rodney Harrison will hit harder, and Lawrence Maroney can lower his shoulder to power through tackles. The only exceptions are the ones that allow QBs to occasionally read a defense and linebackers to see what play is coming, but you (thankfully) won't be able to use those very often. It's a great system, one that we hope makes it into future games.

Superstar mode has returned in Madden 08, and the developers have obviously taken some of the criticisms leveled at them from fans to heart. You’ll now be able to take control of one of the studs in this year’s rookie class in an attempt to turn him into a Hall of Fame caliber player. Unfortunately, there’s no “embarrassing web photo” minigame for all of the wannabe Brady Quinns out there, though we’re hopeful that it’ll appear in next year’s iteration.
Overal Rating: Perfect 10/10