Madden NFL 08 (Wii, 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

I have played the Madden franchise since it's Sega Genesis days, but this year is the first time I have bought the Wii version. I didn't really know what to expect from a control standpoint, and was a little worried to go from the standard joypad control to the Wii control. My worries about that were put to rest very early, as the Wii controls are actually very natural and pretty easy to pick up. The controls make use of the nunchuck controller, but you can also play it with only the Wii remote if you like (with less controlling of course).
The graphics are a little limited and plain, but they aren't bad at all. However, I have always been more about gameplay than graphics . . . so if graphics are a huge deal to you then I'd suggest seeing a demo of the game before buying it.
Franchise Modes, Superstar Modes, Minicamp challenges are all still there, and they added a new "Party Mode" where you can compete in games with friends (including NFL trivia). That is kind of fun. There are no "Madden Cards" on this game, so if that is a big thing for you then you're out of luck. Also, the "create-a-team" option is gone as well.
The soundtrack is an upgrade I think, along with the standard hip-hop songs they've added a song from Ozzy along with a bunch of the old classic songs from the NFL Studios films. Very nice!
There are a few little things that weren't included in the Wii version that I find both puzzling and somewhat annoying. They are:
- You can't cycle through defensive players backwards. If you are cycling through players trying to get on the one you want to control, if you accidentally jump over him you either have to cycle through all the players again or point at the player you want to control and press "A" (I have not gotten the point thing to work yet).
- You can't sort stat columns. When viewing stats at the end of the game, or league leader stats they are sorted by the first column for the position. In the other Madden versions, if you are looking at QB's and you want to see which has thrown the most INT's you would move over to that column and hit a button. The Wii lets you cycle over to the column, but no button sorts it. I really miss being able to do that.
- When a call is challenged or being reviewed, the camera angle showing the replays seems like it is from the last row in the upper deck. At least it has been in each of the 50 or so replays I have seen so far. I usually just click through the replays anyways, but seems pointless to have replays if you can't see the play.
- Every once in awhile, the view is "blurred", It only seems to happen when out of the huddle it displays "ball cam" and says to press "A" to get back to the "field view" or something. If I let the cam switch on its own, it's fine. If I press "A" to switch early, it blurs. Annoying, but now that I know not to press "A" there it's no biggie.
If I had known all of this, I probably would have bought the game for my PS2 instead and waited till next year to go with the Wii. That said, it's still fun and if all you have is a Wii console you'll still have fun playing this game. I have to rate it only Average though, since a lot of functionality on the older versions of the game for other platforms is not included.
Hope this helps!

While not a perfect game, Maddens first attempt at a Wii game is a pretty solid addition to the Madden family.

GAMEPLAY
This is one aspect of the game that you won't recognize at all if you grew up on Madden Football. Using both the remote and the nunchuk, the ball is actually thrown by using your wiimote and making a throwing motion while selecting the button of the receiver you want. No more hitting a direction and the pass button. You control where the QB runs with your nunchuck using the joystick. Most of the moves to avoid tackles are also done through movements in the controllers. While they have not quite perfected all of this, it adds a really exciting element to the game!

GRAPHICS
Good graphics, not great. Not up to the level of a PS3 or 360, but its also limited by the Wii system. There are some glitches that could be annoying at times. Coming out of the huddle sometimes everything will go a little blurry on the screen, once the ball is snapped it goes away but its a little frustrating.

CHANGES FROM PAST VERSIONS
You do lose some functions from the old game, but they also added in a brand new "party" version of the game where you can take friends on in a slew of football related activities (the old off season drills plus tons of new ones). Honestly the things they took off are not nearly as cool or important as what they added. Lost in the new version is create your own team and the Madden Cards (which were lame in my opinion).

Honestly, I would get my hands on this game if you can. Its like a whole new Madden...though its not perfect. I think that will be a common themes with Wii games their first time around but I am looking forward to many years of great times playing Madden football and finally feeling like I am part of the game!!


- You can't sort stat columns.

The controls are what really sell this game. It's fun actually throwing a stiff arm or a big hit out there with the Wiimote. I love playing online. I have not had any problems doing so. The Hall of Fame mode is great, although I wish you had a little more control. Of course, when you are only drafted as one player, that makes sense that that's the only one you can control when on the field. I had to go through three sellers on Ebay before I finally got a working version of the game, and it was well worth the wait. The graphics are great for the system and it is really fun play. I would recommend this game to any Madden fan whether they are All Madden or a Rookie. The multiplayer and Party Modes are also great. Play the game and you'll see how fun it is.

The game is very user friendly and makes me feel like I'm on the field. I bought the game because I am a football fanatic. Learning to catch is the hardest part. But I like running th eball and the juke stick with the nunchuk gives me that added move to get by defenders. I think the family style is ok but I am a hands on type of player and this will definitely suffice.