Madden 08
Reviewed by: Tyler Charles
System: Playstation 2
MSRP: $29.99
Rating: E for Everyone
Developer/Publisher: EA Sports
Synopsis: The 08 edition of the Madden series is the most comprehensive football game on the market. The game allows you to take control of the players, head coach, the general manager, and the owner, as you work towards the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl championship, or just beating your buddy from down the street.
Overall Score: 8/10
Graphics: 7/10 -- The graphics really depend on your television set. On a “normal” TV, the game looks remarkable, but on HDTV’s, the graphics are a little choppier, and do not have the polished quality of a PS2 game.
Story/Concept: 8/10 -- The Owner Mode is the deepest yet, and allows for full control of an NFL franchise. Hits the nail on the head in terms of realism and strategy.
Music: 10/10 -- The Madden series is infamous for its upbeat soundtrack every year, and this edition is no different. An excellent song selection will certainly pump you up for the “Big Game”.
Gameplay: 7/10 -- The controls take a while to get used to for the average gamers, and only veteran Madden players will have the skills to master the game. However, it is more of an “easy to learn, difficult to master” scenario. Not a lot of frustration with how the players react to your decisions on the field.
Replay value: 10/10 -- That is the beauty of sports games. With a 30-year timetable in Owner Mode, and a supply of mini-games and dozens of teams, you could play this game, all day-every day and not get bored.
Family Factor: Once again, the beauty of sports games shines through in terms of difficulty. Boasting four modes of difficulty, and an EAsy Mode, this game can be enjoyed by a 7-year-old newcomer, or a veteran college student. Having a rough day? Lower the difficulty to Rookie and destroy your opponent. Or, if you are ready to face the gauntlet, crank it up to All-Madden and try to outsmart your opponent in any way possible. Either way, you are bound to have a lot of fun doing so.
Review: If you are new to the EA football franchise, have no fear, because EA Sports makes it easy to learn the game. With a Practice mode, Skill Drills, and Mini-Camp, you can practice the essential tactics of the game, without the worries of defenders or the pressure of a 2-minute drill. If you take advantage of these modes, and then apply them to the game, it will take maybe an hour, at the most, to figure out how to play Madden 08.
As it is with most football games, the one thing that might concern parents is the simulated violence in the game. Football is a violent sport in itself, and being a realistic simulation of this, Madden 08 includes lots of hitting and the occasional injury. The inclusion of the Hit Stick allows for even bigger hits, and is made to reward good timing and good defensive play. However, it is worth mentioning that the hits in this game are not blatantly violent in nature, the makers of the game do not include the “illegal” hits in the game that occur in real life. In essence, the only way you can tackle a player in Madden 08 is the clean way. One other thing that might alarm parents is the ability to showboat on a long touchdown run with the use of the buttons on the controller, but it is not necessary to use.
Here’s the lowdown on playing the game. For starters, the amount of detail that has been stuffed into this game is magnificent, whether it’s the various alternate uniforms you can select, or the layout of each and every NFL stadium across the country (This is obviously because of the exclusive contract that EA Sports has with the NFL, stating that only EA Sports can develop an NFL game). The players are very similar to their real life counterpart, and their stats (Despite what the players think they should have!) are a good indication of their playing ability on the field. The helmets reflect light, the sun can affect the way you see the field, and the weather can be downright nasty. All of these factors add up to a great playing experience, and will test your playcalling ability throughout the game.
A more recent edition to the games is the EAsy Mode, which allows for a simpler gaming experience. Instead of selecting plays from the normal formation setup (Nickel, Dime, I, Splitback), you can select plays based on whether they are Run, Pass, or Special Teams. This can quickly let you find the pass or run play you’ve been looking to execute, or give you a different option you might not have otherwise found. It is especially useful for players who have not yet learned how to use the different formations and just want to enjoy a simple game. Another interesting feature of EAsy Mode occurs during a pass play. As your receivers run their assigned routes, a circle appears around their icon, and is either green, or red, depending if the receiver is open or covered by a defender. This allows a player to learn when the time is right to throw to a receiver. The only bad thing about this feature is the unavailability of audibles, which really throws off the flow of the game.
The Owner Mode hasn’t changed a whole lot over the years, but there really hasn’t been a need to add anything. You’re still in charge of all the nitty-gritty’s of running an NFL franchise, which includes setting ticket prices, updating your stadium, signing free agents, and making sure you stay under the salary cap. Are you losing money and have the fans turned their backs on the team? Then pack up and relocate the team to another city, and negotiate a deal to build a stadium in that city. The Owner Mode is definitely meant for hardcore NFL fans, and requires some knowledge of marketing, business, and player management. It would take a new player a good couple of seasons to fully get the hang of Owner Mode.
New to the 08 edition is the Player Skill Icons, and On-Field Strengths and Weaknesses. Before the snap, hit the L2 button on the PS2 controller, and a slew of icons will show you whether or not you have a “Great Hands” receiver on the field, or a “Power Back” preparing to run the ball up the middle. The icons are given to all the positions on the field, and this allows smarter players to pick out mismatches and call an audible if he or she finds an opening elsewhere. It takes a good eye to figure out what each symbol means, and it might take a quarter or two to exactly figure out how to use this feature. I personally don’t find it necessary to use in order to play the game on a high level, but for some, it allows for an extra hint before the snap.
Overall, there is nothing out of the ordinary in terms of actual gameplay. The animation is pretty seamless, and EA has done a good job of making the players look and act like their real life counterparts on the field. The level of realism is impressive as well, since a tall, big-armed quarterback can’t easily run out of the pocket and elude a speedy defensive end such as Dwight Freeney. But you can count on the Michael Vick’s of the league to outrun the slower defensive players on the field. One small thing I noticed is the actions of the line judges during the game. Its cool that the when players are running out of bounds, that the line judges fall over because they’ve just gotten plowed over. But, it’s a little obnoxious to have them falling over the same way when a player is walking back in bounds after the play. Small, I know, but a little ridiculous as well. If you are a football fan and have never played Madden before, I definitely recommend buying Madden 08, especially since it is much cheaper than is was before the Super Bowl.
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