GameCube

Madden NFL 07

Madden NFL has been the only game in town for awhile now, but the new additions in NFL 07 make it a must have for serious and casual fans alike. It's Madden like you've never played it before and that's something we haven't said in a long time.

In the end, Madden NFL 07 is an improvement on the series. With some new running features and an Xbox 360 version worth the price of admission, it seems EA is trying to prove that they still care about improving their game, even without competition. Sadly, the 360 version fell short of what was expected of it, and the current-gen versions are still superior. If you plan to play Madden '07 until next year's version comes out, you'd be better off getting it for the PS2 or another current-gen console in order to get the most features available in the franchise mode, allowing you to play the game longer. However, if you plan on picking it up just to have a football game to play on and off, by all means get it for the 360. It's not perfect, but the better graphics and better online play make up for the shortcomings—as long as you aren't looking for a huge franchise mode.

Even though Madden NFL 07 doesn't have any big, game-changing features to make it an especially memorable iteration of the series, its roster of small, but useful changes are ultimately more compelling than anything Madden 06 had on offer last year. And while some people are undoubtedly over the notion of playing new games on old consoles, Madden 07 shows that it can still deliver some enjoyable football, regardless of what platform it's on. It's not a big step forward, and the similarities between this year and last year might be a tough sell for some. But it's those similar aspects that Madden 07 ultimately improves upon over its predecessor, and if you skipped out on 06, then there's no good reason to ignore 07.

For those having to decide between this and the Playstation 2 version of Madden 07, either one will do, because both are practically the same. The differences are slight. I thought the graphics looked a bit "softer" on the GameCube, at least on my high definition television. There are fewer awkward "pauses" after plays than in the PS2 game, resulting in slightly more fluid contests.

While the series is definitely far from its prime, it manages to prove once again that EA and Madden know a good game of football, just not a very new one.