PlayStation 2

Madden NFL 08

Madden NFL 08 was made with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in mind, so it's no surprise if you end up finding these versions of Madden to be lackluster. EA Sports did what they could, but it's all about the future now. Rest assured, Madden is probably a good way to finally retire your GameCube and Xbox.

Madden NFL 08 is one of those titles that you feel had good intentions, but just didn't fully fulfill all of them the way it needed to. While the concept behind making the game more accessible to casual gamers is a laudable one, the actual implementation of the casual elements over the standard gameplay elements is somewhat lacking. The weapon system, which is obviously carried over from the newer consoles, doesn't deliver the kind of experience that you'd hope it would, and the adjustments to the older gameplay doesn't do enough to radically improve the title. While Madden 08 is still an enjoyable title, it isn't nearly as impressive as last year's game.

Overall, this is a confident game from EA that makes some good moves in all the right directions. Whilst this is somewhat hamstrung by the PS2's limited power, one would suspect that this bodes well for the 360 and PS3 version. It will also be interesting to see how the Wii version compares both in terms of performance and features. If you already own previous Maddens then take a moment to think before buying this one, if you haven't dipped your toe into the Madden lagoon for a while then now is as good a time as any to take the plunge.

Overall, this is a pretty decent game. The only downside is that if you have last years outing, there is little incentive to shell out again for this year's model. If it wasn't for the yearly churn of football players and teams, EA wouldn't sell too many of these games. As it stands they know the faithful will be lining up to buy it. That said, if you've not checked in with Madden for a few years, or even want to dip your toe in the American Football pool for the first time you could do a lot worse than grab a copy of Madden 08.

Again, it's no surprise that the older consoles would get something of the shaft when it came to development priority on this year's Madden. And save for holdover issues and a few missing features, this is still a good football game through and through. The new control additions are certainly worthwhile (even if the weapons system mostly isn't), and fantasy challenge is a unique and enjoyable new way to build and play a team of your own design. You're certainly served best by picking up one of the versions of Madden released for the current console hardware, but if that's not an option, then this game isn't a bad way to go.

Overall Madden NFL 08 is a very standard and run of the mill update that will appeal mainly to casual sports fans who may not have dipped their toes in the world of NFL before. There’s not much new for hardcore players who will look with jealousy at the next gen versions that have received all the attention and work this year. It’s Madden, which is no bad thing, but it’s a case of same stuff, different year.

Madden 08 is a pretty competent game, delivered by a team that is rediscovering what made their games so popular all those years ago. It is great to see a bit more effort being made with not just the main game, but providing a whole package. To that end this represents better value for money than previous versions. Whilst owners of Madden 07 and before will obviously have less novelty in this release, it still provides enough to hook in the hardened fan for an upgrade. For those of us returning to the game and franchise for another look, it again delivers on EA's promise of challenging everything, rather than simply iterated the cash out of our pockets.

Truth be told though, all quibbles aside, Madden 08 is still a lot of fun to play. On its own it is fully deserving of an eight, but if you’ve already got Madden 07 then there really is no need to upgrade. The new features just aren’t worth the asking price (and in some cases aren’t even worth bothering with) and for some Madden 08 will actually feel like a juke backwards, rather than a leap forwards. Extra point attempt denied!

The general feeling with Madden NFL 08 for the PlayStation 2 is that it's a game that takes Madden NFL 07 and tweaks a few things here and there, adds a new mode and changes the rosters as well as a collection of weapon icons to allow you to discern a specific type of star player at a glance. These additions will probably be just enough to satisfy those Madden NFL fans who have yet to move to either the Wii, PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. If you don't make a habit of picking up every release of the Madden NFL games and have a version of the game from the last three years or so then Madden NFL 08 is a little tougher to recommend. That's not to say it isn't another great Madden NFL game, but rather it's a game where only the Madden NFL enthusiasts will really appreciate the minor additions and tweaks.

Even with its questionable A.I., I bought it every year for eighteen years, which is either a testament to top notch branding or my own stubbornness, and it’s always provided me with hours of entertainment (if a few broken controllers). So, you can imagine how excited I am by the future of the madden franchise on next gen systems. All that's left is for Madden to apply for a credit card, buy a pack of cigs, show up for jury duty, and get a damn job, you lazy bum.