System: X360, PS3, PC, PS2, Wii, GC, Xbox, PSP, DS
Dev: EA Tiburon
Pub: EA Sports
Release: Aug. 14, 2007
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Review by Jonathan Marx

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Review Rating Legend
1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
2.5 - 2.9 = Average
3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
3.5 - 3.9 = Good
4.0 - 4.4 = Great
4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
5.0 = The Best

The graphics look great this year. This is one of the very best looking games for the Wii console. In fact, I think it looks every bit as good as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess does. All of the movements and animations look very smooth. The stadiums look real, the jerseys pop brilliantly off the field, and it's easy to spot holes in the line and the open man. My only complaint is when running play action. The icons that come up are too large and disconcerting. You'll often find yourself sacked by the A.I. before you ever had a chance to see what was going on. Overall, I want to commend EA in restoring my faith in the Wii's ability to produce at least high quality, if not spectacular, graphics.

The sounds and commentary are quite good. On field grunts, hits, and cadence all sound great. Quarterback cadence sounds especially good. The booming voices that come through the Wii remote's little speaker are awesome. John Madden and Al Michaels do a superb job of setting the tone, and the addition of ESPN Radio to menu screens is neat. I thought music track selection was questionable at best. I've heard alley cats with more harmony. I only enjoyed the classic and re-mixed football tunes. All of the contemporary music selected for the game is awful, but I'm sure some of you will think I'm crazy for saying so. Taste, after all, is entirely subjective. Therefore, I won't let the music selection ravage the overall score, but suffice it to say that the tunes aren't for everyone, especially on the Wii version which will be much more family oriented.

Online play for the Wii should be fun. You will have to set up an EA account to gain access to the server. I was unable to register the account because I kept losing my connection to the EA server, but I am sure that it won't be a substantive issue going forward. However, what did worry me is the disclaimer in the game manual that said, "EA may retire online features after 30 days notice posted on www.ea.com or 30 days after the last day of the 2007-2008 NFL season." As far as online features go, there is a standard lobby for connecting gamers. There is also an EA Locker which allows you to transfer profiles, rosters, and franchise data. You can even back up saved progress there. There is a messenger system that allows you to create buddy lists and contact friends. Finally, there is a Live Sports Ticker that is continually updated. All in all, , this seems to be pretty exciting for Wii owners. Online play is becoming a reality, and externally hosted servers will provide greater ease of matching even if the threat of losing the service after a year looms large.

The Party mode for the Wii definitely separates it from the other versions. Party mode will allow gamers to attach their Mii profiles to the game. Subsequently, the various Miis will be awarded party points, and will have their stats tracked which makes for a lot of friendly rivalry. The Party mode is for 2 to 4 players. You can choose between Play Now, Mini-Games, and Trivia. The Play Now function is a standard exhibition mode, but the inclusion of the Telestrator function after scores is great fun. Instead of just looking at the beauty of your 60 yard run to the end zone, you can actually illustrate, via the Wii remote, how the Xs and Os lined up to make your glory run possible. The mini-games within Party mode are fun skills competitions like the ones that can be found to enhance your players in the franchise mode. You'll be able to choose between 22 different games in any combination or quantity. Whoever ends up with the most points at the end of the mini-game tournament will be crowned the champion.

Madden NFL 08 for the Wii is a great game. The new additions to the title are innovative and impact the gameplay positively. Online play will prove to be a boon for Wii owners, the Party mode helps make the title stand out on this console, and the high quality graphics make it competitive with the other versions. This is not a game that all hardcore football fans will enjoy as the other platforms prove to be deeper. However, regardless of whether you like sports or not, casual gamers and entire families will be able to enjoy many fun hours with this title. Madden NFL 08 by EA Sports is the undisputed football champion and the sport title by which I will judge all others. EA has done a great job developing for the Wii because its Madden games utilize the unique characteristics of the system in innovative ways. They don't just feel like a ported afterthought.

By Jonathan Marx
CCC Freelance Writer

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