Publisher: EA Sports
Developer: Electronic Arts
Genre: Sports
Number of Players: 1-2
Platforms: All
Rating: E for Everyone
Reviewed on: Playstation 3
Official Website
Madden NFL 2008 Gallery


Madden is one of the longest lasting titles in gaming history. The first Madden title appeared on the Apple II in 1989, and later released on Sony’s Playstation in the early 90’s. After winning the battle for NFL rights in 2004, Madden became THE football simulator, creating the mini-monopoly we know today. From boxy players on early systems, to the stunning graphics on next generation systems, EA’s creativity and innovation has continued to captivate consumers. After last year’s disappointing release on all next generation systems, I am confident and proud in stating that Madden is back.

Madden 07s greatest downfall, by far, was its gameplay. So much time was poured into graphics of next generation systems that it seemed like new features were kicked to the curb. On top of this, gameplay was slow and choppy due to useless videos. Madden 08 has eliminated useless huddle videos and made gameplay quick and seamless; aside from one major issue. This year’s list of new features is almost overwhelming.

The feature that gave me the most concern awaiting the Madden release was the weapons system, which turned out to be my favorite feature. Holding the L2 button during pre-huddle shows all of the big-time players on both sides of the ball and reveals any possible mismatches. The abilities available via the weapons system allows these big-time players to do what they do: make plays; without taking anything away from the game's realism. Big time catches are balanced out with smaller passing lanes and hits in traffic. The offensive line has been completely reworked to employ more realistic blocking, creating smaller and faster closing holes. Never has a superstar’s career as an offensive lineman looked more entertaining. Improved A.I. on both sides of the ball has gamers working harder than ever to stay on top of their game.

The saying, “defenses win championships” has never been as true as it is this year. The defense now has the ability to change the outcome of the game, screening certain receivers, playing different coverage styles, utilizing a completely worked D-line, more realistic ball strips and, my personal favorite, strategically tackling with Hitstick 2.0. The new Hitstick allows users to choose the type of tackle -- pushing up tackles high in the chest region and pushing down takes out the ball carriers legs. What type of tackle will take out a specific runner? Is it the best approach to aim for a leg tackle on Stephen Jackson with Brian Urlacher? While any tackle with Brian Urlacher is probably a good idea, a leg tackle is probably not your best option with such a large player, but how you utilize different players is all part of the element of strategy added with the new Hitstick. Also, the timing of the Hitstick leads to many different graphic outcomes, rather than the same old tackles over and over. Paired with gang-tackles, the list of possibilities is almost endless. Defense can finally play the role it takes in today’s NFL.

Unfortunately, for all of us Playstation 3 owners, there is one huge gameplay issue: the game doesn’t run as many frames as most other systems. On the PS3, many portions run as slow as 30 fps compared to 100 fps on other systems. The rumor that the PS3 would run at 100 fps is an unfortunate myth after all, and this can lead to possible untimely lags in the game, such as hit stick timing. While gameplay has improved immensely this definitely puts us, PS3 owners, at a disadvantage. The game is also starting to drift towards a video game feel, rather than a real NFL broadcast. This is an alright approach, but it is not one Madden has taken in the past and it kind of takes away the games’ realism.