My Rating: 7/10

This isn’t the Next-Gen Madden we’ve been waiting for. It’s not a bad game, but it’s still doesn’t dazzle like it should.

Superstar mode is a nice addition, although the camera angles in the game really make it hard to succeed. On defense, if they don’t run right at you, forget about making any plays.

Graphics are nice, but there’s too many stutters in between plays and on replays that are a letdown. This shouldn’t be happening.

I hate to say it, but I miss real announcers. That’s right, I miss Madden. Besides, isn’t this Madden 2007? He better be back in 2008, or you might as well change the name of the game on the 360.

Gameplay is nice. So far I haven’t seen anything too bad. It’s actually very fun to play and a nice repesentation of football.

Only problem is that is just doesn’t have that “fun factor” with the overall game appeal. Franchise is pretty bland, and other than a calender and some emails, Superstar mode isn’t that much either. Sometimes we need bells and whistles, you know.

Not sure if you can turn this off or not, but it’s really annoying that the Hall of Fame players automatically get unlocked into your franchise as Free Agents. That is so lame! Hopefully they’ll patch this or maybe there’s a way to turn this off.

Final Ratings:

Graphics 8: Nice stadiums, good player models, some hiccup from time to time

Gameplay 8: Plays like football

Presentation 6: Bare bones again with the 360 version. Menues are nice though.

Fun Factor 6: Doesn’t add much gameplay wise to really make an experienced Madden player get excited. Added modes are nice, but once again not fleshed out.

Overall 7: Good game. Certainly a step up from last year’s 360 version. I sure hope they make and effort for this game to stand out next year. Maybe 3rd time will be the charm. 

 

My Rating: 6/10

I’ve been a fan of EAs NCAA Football franchise for a while now, and the release for the Xbox 360 is a fun game but doesn’t live up to its predecessors.

From a visual standpoint, this is the best looking football game I’ve seen. The pre-snap and replay video sequences help to immerse you into the game. However, I found that the level of detail during actual gameplay can be distracting and make it difficult to focus on executing the play.

For those that enjoy the option run, you may find yourself disappointed as well. Since the 360 lacks the black and white buttons, but uses the left and right bumpers instead, I found that the controls for the option run are not as easy to master as they had been in the prior releases, and to successfully execute the option requires a fair amount of practice.

It seems to be a noticeable trend that franchise releases for the 360 have tended to leave out features that give gamers have grown to love. Unfortunately for fans of the NCAA franchise, this game is no exception. While none of the releases included the popular “Race For the Heismann” mode that was new in ‘06, the original Xbox and PS2 releases instead include the Campus Legend mode. Much to my disappointment, this mode seems to have been left out of the 360 release.

To fans of the Dynasty mode, you will not be disappointed. All the excitement and struggle of building a powerhouse dynasty and becoming a coaching legend are still intact in the 360 release.

Some of the features new to NCAA ‘07 are:

The “jump snap” button. This allows you to anticipate the snap and get ahead of the defensive line-if you time it right.

Momentum. Big plays, both offensively and defensively swing momentum towards and away from the direction of your team, effecting the fans, and players alike.

Kick system. Use of the right analog stick to direct and power kicks.

All around- a good game, but nothing outstanding. My recommendation:Rent it, but skip buying it, at least until next year.