Stage 1: Impressions |
Stage 2: Analysis |
Stage 3: Evaluation |
EA Sports has a lot riding on its Family Play mode. Family Play will be included in many of the publisher's titles this year, but it's hard to imagine a player of any demographic who would use it more than once. Madden NFL 08's controls are intuitive enough for casual play, and EA has included other modes even better at acclimating new players to the game for those who want to explore Madden's considerable depth.
Party Mode, a Wii-exclusive collection of over twenty mini-games, is the best example of this. The mini-games can be accessed through other portions of the game - many are found as pre-game warm-ups in Franchise mode - but Party Mode players can select any of these mini-games games and play them in any order without having to navigate through menus.
Party Mode lets you focus on individual skills, like getting to the QB.
Each of these mini-games is creative and fun in its own right, and they avoid feeling random or disconnected by improving skills that are vital to success in a regular game of football. Playing the Pocket Presence mini-game, where players will have to throw passes in random order at stationary tackling dummies, not only familiarizes players with the motions required for passing to different receivers, but increases the speed at which players will recognize "open" receivers - especially when the drill is intensified by having tennis balls shot at your player in order to simulate pass rushers.
Pocket Presence becomes a novel way to sharpen multiple skills while removing added complexities like receivers who are moving or the cornerbacks covering them. Party Mode's mini-games are perfect for a hardcore simulation game like Madden. Their arcade-like nature and their unique presentation should be appealing to people who might be intimidated by 11-on-11 football.
Pocket Presence, one of Madden's best mini-games.
Their focus on simple actions makes it easy to isolate and improve areas of weakness. The scope of each game, while limited, often has more benefits than one might immediately recognize. For instance, Swat Ball has players controlling a defender who tries to deflect and intercept passes thrown at tackling dummies, but this drill can also help players figure out the best way to run routes as receivers.
Most of Party Mode's mini-games aren't new to Madden, but 08 does represent the first time they are easily accessible and multiplayer-enabled. Furthermore, being able to select mini-games in any order makes it easy to set up a bona fide training regimen. Maybe you want to spend 15 minutes a day on Mondays focusing on offensive line drills, followed by two sets of drills as receiver and 5 minutes at kicker, and then spend Wednesdays focused on running and Fridays focused on defense. Sound too hardcore for you? Players can also use this mode for its intended purpose: playing a series of mini-games against friends. Party Mode stats are tracked as often as you play the game, and profiles can be associated with any Mii on the console.
Instant replays will never be the same.
The player who is drawing has complete control over the replay, including the playback speed, the camera angle, and frame-by-frame advancement. The only thing the other player can do is drum the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to make the Telestrator countdown go faster. This feature is so cool that it should become standard in all competitive multiplayer games. Never before has there been such an easy, fun, appropriate and epic way to humiliate opponents. The Telestrator earns Madden NFL 08 The Wiire's Innovative Design award.
Run the West Coast Offense against someone from San Francisco.
EA also deserves some credit for making Madden the best online experience the Wii has to offer so far. Getting online is as simple as clicking "Play Online" in the main menu and creating an account with EA Nation. The whole process, from account creation to playing your first game against online opponents, can be done in under five minutes. Account creation is free, and each Wii console can hold multiple accounts. Once online, players can either choose to "Play Now," which matches them up with an opponent based on a set of user-defined criteria (like difficulty, region, and whether or not the match is ranked), or visit the online lobbies.
Online lobbies allow players to view leaderboards, download updated rosters, view a ticker with updated scores from real-life sporting events, and manage their friends lists. Unlike Pokemon Battle Revolution and Mario Strikers Charged, friends lists in Madden are unencumbered by Friend Codes. Players can simply add the name of whomever they want to their friends list. Furthermore, players can engage in online matches against anyone they choose to in an online lobby, even if that person is not on their friends list.
The best experience yet with Wii online.
Communication is limited in Madden, but at least it is possible (which is more than can be said for the aforementioned Pokemon or Mario games). Users can communicate with others using a list of 20 pre-set phrases, including "Who's up for a ranked game?," "I am ready to play," and "Do you want to play again?"
Most of these phrases are functional because they can be answered with an action. If you say "Do you want to play again?" and the other person doesn't leave the room, you can take that as a yes. Communication beyond those 20 pre-set phrases is currently impossible, however, which makes some of the phrases baffling. For example, players can ask "Did you see the game last night?," but there is no adequate response available.
Are you good enough to make the Eagles a contender in Franchise mode?
So far, Madden has shown significantly better online performance than either Charged or Battle Revolution. Lag has been minimal, and the amount of disconnects has been greatly reduced from my other Wii online experiences. To illustrate, I have only had three disconnects in over 40 online matches in the approximately 48 hours since the release of Stage 1. Whether this is due to increased stability on EA's servers, or a lower likelihood of Madden players to drop from a match than other Wii online players is unclear, but the change is stability is a welcome one.
Offline, single players will still find plenty to do. Franchise mode is back, and it allows players to sign free agents, hire and fire coaches, renegotiate contracts, make trades, have drafts, and otherwise manage their rosters for up to 30 full seasons. It is perennially the deepest franchise mode in sports gaming, and that doesn't change in 08. The only missing element is Tony Bruno. His radio show will not be heard in 08. Given how little effort was put into improving the commentary from John Madden and Al Michaels this year, that's probably a good thing. It is a little odd, however, to have the best part of last year's audio absent this year.
Miis in Madden
One mode that has been drastically improved since 07 is Superstar mode. Superstar mode, for those new to the series, is essentially a Madden RPG. Players will create and control one player only, and play from his perspective on the football field -- meaning that if you choose to play safety, the camera will be constantly behind the safety. The camera has been pulled back just enough this year to allow players to appropriately man their position while still understanding how the rest of the play unfolds. Players will gain and lose influence and special class bonuses depending on how the team performs when their rookie is on the field, and that influence is represented in the form of points that can be assigned to upgrade various attributes.
Superstar mode contains plenty of other diversions (most recycled from last year) like giving interviews, hiring an agent, and auditioning for movie roles, but the improved camera makes this mode much more playable. Another nice bonus is the ability to control a member of the 2007 NFL draft class in lieu of a created player, although no extra points are awarded for signing JaMarcus Russell to a contract before training camp ends.
Ultimately, Madden NFL 08 succeeds by adding an impressive online interface to a wealth of single- and multiplayer modes. For those who enjoy the gameplay, there are hundreds of hours of replay here. The Party Mode, Telestrator, and EA Nation online interface should keep you coming back even if you played 07 until Brady Quinn was finally drafted.
Is Madden NFL 08 better than a turducken sandwhich? Stage 3 will have the final grade!
Stage 1: Impressions |
Stage 2: Analysis |
Stage 3: Evaluation |
