Gaming Trend Review
Madden NFL 07
- Official Site
- Platform: Wii
- Publisher: EA Sports
- Developer: Tiburon Entertainment
- Release Date: 11/19/06
- Genre: Sports
Pros
- All controls except one
- Full featured
- Tutorials
Cons
- Kicking controls
- Graphics
by John DeGiorgio
There was a new console released recently and, to no one’s surprise, the most current version of Madden was right there on the shelf next to where that console was. If you were lucky enough to get your hands on a Wii, you already have some sports in you library with the inclusion of Wii Sports. That’s great for playing with the family or those 'non-gamers' that Nintendo is looking for, but when the most popular sport in the country comes calling, there’s only one place for you to turn, even in Wii Land.
I’m going under the assumption that this isn’t going to be the first Madden game anyone reading this review has played. In fact, I’ll go even further and say that this probably isn’t the first version of Madden ’07 you’ve played. The game sells through the roof and the fine people at EA are hoping for yet another double dip. This time, however, there isn’t a slight graphical upgrade or one more old stadium added in the mix. No, this time EA has rebuilt Madden exclusively to take advantage of what the Wii has to offer. Will a new control scheme bring you back onto the frozen tundra, or is this a poor attempt at throwing a gimmick at a currently stale franchise?
The look of Madden is essentially the same as the Gamecube version. The visuals are far from clean and lack punch in their appearence. It's a bit fuzzy and somewhat dull in appearence, almost as if the franchise took a step backwards from what we are used to seeing. This doesn't affect any of the gamplay, but it does give you the feeling that you're looking at a game that's years older than it actually is.
While its looks leave a lot to be desired, when you hit the field things move quickly without a hitch. I didn't notice any slowdown or other stuttering issues that could cause problems. We are dealing with a game that plays a bit faster and needs to be a lot more precise in order to make fluid translations of your body movements, and the lack of graphical panache does not have any ill affect.
The weak graphics do put a slight damper on the way that the game performs from an eye candy perspective, but I would prefer both good looks and solid performance when it comes to my football. We're at least halfway there this season.
As I noted in my very own reviews of the Xbox and 360 versions the EA trax are killing me. There are some NFL Films songs in here but I’ve had enough of EA trying to become record promoters in addition to a game studio. Are they getting paid by record companies to put this crap in the games or is it the other way around? In any case, however the music is getting in here, it’s coming from the same place every time. It’s the same bad hip-hop and alternative rock all over the place. Does anyone want to listen to a bunch of bands constantly yelling and pretending to be tough guys when they are trying to switch out starting free safeties. Settle down and get out. It is the same old, sad story.
Unlike the 360 version, Madden and Michaels are present. Much like my suggestion for music in the game, for a few years it’s sounded as if The Coach never updated his in-game commentary. He’s a Hall of Famer now so maybe he doesn’t have the time. I miss the radio-like broadcast of the game from the 360 version. I liked that better than John and Al droning on and on, but the game is so different than the other versions in many respects that I found myself less annoyed with the boys back in the booth because I was distracted by the game itself. See what some refreshing control can do?
Screenshots
Here it is, what the game is all about for the Wii. Nintendo has given us an entirely new control scheme to go along with their new system. We all assumed that there would be new and innovative games that were going to come out and take advantage of what the Wii has to offer. What was less apparent was the fact that there would be OLD and innovative games that would make it to the system too, and Madden on the Wii is a prime example of this. The controls take the game you’ve been playing for years and with essentially all the same gameplay, has made it new again.
Right after the load screen you can tell something’s up. Aside from the warning about strapping yourself into the Wii-remote, you can use your remote to get through all the menus. Sadly, as we’ve come to expect from EA, sometimes they get lazy. I fully expected the menus to be controlled with the direction pad on the remote but no, the integration of the controls come at you right from the start.
I bet you’re all excited because the controls in the menus are done well, huh? No? I guess you probably want to know how this all works on the field, right? Rest assured, things don’t stop at the menus. The game is FULL of motion sensing controls in all aspects of the game. From the outstanding ability to use the remote to flip through your play book to waiving for a fair catch, there are a ton of controls used to pull off almost every move in the game.
I’m not going to run down every move and motion combination here because there are tons, but I will tell you that everything works nicely and is very responsive. I had no complaints of movements I thought I made that weren’t picked up by the game. Errors that showed up on the field were always attributed to my confusion rather than problems with the game itself with one exception and that is the kicking game.
Long time Madden players (and everyone else) will probably want to head into the tutorial for a rundown of the controls. There’s a lot in there and a lot to remember but thankfully while you are on the field notes will pop up with control tips. Forget how to put a man in motion? You’ll likely see the help pop up where, with one button press, you are taken into a mini-tutorial on how to get it done and a little practice. When you feel comfortable you can jump right back into the game right where you left off. This is a very nice touch.
Another nice touch is the on-screen indicators of your attempted moves. For example, you may be cutting through the hole and need to juke a safety to get into the clear, so you flip the nunchuck and still get run over. There's no wondering what happened as a little "Juke too late" message will appear on the side of the screen. This is immediately helpful in the early stages of trying to pick up something completely foreign to most people.
This leads me to the problems with the control system. First off, as I mentioned above, the kicking is a bit of an issue. You are supposed to swing the remote as if it was the kicker’s leg and time it with his motion and follow through. This is a nice thought but while most every other move in the game is easy and natural, I have a feeling that the Madden kicking mechanics may be tougher than actually punting in the NFL. It remains a small issue (who likes kickers anyway?) but it may come back to bite you in a close game.
The second, and more important, problem was that the whole new control system may throw seasoned Madden players for a loop. What I’m trying to say is that it might take a while to get used to playing the game like this. I found myself standing around during some plays because I forgot that I actually had to move to perform a stiff arm or juke. I needed to put my arms up for a catch. This is all very new and, while it turns Madden into a whole new game, it turns it into a whole new type of game. I’m sure we’re going to run into this in many games for the Wii, but this is such a historical title that so many people have played a certain way for so long that it’s like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The box says "Madden" but inside you’ll find something you’ve never seen before.
In what I hope was a conscious decision by EA, Madden feels a bit 'looser' on the Wii than in any other version of the game this year. It seems like the game is playing on a bigger-than-standard field, allowing what seems like more time to get things done. Along with the looser play, the game seems a bit faster as well, only adding to the fun of the control and the gameplay. It’s not NFL Street by any stretch of the imagination but the emphasis on getting the most out of the new controls is carried out well when you get out there on the gridiron.
All of the on-field tricks like blocking control are present and used well with the new controls. There isn’t anything that I saw that couldn’t be done on the Wii version that I saw in the 360 version. In fact, the moves are usually easier to pull off. I thought all the pre-snap adjustments like calling audibles, especially on defense, were much easier here. Even more importantly, I think the passing game is more accurate and natural with the new controls. This was a huge plus when it came to putting some touch or heat on the ball. The benefit of throwing with your arm, rather than by pressing a button, is that your on-screen QB’s arm is your arm. No guessing with a thumb press anymore, you’re actually using your body in the same way that you would if you were the QB of your favorite team. This, once again, highlights the way that the fun of the controller is actually tied very closely to what is going on out there on the field.
The Madden gameplay is something that’s been analyzed over and over for years. Ask 4,000 random people about the game and you’ll probably end up with that many different opinions. In my past reviews, I’ve broken down the secondary and playbooks but this really isn’t the place for that. The audibles, the formations, the routes, and all those things we like to nit-pick Madden for don’t really matter. Nobody should be complaining about a player’s ratings when you are playing Madden on the Wii. It’s not that type of game. It’s just a lot of fun to play.
All the Madden modes are present and accounted for in this version as well. You’ll have access to franchise, superstar, and owner mode making this a complete package for the football playing Wii owners of the world. There is plenty to do, as usual, so get your arms warmed up and ready to go. You should also get the ice packs ready for your elbow as you’re the one actually doing the throwing this time around.
New mini-games are available for some multi-player fun. Grab a buddy and a second Wii-mote to play some Wii Madden exclusives. One of the games involves kicking into an artificially created wind by the other players. Anything involving the kicking game is a bit of a downer but this leads to everyone being on the same level. The other two are more traditional football with a 2-on-2 game and a game where your skill players are pitted against your opponent's secondary. These games round out a nice package and make up somewhat for the lack of online play. They are lots of fun for when you have someone over who is neither a huge football fan nor is looking for the full NFL experience.
I’ve really enjoyed my experience so far with Madden on the Wii. I actually found myself enjoying it a lot more than other Madden games in the past. I wasn’t looking at replays to try and pick out flaws, I wasn’t frustrated about the play calling, I didn’t even get upset about the secondary. Win or lose, I just had a great time.
This game is everything you wouldn’t expect from a first year EA game on a new system. We’ve come to expect the launch Maddens (all systems launch with Madden, don’t they?) to be crippled with less features and more bugs. This is a glowing exception and a real feather in the cap for EA against all the sports bashers who are out there. EA came to the table with something so new and so much better than what many had expected this year. The game isn’t without its flaws but it does go out of it’s way to become fresh and different. Yes, you read that correctly, a review for a Madden game is praising the title for its freshness. Go figure... and if you have a Wii, go grab it.
