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Madden NFL Football '07
Madden NFL Football 07
Recommended Age:
10 and Up
ESRB Rating:
E-10
Genre:
Sports
Tested Platform:
Xbox 360
Available Platforms:
PlayStation 2 (PS2), GameCube (GC), GameBoy Advance (GBA), Nintendo Dual Screen (DS), PlayStation Portable (PSP), Xbox 360, Xbox, PC
Number of Players:
1-4
Fun Factor:
*****
EA Sport's Madden NFL Football series won acclaim by doing a terrific job of bringing fans all the X's and O's, while keeping the game accessible to casual gridiron fans.

Madden '07 features new animations (players move, get tackled, and make plays more spectacularly than ever before, especially in the new high-powered Xbox 360 version), and at times you'll be half-convinced you're watching a real game on television. Madden is one of those easy-to-learn, hard-to-master games. There are a wide range of difficulty options. On Rookie level, for example, you can simply call plays and let them unfold without your help. On harder levels, you've got to take control and once you instinctively know which button does what, the game becomes extremely satisfying. Beginning players can go with Madden or Coach's picks on each play, while an experienced player can call obscure plays from deep in the playbook. Beginners can simply hit the throw button and let the computer make the catch, while advanced players can take the QB on a run, pump fake, make the throw, switch to the receiver, and then make a spectacular catch and, then, run it themselves into the End Zone while dodging defenders with well-timed button combos. Madden is accessible to new players, and deep enough to reward experienced play. Experience is required if you want to play online against other experts. Those folks are really good!

Parents, take note: Madden is also good family game. It's violent, yes, but less so than a typical NFL telecast. The game uses motion capturing to make the tackles look real, but the injuries shown, even in slo-mo replay, are never graphic. There's no fighting, no overly brutal or illegal hits, no blood, no off-the-field arrests, and best of all no spoiled crybaby players throwing tantrums when the ball doesn't come their way. Families should look into Madden, especially if football is an autumn Sunday tradition at home. It teaches football. Kids will learn the plays, each team's quirks, and who the players are. This knowledge, especially learning how to read a defensive or offensive play, will translate to Pop Warner and even high school football. It's also a really fun way for siblings or parents and kids to bond over a little healthy competition and rivalry.

The '07 in the title refers to the current '07 season -- don't be fooled, the game is easily one of the best games of 2006.

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