9/11/2007: Xbox 360: Madden NFL 08, NCAA Football 08

[VideoGameCritic]

Despite my Ravens losing to the Bengals (ouch), I still love me some football games!  Let me know what you think of these reviews.

Please send me emails about mistakes or typos.

Thanks!

[Kroozer]

Good write up on NCAA08.  It does suck that left out extras like cheerleaders and crazy fans along with some 1AA and Div II schools (Present on the PS2 and XBOX1 versions, WTF??!?).
One feature that's present this year is ESPN radio, which if you have LIVE downloads radio updates and broadcasts them live while you are in the menu.  Just what I wanted, to hear about Michael Vick and his antics while working on my franchise.

[Dave A]

I disagree with you NCAA review. EA has put out a product which left many people disappointed again. There are still tons of glitches and now passing is broken unless you play on the easiest level or perfect. I've noticed that when you go on offense and you pass deep, you will pass right to where the CB is or will be. All the defenders have the catch rating of the reciever you are throwing to. LB's will fly up and get picks, as will CB's and S's at alarming levels. The passing is screwed up. Your WR will not fight for the ball. Last year the CB's wouldn't do crap. How does EA fix this, by switching it around. Make the D superior. In one on one coverage on All-American or higher, the defense will break to the ball and your WR WILL NOT. Leading to way too many INTs in Single Coverage.

Did I mention they took out precission passing?!?! WHY? You can't make throws into an open zone, a LB will jump high and intercept it or a corner will fly in since you can't float a ball over the D. A throw a high school kid can make.

EA won't patch anything since Madden is their meal ticket. The momentum meter was a good idea last year, but it was broken. What does EA do when something is broken? That's right, Take it out of the game.

People fumble way too much, even when you switch hands and cover up. These guys are supposed to play like football players.

You rate this game way too high. It should be a C- or C.

They got recruiting right at least.

Oh, they also made the Hawii backup QB a Impact player instead of Colt Brennan. so when you play against Hawii... Colt is usually benched for no reason.

Also, in Dynasty mode, when you want to change the appearance of a player, it resets your entire depth chart. Also, when you try to replace someone on the depth chart it glitches and you are shown the worst people on your team and have to scroll all the way to the bottom or sort it to get who you want. This happens every time.

Critic, how long did you even play this game? Surely anyone would notice these things after a few hours.

In one of the games I just played, the opposing QB threw the ball forward 5 yards but when he did it went up in the air like 50 yards and took a few seconds to come down, of course I picked it off. I have it in my EA locker thing.

Also, the game has slowdown before and after plays are called. Sometimes in the 4 Quarter if you get button pushing happy the game will freeze for a second at the snap and then jump back to being live and you are in your drop back and the play has already begun. I believe this is due to EA's useless feature of every play being saved. Oh and the website you upload your videos too... HAS BEEN DOWN SINCE THE GAME CAME OUT!

B-? I hope you meant C-.

[Dave A]

Also, I thought football had field goal nets, refs, coaches, sideline players who you know, actually looked like players and loud crowds?

I thought football players wore face paint, had long and sometimes crazy hair, clear visors and the sort. EA took the things that made players look unique out of this game... *WHICH WERE IN LAST YEAR* Now it's just a bunch of guys that are 1 of 3 colors and might have a dark face mask.

On the field goal nets thing, instead of adding them... they cut away from the kick fast so you don't see the ball glitch through the crowd. A lazy approach is what I call that. Kinda like how this game feels.

All the teams still don't have their stadiums.

Last gen gets 1-AA teams or Bowl Subdivision or whatever stupid name NCAA is going with this year and will change it next.  The current gen Xbox 360 and especially the PS3 versions come off flat.

[Julio III]

Ok, i don't know anything about american football, but from reading these 2 reviews it seems that both are new games, both by the same company, both with the same engine, so whats the difference? Is it just the license?

[Steerforth]

Shouldn't these game be perfect by now, control wise? I mean, you make 1 a year for 10 + years now in 3-d you think they would have it down pat by now. Or is it just a matter of not being able to please everyone, or find a happy medium of trueness to the complexity of football between the natural limitations of a controller? OR jsut too much time updating and improving graphics and animations, and then finding time to really finetune gamepplay?

An aside - what is supposedly the "best" iteration of Madden or NCAA?

Folow up question, do you still play your personal favorite Madden, or does being a few years old kill the experience? This is a disposable franchise, in a year or 2 football games completely bottom out on resale.

And do you think EA makes them a little wonky on purpose so you are inclined to buy next years version, or can they just count on the new rosters to do that?

I think Madden is the ultimate videogame cash cow, no 2 ways about it.

[JasonhasRSI1]

I typically consider Madden 2004 to be the best of the modern Maddens. I loved being able to direct a receiver from an flag-pattern to a post route on the fly during a play.

[feilong801]

[QUOTE=Julio III]Ok, i don't know anything about american football, but from reading these 2 reviews it seems that both are new games, both by the same company, both with the same engine, so whats the difference? Is it just the license?
[/QUOTE]

The biggest difference is in the rules and the size and athleticism of the pro game versus college. These differences do create a much different flavor of football. There are certain types of offenses that work well in the college game but do not work in the pro game.

-Rob

[Funkmaster V]

I love football games, but EA doesn't even care anymore. There are so many little bugs in these game that would be easy to fix. Why is my coach jumping up and down with glee when the opposing running back just broke that jaunt for 15? I dunno... and EA doesn't either. Oh no! Watch out, it's a "Load Screen.........................."

Funkmaster V

[andrew]

Would agree that madden 2004 is the best 3d polygonal football game. Right up with it would have to be madden '95 on the SNES.