Review: Madden NFL 07 (Wii)

Gamestyle stayed up to watch the Superbowl this year- XLI, as the Americans like to keep track. The FA Cup is possibly CXLV this year, incidentally, but we Brits gave up counting X’s ago. Anyhow, friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears and ye shall learn of the latest in the mighty Madden series.

It’s all about the controller. Previous American Football games have stretched the dextrousness of Gamestyle’s digits and memory circuits, for that matter. But Madden 2007 is different. It could be seen as the most complicated sports game ever produced, by glancing at the manual. Actually, we’ll stick our neck out if EA want a quote- this is probably the most complicated action sports video game we’ve ever played, even if the box art claims the opposite: “playing Madden has never been easier”. Really.

Firstly, a confession. Gamestyle has played several American sports games, and has come to a conclusion. Namely, that we hold several titles as shining examples of video games, but when it comes to big multiplayer sessions, its PES and Fifa all the way (bar the honourable NHL Hitz). The games have been respected, rather than loved, but can Madden change this?

It’s all about the controller. Madden 2007 is geared towards using the Wiimote in as many ways as you could think of to play a game of American Football. You swing to kick-off, point at the player to receive, use the nunchuck to control them and start running. Select your play from the scores of possibilities, and you’ll gain enough yardage to get a touchdown.

It’s not quite that easy. As a cross between Rugby, wrestling with a short tactical element, American Football lives and dies on the success or failure of specific plays in the downs. Here’s how the controller comes in: you control the Quarter Back on the snap, and can use the Wiimote as your throwing arm, aiming at your runners using either the cursor or the D-pad.

It’s all about how you use the controllers. From the snap, you’ll have to see how the defence is coping. If you are doing a throwing play, which player is free? If a running play, is there an opening for the player to gain yardage? Now, using the nunchuk, you can dodge the players with a sidestep, tap A to spin, swing the Wiimote to hold off defenders and B to dive, if you get tackled. Gamestyle’s brain hurts.

Here’s the problem: it’s all too much. It’s just too complicated. In the training modes, which are useful and enjoyable, swinging a nunchuk or Wiimote to juke or hold off a defender (a ‘stiff arm’ in Madden vernacular) is satisfying. Aiming a pass at a still target is enjoyable. But when there’s a field of players in front of you, its almost sensory overload. And dealing with this is very realistic in recreating being a Quarterback.

Making a good throw is satisfying, however a failure to make a throw is even more frustrating if you physically perform a throw, only for if not to get delivered to the right part of the field. Equally, running moves like jukes don’t come off as smoothly in a game situation. It’s quite a sight, watching someone swinging a controller in the air, as if to swivel and get round the defence, but too often it feels like you’re just swinging your controllers around the room.

Gamestyle has been very frustrated by Madden. Swearingly so, or perhaps we should say ‘emaddened’? Pointing the controller at the screen doesn’t seem to work as well as the shortcut from the D-pad. And when you feel you can't control a game, it becomes frustrating.

Madden is very much geared to offence to the detriment of defence, which has always been less fun, but the difference is accentuated in the control method. Changing players isn’t easy, especially when you’re chasing receivers. There’s also not much to do in defence; you just select your play and hope it stops the opposing team gain yardage and maybe try to sack the quarterback.

Different teams will use different tactics, you notice. All NFL and NFL Europe teams are present, with ‘full rosters’ of ‘all-stars’. A franchise mode allows you to take a team through a whole season to the Superbowl, or create your own team from a draft. More interesting is a cheeky RPG type ‘NFL Superstar’ mode, where you train to enhance your skills and your career. Sadly there is no ‘defect to play Rugby Union’ option.

Controls aside for a second: the breadth of detail is stunning. The amount of effort in the touches to make this a simulation is incredible; from the graphics, to the sound, the commentary, the replays, the presentation- it’s premium rate stuff, and should shame Konami for what they put with PES 6. Gamestyle's favourite moment came when we challenged a decision. Queue dozens of replays with commentary that justified Gamestyle - a player had received a ball out of bounds. This was top class stuff.

Madden is the most complicated sports game Gamestyle has ever played. If a 3 year old can get to grips with it, then MENSA should be told. We wanted it to work, and in some ways it does- the throwing is well suited to the controls, but EA have gone a little bit crazy with all the options available to the player. We don’t need every button to do something. Maybe a more simplified game, like NFL Blitz, more be better suited to the Wiimote controls offered here.

A sports game for the hardcore gamesplayer, then? Well, yes. If there are any MechWarrior fans who like American Football, this is for you. For Gamestyle, over in Blighty, is thinking about how Fifa 08 on the Wii will be like. For the rest of you, this is a unique, but flawed way of playing a fabulously put-together sports package.

Rating: 6 / 10

Words by Chris Faires