Madden NFL 07 – PSP – Review

Last
year’s Madden NFL 06 marked the series’ first foray onto Sony’s PSP, and was a
bit of an experiment as a result. In some ways, the game bit off more than it
could chew, and was plagued with technical flaws like long loading times, a
lousy interface, as well as a string of buggy games (with the infamous “shutdown
issue” that would cause certain copies of the game to power down the PSP while
in the franchise mode) that required an exchange for early adopters. However,
this year’s entry is a lot cleaner. Madden NFL 07 is an impressive entry that
irons out most of the kinks that bogged down Madden NFL 06, as well as
introduces great new elements to the running game, in the way of lead blocker
controls and the highlight stick. Madden NFL 07 makes some much-needed changes
to the gameplay formula and stands as a solid entry to the franchise that makes
some nice additions.

Last
year’s console version of Madden NFL 06 made some large changes to the passing
game, in the way of the passing cone. The passing cone would narrow your field
of vision depending on your QB and their proficiencies on the field (a
second-string rookie wouldn’t have the cone width of, say, Peyton Manning, for
example) allowing for more accurate, albeit more difficult passing ability.
However, this feature isn’t in the PSP version of this year’s Madden, instead
showcasing the focus on the running game.

The two
new ways that the running game has been edited are through the highlight stick
and the lead blocker controls. The highlight stick allows your ball-carrier to
perform a variety of different moves in order to get the drop on the defensive
line. To use the highlight stick, you must hold down the triangle button and
push the analog nub in a direction to illicit a response from your player. These
moves are unique to players, as larger/tougher running backs won’t have access
to the same moves as smaller/quicker backs. This allows for some variety of
play, meaning that you have to approach your running game with consideration to
your player’s strengths and weaknesses.

While
the highlight stick does add some strategic advantages to the running game, it
does have a pretty glaring flaw. There is a slight delay between the input and
your moves, and therefore it doesn’t really feel as smooth as it should, and
even though this can be anticipated, it can oftentimes seem frustrating when
you’re starting out.

The
other big change in the running game is the lead blocker controls. These
basically allow you to take control over a blocker to keep your opponents away from
your running back as they gain yardage. This is an innovative addition to the
series, and comes through in a pinch.

However, with all of the big changes made to the running game, the passing game
seems to have fallen by the wayside this time around. The passing cone is still
absent, instead relying on the same mechanics as last year’s game. The camera is
quite problematic in the passing game, as your QB and your receivers will get
lost when the camera seems to still be zoomed in on the line. This can be quite
frustrating, and led to some sacks and inopportune passes when I played the
game.

Another
issue that I had was with the way fumbles were doled out. It seemed that every
time I recovered a punt from mid-field and the defense was on top of my
receiver, they would hit him the split second he caught it and he’d drop it.
This happened quite a few times, one instance had my guy drop the ball, then a
defender pick it up and drop it, then one of my guys again who fortunately got
tackled. It looked like a bunch of keystone cops on the field.

Madden NFL 07 does have some
nice additions in the way of mini-games. One new game, called End 2 End,
requires you to turn your PSP 90 degrees and run across the field from one end
zone to the other while dodging defenders. You do so by pushing the correct
direction on the D-Pad at the precise moment, the end result feeling like
Dragon’s Lair on the football field. As you progress, the game ups the ante with
more defenders and faster speed.

Graphically, the game is extremely impressive and flexes the PSP’s graphic
muscle very well. The players are realistically animated (which is important
given the new crop of moves and animations in the running game), and sport a
very unique look. Players look different from one another and each no longer
seems to be cut from the same generic cloth. Some players are heavier set, while
others will be medium and smaller in build. The stadiums also look nice and the
action moves fluidly with minimal slowdown.

The
game features a good soundtrack, albeit with a lot of assorted punk and emo
music, with artists like AFI and Taking Back Sunday filling out much of the
bill. However, there are a few rap cuts thrown in there for good measure. The
commentary still works fine, but sounds a little repetitive after a while.

All in
all, Madden NFL 07 is a solid entry to the franchise and feels like a big
improvement over last year’s version in terms of polish. While there are still
some technical issues here and there, this is still the best football game you
can get on the PSP.

Review Scoring Details for Madden NFL 07

Gameplay: 8.5
Madden NFL 07
adds some much-needed improvements to the Madden formula, namely in the way of
the lead-blocker controls and player-specific highlight stick moves added to the
mix to greatly improve the dynamics of the running game. However, a few
technical issues like buggy camera angles and sluggish responses from the
highlight stick moves, add some undue frustration to the passing game.

Graphics: 9.5
Madden NFL 07 has
some truly great graphics that rival anything ever seen on a handheld. The
players are very nicely animated, and are rendered realistically (in other
words, there’s not just one stock player model for everyone), and the stadiums
look great.

Sound: 8.5
The game has a
great soundtrack, with tons of licensed tunes from artists like AFI and Keane,
focused mainly on punk and rock but also with some rap tracks in there. Also,
you can customize the soundtrack to only play the music you like and no filler.
The commentary sounds good, albeit a tad repetitious after a while.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 9.0
The changes to
the running game are what highlight this entry to the franchise, and the lead
blocker controls are an innovative addition.

Multiplayer: 9.0
Madden NFL 07
offers up multiplayer gameplay in both ad hoc and infrastructure form, allowing
you to use their lobby system to set up and play an online match.

Overall: 8.5
Madden NFL 07
makes some much needed improvements over last year’s game, with improved running
controls and shorter load times, taking better advantage of the PSP’s hardware.
The game still has a few technical flaws, but all in all, this is the best
football experience you can get on the PSP.