Madden 08 for the PS3.

User Rating: 9 | Madden NFL 08 PS3
Madden 08 runs at 60 frames per second on the Xbox 360, and 30 frames per second on the PlayStation 3. A new branching animation system allows dynamic gameplay for the first time in the franchise. Players are no longer locked into animations but are now controlled more by the player. Features of the new animation system include mid-air collisions, big-time, one-handed catches, hurdles, sideline catches and gang tackling. Madden 08 brings back some features for its online play; for example, there will be a return of Season Mode and tournaments held online. Another updated feature – dubbed Hit Stick 2.0 – will allow players to hit high or low by flicking the analog stick up or down. A new fatigue system has been implemented, disallowing users from taking a scrambling quarterback and repeatedly running around behind the line of scrimmage for very long gains. Fatigue also plays a factor when cold-weather teams play in hot weather during the early months of the season. Also returning to this year's incarnation is the much sought after "co-op" play, which had found itself sitting on the sidelines since making the jump to the next-generation consoles. This mode finds players teaming up with a friend and taking on the CPU or two human opponents. On the next-generation systems former NFL running back and Madden NFL 2003 cover athlete Marshall Faulk hosts a segment called Marshall's Minute in which he discusses key star players and predicts the score prior to the game. Weapons also get special introductions before games. Certain star players are deemed to have "weapons" which can enhance their performances and create game-changing plays. For example, players with the "Smart Quarterback" weapon are able to read defensive schemes and audible accordingly. Possession receivers can make tough catches over the middle, Shutdown corners can stay on even the toughest receivers, and Spectacular Catch receivers are able to leap over defenders and make difficult grabs. Another added feature is to change players' positions to utilise their individual talents more effectively, such as Devin Hester (who can be converted from wide receiver to cornerback) and Antonio Cromartie (who can be converted from cornerback to wide receiver). It is also possible to move around offensive and defensive linemen with little effect to their overall rating. However, on the Playstation 3 version of the game, player positions are locked and cannot be changed. With the addition of the Campus Legend mode to the next-gen version of NCAA Football 08, players are now able to take their player from Campus Legend mode and import him into Madden's Superstar Mode. In addition, players are able to take over the careers of select rookies from the 2007 NFL Draft and use them in Superstar Mode. Camera angles have also been tweaked for the next gen of Madden 08 after complaints with its predecessor. Key attributes of superstars are assigned by players when creating them, rather than generated by random parents. A number of features have been left out in this year's Wii version, most notably, the ability to edit the game player's superstars appearance as the Superstar Mirror is no longer selectable, and the Barber Shop in the City Map is also no longer selectable. Users are stuck with the random hair combination given to the user while registering their new superstar. Although certain new features have been added as well. For example, a player can have more control over their character while firing agents, while the selection of rookies is more extensive. For the first time, a player can receive an attribute of 100. Devin Hester (speed), Peyton Manning (awareness), Tom Brady (awareness), Champ Bailey (man coverage), Reggie Bush (acceleration), Lorenzo Neal (impact blocking), Larry Allen (strength), and LaDainian Tomlinson (juke move and elusiveness) as well as many of the Hall of Fame (HOF) unlockable players, are the only in the game with such skills. However, if edited, these attributes will drop back to 99. There are certain players such as Byron Leftwich, Josh Cribbs, and Vernon Davis that are from the District of Columbia whose homestate is blank. If the player moves the state, the blank spot is no longer present. The trophy room in Madden 08 is similar to the My Shrine feature in NCAA Football 08. Trophies can be earned by completing in-game tasks (such as rushing for over 200 yards) or in other game modes (such as winning a Super Bowl in franchise mode). Trophies can also be wagered in online head-to-head contests. As skill and experience progresses, the user can earn five EA Challenge rings, which have customizable team logos and colors. These features have been left out in the Wii version. Once a ring is unlocked, the player is given a code to buy the ring on Jostens.com. A number of features missing from the first two next-generation versions of Madden return in Madden 08. These include Owner Mode, fantasy draft, roster-editing, and cooperative play-New, however, to the Xbox 360. In addition to the other versions, the Wii version features online gameplay, a Madden first for a Nintendo console, as well as the integration of Mii avatars, and features a few exclusive game modes. The PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube versions of Madden 08 have a fantasy football-type game mode called Fantasy Challenge Mode. In this game mode, players draft the ultimate NFL dream team while advancing through four levels of gameplay.