Madden 08

Madden NFL 08 was released August 14, 2007 and is the 19th installment in the series. It was the first Madden to be released on 10 platforms. Although it is a generation older than Madden 09, it is the most recent Madden game for PC. It has sold over 4.5 million copies, over 1 million of these being sold on the XBOX 360 version.

It was given a 8.5 by GameSpot, but a flimsy 5/10 by Games for Windows. TeamXBOX gave it a 9, and Yahoo Games gave it a whopping 5 out of 5.

Vince Young, superstar QB for the Tennessee Titans houses the spot of title player of Madden 08. He holds the ball, and in this scene one can see that the football lays a shadow on the text reading Madden 08. This effect is the first of its kind and is a small hint to what many call the first "next-gen" Madden.

Features of Madden 08
Madden 08 is undoubtedly the version of the series with the most new stuff. The main ones are here below.

Weapons Feature
Main Article: Madden 08 Weapons

Madden 08's most important new feature is the weapons feature. In it, users can see what players are exceptionally good at a given thing. This feature can be seen by Button 7 on a gamepad, A on a keyboard, and RL on a mouse control. This feature can be used to tell if a player is capable of things most others cannot do. For instance, Philip Rivers of the Chargers is an Accurate QB, and he will very rarely miss passes. Players who have these weapon capabilities are so due to exceptional stats in a given area (High QB Accuracy Stat =Accurate QB Weapon). There are a total of 24 weapons in Madden 08.

Madden 08 Tackle Animations
Another new feature for Madden 08 is the animations. In Madden 07 and earlier, a tackle was always 1 on 1, with other players maybe jumping over them if they were coming in. Now, if a player is pushing with another player to pass, another defender will come in to finish him off. Such feature makes for super-realistic gameplay.

Hit Stick 2.0
Main Article: Hit Stick 2.0

The final major feature in Madden 08 is the Hit Stick 2.0. It is a new form of tackle that makes for more action on the field. When used, the player can either go for the legs for a super-effective, run-stopping tackle, or go high for a chest tackle to try to free the ball for a fumble (although it is important to make sure that to try a high tackle, the defender should be heavier for a more likely chance of success). With this, players can see stunning mid-air collisions an average of 3-5 times a game (though some Madden 08 players have a tendency of being more intense, and get much more than this).

Special Modes in Madden 08
Madden 08, just like its predecessors, boasts special modes that go far deeper than standard games.

Franchise Mode
Main Article: Franchise Mode

Undoubtedly the mode of Madden that keeps players coming and coming again is the well-known Franchise Mode. In it players draft players and train them to make them the best team in the NFL. It is the classic mode for Madden 08.

Superstar Mode
Main Article: Superstar Mode

Closely related to NCAA's Campus Legend mode, players can now import their NCAA football players into Madden 08 Superstar Mode, choose a rookie from the Madden 08 Roster, or make their own player from scratch. In this mode, the player starts by getting drafted, then continues to try to get a better agent and eventually get into the Hall of Fame.

Skill Drills
Main Article: Skill Drills

Skill Drills in Madden 08 is also a new feature, where a player plays against dummies in specialized gameplay to help train their skills in certain areas. The team the player plays against, called Dummies, is a playable team with stats of 99 in both Offense and Defense.