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"Madden NFL 2007"

10/28/06

I bought "Madden NFL 2007" on launch day back in August and two weeks later sold it to somebody on eBay.  Why?

I realized after playing through the first few games in Franchise Mode for the 49ers this season that I don't have the passion any more for video game football.  "Madden NFL 2007" on 360 is actually pretty bad ass--the graphics on an HDTV are sick, the training, preseason, and Franchise modes are great; online play is there and multiplayer co-op is intact as well.  It's got every team, every uniform type, every stadium you could ask for...if rosters didn't go off and change every year, it would be the last game you would ever need to buy.

But, my glory days with video game football are over, simply because I don't live in a dorm any more or have any roommates.  Online Madden isn't as much fun as in-person Madden smack talk, not even close.  Back in the day, I would play Madden (or Tecmo Bowl, depending on the year) because it's just great to have a buddy to play the game with.  Now, I just don't have that passion any more to play through a single-player season, only to run up the score 78-0 with five-minute quarters.

So, all of this is to say that if you still play video game football, pick up "Madden NFL 2007" stat.  Otherwise, there's not enough new here to justify buying this again if you have last year's game.

Rating:  $40

 

Feedback?  Comments?  Salma Hayek's digits?  justin@bellviewmovies.com

 

Bellview Rating System:

"Opening Weekend":  Buy this game right away, and don't ask me any questions as to why that's a good move.  A game experience that will almost guarantee repeated controller abuse, lots of ManScreaming and high resale value, you will assuredly play this bad boy for months on end. 

"$40":  Usually after games have been out for a while, they drop in price slightly, or can be bought for slightly cheaper in combination with other new games.  Usually, that's about $40.  You'll feel good getting the game for this price, since it isn't quite run-out-and-get-it-right-now good, but it has enough game in the box for a few weeks' worth of enjoyment.

"eBay":  This game is not too bad, but you'd be better off buying it used from either half.com or eBay.  You also might let a friend buy this game, let s/he beat it, and then try to buy it from them to make them feel better.  Yes, this does tend to feel like "Sloppy Seconds."

"Rental":  Like my cousin Ron, you should always rent games that you aren't sure about first, to make sure that your $50 is going towards something worthwhile.  For games in this category, this is the maximum amount of money ($5) and/or time (3-5 days) you'll need to either gain satisfaction from the game, or beat the game in its entirety.  Rental-rated games are also sometimes perfect for a weekend when you are going to be at home on your ass, with some time to kill.

"Dogshit":  Games like this should have never been released.  If you play this game for any reason, you will regret every second of the experience.  Further, if you can get this game for free, don't do it, because even for FREE, it will still be a negative experience for you!