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Good: Graphics, sound, menus, gameplay, QB Vision default 'off'

Bad: Missing several modes, can't set quarter length for Franchise games

Does it feel "next-gen": Yes

Gamers are certainly used to the phrase "another year, another Madden" by now. Time after time, the football juggernaut has come out with minor tweaks to the gameplay and some roster updates. However, with the release of next-gen Madden, there's reason to pay attention again. How well does it make the transfer to the 360? Thankfully, it made the jump far better than I expected.

When Madden 2006 debuted on the 128-bit systems back in August, the only truly significant change was the inclusion of 'QB Vision'. This was met with mixed reviews, and seemed to unnecessarily complicate the passing game. With the 360 version, the default is 'off', but if you happened to like it, the vision cone will appear with only a minor movement of the right analog stick.

Many modes from the current-gen versions have been omitted from this incarnation. Owner Mode, setting prices for concessions, mini-camp and even the ability to challenge plays are nowhere to be seen on the 360. I also couldn't find any way to change the quarter length for Franchise games (the default is 5 minutes). Honestly, I don't miss any of these modes, as Franchise mode is still fully intact. I do miss the ability to challenge plays from time to time, but those instances are few and far between.

The real star of Madden for the 360 is the graphics, especially the player models. Trent Green looks like Trent Green, Brett Favre looks like Brett Favre. Considering you don't see the player's faces very much during gameplay, it seems that even more detail was spent on capturing the likenesses of the coaches. Andy Reid, Dick Vermeil, Jon Gruden, and every other NFL coach looks dead-on.

On top of the detail on the player/coach models, the crowd looks fantastic (and fully animated). In fact, every single one of the members of the crowd is more detailed than the actual players were on the original Playstation. The menus don't even resemble any previous Madden, and they're far more visually appealing. Every single menu, play selection screen and load screen is sharp and well-made.

While you won't be hearing John Madden do commentary, the audio is absolutely fantastic. The new announcer is decent, and the crowd and sound effects are perfect.

I didn't have too high of hopes for this Madden, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The controls are as razor-sharp as ever (thanks to years and years of fine-tuning), and this is still an amazing football experience. The omission of a few modes doesn't bring the 360 version down this is the one to get.

Graphics: A

Sound: A

First Play: A-

Last Play: A-

Gameplay: A-

Overall: 90% A-