Being a DS title, you'd have to expect the minigame offerings to be enjoyable. Sadly, these are lacking too, as Paper Football is the only one even worth a mention. As kids wasting time in school we all played it, folding paper into a triangle football and trying to get it to hover on the edge of a desk without falling over. Madden brings this old desktop standard into the game, complete with a full-length field, scoreboard, and two different rule sets. However, the uneven touch controls make it more frustrating than anything else and the experience wears thin quickly.

Handheld Madden shines brightly this season, just not on the DS. If you're ready for some portable football, the PSP version is by far the best choice. Armchair quarterbacks on the go desperate for a pigskin fix may learn to like it, but we doubt it. It's time for this team to head back to training camp.