Madden NFL 08

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Waggle-based football returns for another season, this time with the whole family in mind

Words: Richard Grisham, GamesRadar US

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At its core, Family Play is designed to make Madden accessible, but it sure doesn't seem so at first glance. When trying to teach ourselves to hike, juke, stiff-arm, and pass by flicking the remote, we botched 'em all badly. Naturally, we hated everything about it at the start, and it showed on the field in the form of a couple of ass-whompings. Over time, though, it became easier to understand (if a little clunky to execute). We're still not convinced this particular setup will help Dad bond with the kids over the holidays, but at least the effort is being made to make Madden less intimidating to the non-gaming set.

Even if the clan isn't into playing a full NFL game, there are also some Wii-specific party games that prove to be fun and easy to jump into. Surprise, surprise, Madden also heads online this season. What's better is that there's no need to enter pesky Friend Codes to get a game over the net - simply head on and play (assuming you've got a WiFi connection).

Controls aside, it's not close to being a cutting edge experience. The visuals and gameplay are barely on par with its PS2 cousin; they won't dazzle anyone who's seen any version in the past few years. Other than the new Weapons feature that displays icons underneath certain talented footballers, the game looks and sounds no different than it did last season.