Madden NFL 07 for Nintendo’s Wii may be the last edition of the best-selling football console game, but it’s already clear that EA saved the best for last. Without a doubt, every football fan is already accustomed to the Madden video-game, and most gamers might agree that the series doesn’t change at all year after year, especially after EA acquired the NFL exclusivity. For next-generation standards, the Xbox 360 and PS3 version already should've changed the viewpoint of playing football video-games with the most advanced technologies, but although these titles were essentially built from the ground up, issues in several gameplay categories just weren’t as refined as the football-sims’ previous years.

This brings us to the enigma that is Madden Wii, because those who have yet to try it don’t know what they’re really missing. It may look like a slightly-improved GameCube game from the outside, but once you get your hands on it, you’ll realize that a whole lot of change can really go a long way for the seemingly struggling football franchise. Most of the change, as most Wii games go, lies within the system’s motion-sensing capabilities. Better yet, this sort of re-envisioning is exactly what the gridiron needed.

Since everyone who plays this game will eventually need to re-learn most of Madden’s default controls, the game is filled with tutorials that allow you to pause the action and educate yourself about the motion-sensing controls, even practice them before each and every play. The pop-up menu was a great addition, and provides an efficient way of teaching new and veteran players alike about the revolutionary control scheme without fishing through the game’s menus.

So just how intuitive are these controls? For starters, it might seem a bit odd, especially for those not used to two controllers in their hands. However, with some practice, these movements are best demonstrated through practice. Snapping the ball is trigged by flipping the Wii Remote upward with a quick snap of the wrist. Knowing when to do this is easy, since the remote’s internal speaker gives a clear “hike” indication on when your quarterback is ready to call for the ball. Passing is done by pressing the button of the desired receiver and then flipping the remote forward just like you would a normal pass. Of course, you can quicken your throwing motion for bullet-throws, and move your arm slowly to lob, accordingly. For veteran players, you can even use the nunchuck’s control stick to point in a specific direction for pin-point accuracy, such as leading the ball towards your wide receiver.

Carrying the ball probably takes the longest to get fully accustomed to all of its motion-sensing options, but those who master it will find that it’s actually the most fun aspect of the offense. Basically, all you need to know is that the nunchuck acts as your body, while the remote acts as your arms. When you tilt the nunchuck side to side, your ball-carrier will juke. Likewise, tilting the remote acts as a stiff arm. You can even juke tilt with both the remote and nunchuck for a double-juke if you wish.

More intriguing control options includes basic tackling which can easily be done by pressing the B button on the Wii remote. However, you’re also able to deliver big game-changing hits by holding the Z button and pushing the remote and nunchuck forward at the same time. Mastering this defensive scheme is important, since you’ll also need to tilt the nunchuck’s control stick in the direction you’re tackling. Easier said than done when you’re pretending like you’re Ray Lewis. Another basic control scheme is the new kicking mechanic, which although unresponsive at times, is probably the best fit for the Wii remote. You start by pressing A to initiate your kick, then from holding your Wii remote tilted downward, you tilt the remote up – like a kicking motion done with your hand instead. Direction and power of the kick is dependant on this as well, so keeping your wrist straight and firm is key to bombing field goals through the uprights.




There’s also some neat things added in there, such as moving both controllers up to catch the ball. Swiping at the ball is done by flicking your Wii remote while the ball is still up in the air and coming towards you, and lead blocking can be done with motion-sensing capabilities as well.

With all of this being said, the learning curve of Madden 07 for Wii isn’t as intuitive as some expected it to be. Defensive assignments can easily be scrambled if you’re still learning the controls, and frustrations will result in the inaccuracy of some kickoffs. The pre-snap controls can be clearly annoying as well, since you’re forced to point to specific players with the remote in order to adjust schemes. This is easier to do on offense, since you’re able to allot yourself enough time to do this, but doing it on defense can be a chore, especially if your opponent is trying to hurry the snap. And kicking will be frustrating if you don’t learn that actually tilting your wrist is what makes the kick hook or slice, dependent on direction.

However, the surprisingly deep motion-sensitive controls are actually more of a blessing than a nuisance once that veil of initial difficulty is lifted. Every motioned control is tallied on the right-side of the gameplay screen, indicating whether or not your attempt, stiff-arm or whatever, was successful or not. All in all, gameplay becomes much more enjoyable, and the frantic feel of randomness is finally gone. Now players are forced to really earn their touchdowns, and when it’s all said and done a nicely implemented touchdown celebration with the Wii remote makes it all worthwhile.