Madden 08 on the PSP is pretty much Madden 07 on the PSP, with slightly smoother animations and noticeably faster loading. This late in the PSP’s life cycle, the graphics are so good it’s like having a mini-PS2 in the palm of your hands. And since the controls are the same as always, this game picks up pretty much where last year’s effort left off.
As Madden 08 for PSP loads up for the first time, you will notice how familiar everything is. There’s new music, but it’s still the same husky “E-A Sports” intro that’s become a signature of the company. The menus read slightly cleaner than in last year’s version, and their look is consistent with the versions on other consoles.
After a quick game with Peyton Manning and the Colts, I jumped into the franchise mode with the San Diego Chargers, because I was eager to play around with LaDainian Tomlinson. The game has indicators to tell you what star power the players have, and that makes it easier than ever to see your opponent’s weaknesses (and your own) without having to go into some menu.
{ad} The game loaded quickly, which should ease the minds of jaded PSP owners. Better still, taking care of all the franchise busy work (which some people love doing, but I can’t stand) is easily 10x faster than last year. I typically play the PSP on the train ride to work, and I remember how frustrated I was losing about half my commute to franchise operations in Madden 07 for PSP. Not so with this year’s installment, which lets you spend much more time on the field than off it.
Gameplay-wise, little has changed, and the only difference seems to be that everything is a little nicer. The game’s animation is silky smooth, and the colors are appropriately bold and dull–so, for example, helmets glisten, but worn grass does not. Although the faces are not quite as detailed as on home consoles, the movements are just as refined. Controls are pick-up-and-play easy for Madden veterans. And the difficulty settings are just right.
John Madden and Al Michaels are in the booth, with their typical banter and play-calling. Michaels is better synced than he was last year, so you get an even better feel for the game. Madden, however, seems like he may have mailed this one in. Maybe I’ve played too many of his games over the years, but I think he re-used some VO from Madden 04. It’s also entirely possible that EA just really liked some of his sayings. Or maybe he would say the exact same things in real-life broadcasting. It may seem like a strange thing to quibble about, but I found myself finishing Madden’s sentences, and that got really distracting. It also doesn’t help that Madden seems to talk about plays as if the highlights reel is showing even when you try to skip the highlight.
Besides the VO, sounds on this game are incredible. I love the emphatic clang that comes with selecting plays, and the on-field grunts and calls are quite realistic. Although I didn’t necessarily know the artists playing, I wasn’t distracted by the music. One thing that did bother me was the roar of the crowd. The default setting is cacophonous, and often times their reactions make no sense. Cheer when the home team is getting thrashed? I don’t get it. I ended up turning the crowd volume down to about 10-15% of the default, because I couldn’t handle the silence either.
All told, this is a big win for the PSP. Madden 08 made enough improvements to Madden 07 to truly impress me. It’s the best sports game ever for a reason, and if you need your football on the go, then this is the game for you.
