In the beginning of Superstar, it's a real struggle to make a name for yourself. You live in a dumpy apartment with a bad agent and might not get much playing time. But train hard during team practices and play well on Sundays, and you'll start getting noticed. Whether it's a fifty-yard touchdown run as a halfback or a big game-winning sack as a defensive tackle, your first big plays will be memorable because they're so hard fought. That's what I mean by a connection to the custom character. You'll struggle along with him initially as you get your bearings and adjust to your role (as well as adapt to the controls and the new camera angle), but when you finally start clicking with the team and stampede into the playoffs, it's totally gratifying. By working your way up the career ladder, you can sign with bigger agents that will represent you better, leading to fatter contracts, cushier living spaces, and endorsement deals. Don't lose sight of your ultimate goal however: becoming a legend in the Hall of Fame.

While the passing game hasn't been enhanced since last year, two big additions to this year's Madden revitalize the running game and make even short 4-yard runs fun to pull off. Lead Blocker Control is the new mechanic that allows you to control any member of the offensive line to block a defender and knock a hole in the line for the running back. After performing the block, you can switch to the runner with the push of a button, providing a slow-motion transition effect that gives you a half-second period to adjust to the new player and read the defense before bursting through the hole you just created. It's an entertaining feature that is easy to learn and is a handy technique to add to your arsenal for a killer running game.

The other big addition is the Highlight Stick, an extension of last year's Truck Stick that now allows player specific techniques by moving the right thumbstick during a run. A power back can bowl through defenders by lowering his shoulder while agile ball carriers can juke and dodge defenders. You know that infamous Reggie Bush move that always shows up on his highlight reel where he's running at full speed down the sideline, stops abruptly as a defender flies in front of him, then cuts to his right and runs in the other direction for a touchdown? The Highlight Stick lets you pull off awesome runs like that, though it takes some practice because good timing and knowing how to read the defense are essential skills for success. Both of these gameplay additions make running the ball a thrilling proposition and combine to create the most complete running game in a football game yet.

Chances are if you're reading this review, you're not really considering getting the Xbox 360 version. The Xbox 360 has been my primary console for the past year, and boy, coming back from that to play an Xbox title is a huge step down. It feels almost as if I had forgotten to wear contact lenses for a week and my vision became blurry and muddled. The first impression I got from playing the Xbox version of Madden 07 was not concerned with the superb running game or the Superstar mode, but rather the average player models and dull lighting. When I won the Super Bowl and confetti fell from the sky, I actually thought it was raining Legos, that's how blocky the streams of color looked. And don't even get me started about the celebration where Gatorade is poured over the coach. The fountain of drink looked like SNES sprites.

I'm not all that impressed with the quirky animation bugs either. While for the most part players will noticeably track the ball, I still see instances where receivers will catch passes blind. They'll be tracking the ball while it's in mid-flight, then all of a sudden they look away and make the catch. It's a blatant reminder of the fallacies of motion capture and how jerky the animation can be at times.

But honestly, these graphical setbacks are all just the results of nit-picking, and it's not the Xbox's fault that it can't compete with its flashier successor anymore. Unlike Madden 06, where the 360 version was missing features, this time around EA listened to the complaints and Madden 07 on Xbox 360 is just as featured packed as current generation versions (with some additional bells and whistles for good measure as well as a massively improved graphics engine).

I would highly recommend picking up the 360 version, but if you don't feel like paying the extra $10 for much more impressive visuals or just don't own a 360, the Xbox version isn't a bad substitute. After all, fundamentally it's the gameplay that matters most, and in Madden 07 across all platforms, the core football action is as refined as it's ever been. Madden 07 is the only NFL sim on the market so if you're craving a football title just in time to kick off the season, it's not like you have any other choices. But for a game as rich and deep as this, that might not be such a bad situation after all.

Note: Due to technical difficulties, online multiplayer on Xbox Live was unable to be tested at the time this review was published. Should the online experience be noted afterwards to affect the score of the review, an addendum to the review will be added and the score modified appropriately.