Madden NFL 08 for Wii gives armchair quarterbacks the opportunity to get more involved in their games, allowing them to throw, catch and tackle by maneuvering the motion sensitive remote. But this isn't last year's Madden. EA shoved enough features into the game to fill an arena, making this version stand out from its graphically advanced Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 counterparts.

Unlike the PS2 and 350 versions, Madden Wii doesn't start with a fancy intro or a shrine dedicated to your exploits. Marshall Faulk doesn't do the pre-game show, nor can you check out the best highlights during the Sprint half-time show. And, none of that stuff matters, because what this game lacks in audio and visual muscle, is more than made up for with addictive mini games and more interactive controls.

Similar to last year's edition, maneuver players using the Nunchuk's analog stick while performing actions by mimicking moves with the Wii remote. To hike the ball, for example, you press and hold A, then flick the controller upwards. To pass, you press the button that corresponds to the intended receiver and then flick the controller forward. This makes the game more interactive, giving you a bigger sense of accomplishment that you'll never feel after pressing the B button on the Xbox 360 controller.

For non-gamers, Madden on Wii introduces Family Play, a unique control scheme that ditches the nunchuk. With this scheme, the artificial intelligence handles the running while you swing, push and flick the remote. It works all right, but we prefer to use the nunchuk. Not being able to control a player, especially the quarterback, makes us feel detached from the action. After snapping the ball, the QB just stands there, waiting to get killed. We'd rather run around and dodge defenders before making the game winning touch down pass. With that being said, people who fear analog sticks should embrace Family Play.

In addition, the game contains plenty of features, Party Mode being our favorite. Up to four players can partake in 22 mini games, including last year's sweet 2 on 2 mode and Y.A.C. Attack (Yards After Catch). There's also Rushing Attack (gain more yards than your opponent), Catch the Ball (catch balls by raising both controllers at the right time), Route Running (outrun your defenders to make the catch) and Rush the QB (sack the quarterback before time runs out). Some overshadow others (we dislike Kicking Combine), but there's definitely something for everyone.

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