Madden 08 Countdown: School of Hard Knocks

Madden NFL 08 is only three weeks away, and we couldn't be more excited for the upcoming release. Let's face it, the first two next-gen Madden's felt a little light on features and gameplay mechanics. It was like the series was treading water until Tiburon could deliver the goods. On August 14 those goods will be delivered with the first truly worthy Madden game in the past three years. To celebrate, we're counting down to the August 14 release of Madden with new features every day.

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Brutal Hits

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''There are several new gameplay features in Madden, but none has a bigger impact than Hit Stick 2.0. On the surface, it doesn't seem like EA did all that much to change the Hit Stick. It still functions off the Right Thumbstick, you still use it to deliver crushing blows, and it still requires precise timing. But play just one full game of Madden 08 and you'll quickly come to realize that Hit Stick 2.0 helps deliver some this year's best virtual football moments.

''Though it takes a bit of time to adjust, your main focus on Hit Stick is now choosing either up or down. Up is for a high tackle, down is for a cut tackle. That's right, flick down and you can try and take out a running back's legs. This leads to some high flying action. You'll see Tomlinson flip, LJ trip, and Alexander stripped.

Madden has some sweet tackle animations this year, the sweetest of which come from mid-air collisions. Every time we take the field in Madden, there are three to four jaw-dropping hits that earn a "Hot damn!" from the assembled crowd. These tend to come when a defender goes for a low tackle and the running back hurdles over him. Then a lineback tackles high and you get a jarring hit that rattles the ball carrier, his mother, and whatever god he prays to.

With the new gang tackling system, the bruising hits become all the more crushing. At one point, we saw Shaun Phillips of the Chargers reach with one arm trying to slow down Larry Johnson. As LJ twisted to get past Phillips' grasp, Jamal Williams came from behind and threw his meaty arms around the superstar runningback. Then it got ugly. A juice-free Shawne Merriman came high and popped LJ off his feet. The blow knocked LJ and Williams back. The ball decided to make an early exit from Johnson's hands, but he was too busy watching the bolts dancing over his head to notice.

Madden 08 has solid gameplay in the trenches and down the sidelines, but it truly shines over the middle. Time the Hit Stick properly (and use a Big Hitter) and you will see some explosive tackles. And that's just one reason to look forward to Madden NFL 08.''

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