Madden NFL 07 [Xbox]

• Read the Xbox 360 review

17 years. Madden has been around since 1989, and dominating sales for almost that entire lifespan. But in the past few years each update has seemed like a way for EA to experiment with modes and options that are toyed with for a season or two, then dropped for something flashier. But Madden NFL 07 is something of an anomaly. The big features from recent years return, all with improvements. And EA now lets you clear a path for the ball carrier like never before. Even so, Madden somehow still feels like it always has.

For one, the presentation has begun to spin its wheels. While EA concentrates on making the next-gen releases look like a million bucks, its difficult not to feel as if the older consoles have been allowed to stagnate. The crowds still have the same old glitchy behavior, and some of the game's cutscenes are incredibly rudimentary. You'll see some new animations, but most of the action will be very familiar.

Steps have been taken forward on the field, however. While the truck stick and cone of vision feel more balanced and better implemented, new controls make a real running game possible at last.

Playing a superlative running game in the past has posed many problems, mostly that blocking hasn't been something gamers could direct. Now it's possible to take control of a specific blocker at the start of any offensive play; successfully prevent defenders from breaking the line and control will automatically drop back to the QB. While taking control of the blocker, you'll have a tighter view of the action, which helps keep focus on your coverage.

While the blocking doesn't have a huge effect on single-player games, especially for players who like to throw the ball, it does open up more viable running options. And when playing against friends, it adds an extra jolt of competitiveness. Taking a friend off at the knees with a well-timed cut block is hugely satisfying. If nothing else, taking control of your blockers is a way to add variety to Madden's old tricks.

The specific controls of the new blocking system also lead into the revamped Superstar Mode. On the surface, we've seen this mode before. Your parentage, drill performance, and IQ all play into the character creation, then it's all about picking agents and saying the right thing as well as performance on the field.