NCAA Football 07 [X360]

To the general public, Madden is EA's top football franchise. But we've recently found NCAA Football to be consistently more entertaining and a better model of the game overall. That continues as NCAA Football 07 debuts the series on the Xbox 360. It's a far more robust and enjoyable showing than Madden offered. The dynasty mode is mostly intact and factors in the old college spirit. In a contest limited only to the football available on the 360, NCAA wins hands down. But that doesn't mean that it's an uncontested win.

The actual gameplay is much the same as what you'll find on current gen consoles. Controls have been tweaked somewhat to push sprinting and laterals to the triggers, and the face buttons quickly juke and dive while carrying. There's an option to jump the snap, which can give defenders a slight edge or incur a penalty, depending on your timing. Special teams get more detailed and trick plays, and defenders even have a cool third-person pressure option to derail a kick.

The AI isn't staggering -- any Madden or previous NCAA vet will tear up the CPU -- but the framework is excellent for playing friends.

Previous NCAA releases have attempted to implement a change in on-field fortunes when the crowd goes with or against the team. Whether that's a real-world factor or not, it's one of the series' primary differentiating factors.

For 07 the system has been dramatically streamlined. A meter now represents momentum onscreen; bungle some plays and it will fall, make a few great passes or push a remarkable turnover and it can skyrocket. In that case, your players will be a bit faster and harder to take down. In a game that leans toward simulation the momentum push feels very arcade, sometimes glaringly so. But it definitely adds an extra level of competition that can really rub your skills in a friend's face.

As is frequently the case, EA's presentation is solid. The menus are now nested, making navigation much easier, especially in Dynasty Mode. When you select your favorite team, images of the school and its fans will become the background wallpaper. It's good looking stuff, and noticeably better than the current gen release.