For those who haven't already played it, this review is for Madden NFL 2007 for the Nintendo GameCube. This is the latest installment of the legendary Madden series, and brings with it everything you would expect. The things that make this edition new are the Superstar mode, along with lead blocking.

Lead blocking lets you choose a blocker to control, instead of running with the ball, in hopes you'll have a greater impact on those quick hand-off plays. Along with lead blocking, the use of the c-stick allows you to control exactly how you want to block. If you want to go for the lower body and take your opponent down, you can. If you just want to stall him, you can do that too.

The level of control is really impressive this time around; however, this control comes at a cost. Continuing with the trend, the controls have gotten even more complex this time around. The learning curve on this game is brutal. I played for a few hours and was still working on the basics. But things do slowly start coming together and eventually things flow really nicely.

Next is the highlight of this game, Superstar mode. You create your own character, starting with your parents, so you choose your pedigree. From there, you go through the usual customization and naming. Then you start your career. You have to sign an agent, train, and hopefully make it into the NFL draft. The focus of this mode shifts from the team, to a single player. It's really an interesting shift, taking some concepts from the adventure and RPG genres. You build your character's stats, manage his life, and take personal control of him in games. It's a refreshing addition to a rather repetitive franchise.

However, this game is not without its share of flaws. Sometimes due to the complexity, the control feels clunky and unresponsive. At least for the GameCube version, the game takes an insane amount of memory, more than most memory cards can hold at max.

The camera work is odd on faking plays, often following the player you faked to instead of where the ball is; this can be incredibly disorienting. Also, in Superstar mode, unless you pick the right position, you won't be calling the plays. This is unfortunate because the computer doesn't pick plays that fit your situation; sometimes you'll be third- and-long and the computer will try a run straight through the defensive line.

Overall, though, I found myself really enjoying this game once I got the hang of it, and Superstar mode provides a much deeper experience than normal franchise games. Also, the music matches the tone of the game and really enhances the experience. The graphics are on par with the other games, but nothing special.

I give it a 7 out of 10.