Madden NFL 08 is highly anticipated by fans, no doubt. We recently had our first hands-on experience with the latest in the storied franchise and it’s shaping up to be the best Madden since 2004 (the one with the Playmaker controls). A quick quarter of head-to-head had us hollering, trash talking and generally tittering — the game runs at 60 frames per second, and moves as smooth as Tom Brady’s throwing motion.

As for the game’s main hook, it’s not based around bells or whistles, but around “weapons.” EA is taking every superstar player in the NFL and separating them from the also-rans. During pre-game, the game points out the superstars as they bust out of the tunnel and, once they’re on the field, icons (a lá NBA Live) show off their (one out of 24) skills. A shutdown corner like Champ Bailey has a clamp icon pre-snap, and he plays like a shutdown corner. He’ll knock away more passes and go for (and get) more picks.

Big-armed QBs (like Michael Vick) have a rocket icon, pass-catching tight ends (like Tony Gonzalez) don a hands icon, and run-stopping defensive linemen sport a brick wall icon. But the most interesting icon is the light bulb for linebackers like Zack Thomas. If the offense calls the same play repeatedly, the light bulb goes from gray to lit — which means the defense can actually see the play the offense is calling. On the flipside, QBs like Peyton Manning can read the defense and know what’s been called against them. That’s when the veritable cat and mouse game begins. And studs like Ray Lewis can have three or even four icons working for them at once.

The weapons feature effectively improves two things out of the gate. First, newcomers to the game have instant knowledge of the impact players on the field without needing an NFL 101 crash course. Second, it makes a big difference in franchise mode. Instead of just picking up a player who’s a marginal improvement in free agency, you can build your team the way you want by choosing your weapons wisely. And your players are tracked as a franchise season progresses, so you can develop a “weapon” through practices, mini-camps and in-game successes. Very nice.

The game also seems to play cleaner than previous Maddens, in part because of the responsiveness of the controls — offenses can no longer throw into double coverage without paying the price. And the interior run game is fantastic, as the blocking has been improved significantly; you’re no longer forced to bounce it outside on every play. Plus, the branching animation system makes the run game immediately satisfying, especially when you get the ball into the hands of a big, strong running back; it’s simply not easy to pull them down. We even saw Travis Henry shrug off a few man-hugs, en route to breaking a long TD run.

Originally from 1UP