Though graphically inferior to its bug-riddled Xbox 360 counterpart, Madden NFL 07 for the current general consoles (GameCube, PS2, Xbox) is a slightly deeper football game--despite little advancement from the previous year’s version.

The biggest little improvement made to Madden 07 is in the new kicking system. Now, after lining up your kicking arrow, you yank back on the right analog stick to start the power meter and push forward to stop it (whereas previously it was all in the X button). This better affects how the ball flies; straight or veering left or right, depending on how straight back and how straight the follow through with the stick. More realistic, yes. An improvement, yes. A big deal for Maddenites, probably not.

What should have been the biggest addition to 07, meanwhile, is the lead blocking system. With it, you can change to the lead blocker pre-snap, make the block then switch back to the running back and do your thing. Alas, when put into the practice the system is tetchy; the running back may or may not follow you--no matter how good the block--and get tackled in the backfield for a loss.

Too, Madden NFL 07 looks almost identical to last year's versions and save for the few tweaks to the aforementioned kicking and blocking systems, you are basically playing the 06 game with updated rosters, which hardly justifies its brand-spanking-new price tag. 06 was great when it came out, but you’d expect more from 07.

The Xbox 360 version in all its high definition glory; now that's an update... visually, anyway, but it suffers a few festering warts of its own.

So aside from the modestly catchy and remarkably effective new kicking system, and the less effective, practically problematic lead blocking function and the roster updates (and the opportunity to use rookies such as Reggie Bush, Vince Young and Matt Leinart), there's virtually no reason to buy Madden NFL 07. Not at a spanky-new price, anyway. Maybe when it hits the ol' bargain bin, which is probably where you'll find it before the season's out.