• Parents' take: "Madden" is good, clean fun for any child who loves football. There is a huge learning curve for kids who don't know how to play football or only grasp some of the essentials. With all of the different plays, it can be confusing to choose between a 4-3 or nickel defense. And the running plays are listed in multiplay selectors, which means they can either choose running plays or choose a category called Big, which means nothing except how your formation is set up.

The many different audibles can get confusing. On the plus side, audibles aren't vital. Actually, there are a lot of small things that enhance "Madden 08" but aren't vital to playing. So kids could play "Madden" and have fun without needing to use half of the additional items.

• Final word: As good as "Madden NFL 08" is, it still isn't great. The commentary is lacking and there are some issues with the graphics engine. Game play is top-notch. It's a shame all the other features have a long way to catch up. The biggest thorn in the "Madden NFL" franchise's side is actually another EA game, "NCAA Football 08," which is a far superior product. I'd give "Madden NFL 08" up in a second to play more "NCAA Football 08."

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E-MAIL: ccraine@desnews.com