LaDainian Tomlinson is the smartest person in professional sports.

By turning down EA Sports' offer to be the "Madden 08" cover boy, the reigning MVP and fantasy-football god all but guaranteed himself another league-leading season. Maybe he declined the offer because he didn't want to deal with promoting the game and not because he was afraid of the "Madden Curse," but it's difficult to differentiate between intelligence and laziness nowadays.

So instead, Titans QB Vince Young has all but doomed himself, but if he can take any solace in his upcoming ACL and MCL blowout, it's that he's pitching a damn good game.

For the first time on a next-gen console, the Madden franchise does not disappoint. While "06" and "07" left gamers questioning the necessity of next-gen gaming beyond shinier looking helmets, "08's" animations actually have a tangible impact on the gameplay. For once receivers will extend one arm for a sprawling grab and actually try to stay in bounds while making a catch. And multiple linebackers will key in on players to effectively gang-tackle, instead of diving around in an attempt to knock somebody over. In "08," it's the collection of little things that make the "Madden" experience more authentic.

That said, this will probably not be everyone's favorite "Madden." In an effort to keep hardcore "Madden"-heads coming back, the game has gotten progressively more difficult over the years. With new features and options come increased confusion and frustration from non-experienced players. More so than ever before, "Madden 08" will challenge you and force you to think before casually launching a bomb into triple coverage.

The "Madden" experience has never been this hard, but it's also never been this rewarding.

Annual "Madden" gimmick: With every installment of "Madden" comes a new gimmick to distinguish the game from years past. This time, it's player weapons. Any player with a 90+ rating in an individual skill gets tagged with an icon that marks them as an "elusive back," for example. The icon with the most significant impact on gameplay is the "Smart" QB or defensive player, which allows players to see what play the other team is running if they run it multiple times over the course of the game. The effects of the other icons are not as obvious, but making a receiver a "Spectacular Catch Receiver" increases the likelihood that he'll snag a jump ball in the back of the endzone. Players can acquire weapons through pre-game training, which allows gamers to level up players through various mini-games.

Biggest disappointment: While the franchise mode has a number of player-management options, just as it has in years past, there's still one glaring omission: random player suspensions. Unfortunately, this means your franchise quarterback will never be suspended indefinitely because he and his cronies decided to electrocute Lassie and hang Balto. (Sorry, too easy.)

Did they get rid of the damn cone yet?: Yes. Fans will recall that "Madden 05's" gimmick involved a field of vision for QBs, otherwise known as the passing cone. The passing cone made it more difficult to throw the ball and is probably responsible for turning more people away from the series than anything else. Since the game has been on 360, you have the option to activate the cone. Doing so will lead to more accurate passing, but it also may cause you to throw a controller through your television.

What if I like Calvin Johnson but don't want to give the Fords a winning team?: No problem. A returning feature from last year's game is the Superstar Mode, which allows players to strictly control one player in an attempt to make the Hall of Fame. Gamers can choose from created players, college players imported from "NCAA 08," and now actual NFL rookies to follow through their careers. It's not nearly as fun as the standard gameplay, but if you want to ensure individual success and distance yourself from your joke of a team, you can.

Needs tinkering: The in-game Hall of Fame is cool, but Trent Green? After the first year of my franchise ended, these players were enshrined in Canton: Rod Smith, Trent Green and three others. Watching Charlie Sanders's highlight reel was reason enough to validate the virtual Hall of Fame for me, but it could use some work. Let's start with not inducting players the year after they retire - specifically the guy who was pushed aside for Damon Huard.

"____ Forest, ____:" One of the most inconsistent aspects of the "Madden" franchise is the ability to run the ball successfully. Last year's game put an increased focus on running, by allowing players to control their blockers. This wasn't exactly fun and was often more cumbersome than useful. Players are still able to control their blockers in "08," but it isn't necessary to developing a viable running game.