Upon starting the game, you’ll be prompted to begin drafting your team of legends and imaginary players. That’s right; imaginary players.

The moment I heard that there was going to be a football videogame comprised of the legends, I immediately got excited. The possibilities of reliving my glory days of Tecmo Bowl with an unstoppable Bo Jackson got the nostalgic juices flowing. Sadly, this imaginary point is where “All-Pro Football 2K8” reached its peak. Upon playing the actual game, my opinion went nowhere but down.

Upon starting the game, you’ll be prompted to begin drafting your team of legends and imaginary players. That’s right; imaginary players. You only get to draft 11 actual legends. The rest of your positions are filled out by randomized mooks.

For every Johnny Unitas, Barry Sanders and Mike Singletary, there’re a slew of players that most fans have never even heard of. What’s worse is the fact that Bo Jackson is not even in the game. This is, simply, a travesty. However, kudos to 2K Sports for the inclusion of everyone’s favorite double murderer, Orenthal James Simpson.

Visually, the game is about as bland a 360 game as I’ve seen in the past year. There’s nothing particularly horrible about the graphics, but there’s also nothing to write home about. As with most areas of the game, mediocrity reigns supreme in most areas of “All-Pro,” but the plays animate nicely, sometimes even mimicking the nuances of their real-life counterparts.

If there’s one thing that “All-Pro” has on “Madden,” it’s in the pacing of the games. Gameplay in “Madden” can be hampered by the obscene amount of fumbles and interceptions. Thankfully, “All-Pro” keeps these to a minimum thus allowing the games to flow much smoother.

Possibly the biggest aspect of the game that keeps it under “Madden” is the lack of any game-play modes whatsoever. The game is fine for a quick pick-up and play session, but the lack of a Franchise mode really limits the possibilities of “All-Pro.”

If there is one high point to “All-Pro,” it’s that this may have finally been the thing to force EA into making “Madden” a better game. Competition always gets the creative juices flowing, and this year’s Madden seems to be at top form.

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