First screens of Madden 08 DS huddle up

Like most American sports, the country's version of football is all about extremes: action-packed seconds versus the dragging minutes in-between; the razor-sharp brains of the coaching team versus the contact-befuddled minds of the tackles; and the simplicity of a touchdown versus the depth of resulting statistics and TV analysis.

And while we wouldn't sit through a live game again – other than the regular knees-up that is the Super Bowl – we were generally satisfied with EA's first season of Madden NFL on the DS.

But, of course, another summer means another Madden and so it is that Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young finds himself facing down the 'Madden curse' as the game's coverstar.

As for us, we're not expecting any huge changes. The screenshots do show the graphics as looking a bit sharper; something the replay system – one of the best features in EA's sports games – will no doubt demonstrate.

But in terms of gameplay tweaks, EA's focusing on bringing some player-specific features to the fore, with in-game icons highlighting individuals' strengths and weaknesses so you can modify your plays depending on the way your opponent lines up.

There will also be a beefed-up tutorial system, while a Fantasy Challenge Mode will enable you to build a financially-improbable dream team.

And, if you're really bored of the sports, there are some stylus-based multiplayer mini-games, too.

Madden NFL 2008 is due to be released on August 24th.