Madden NFL 06

"This Game is AWESOME!!!"

The Madden football series has been going strong for 15 some years now. It remains the best in video game football, and continues to bring out new (and entertaining) innovations.

Gameplay: I love the addition of the new passing cone. It adds realism to the game in that a quarterback cant just throw the ball blindly yet still get great accuracy on it. I also love the truck stick feature. Using it with guys like Bettis is just a amazing site to see (and on the defensive end when you use the hit stick, well it is quite useful in cauing fumbles). One thing though that needs to be fixed for 07 is the punt return coverage. They dont block AT ALL and that can be detrimental in trying to get good field position after a punt.

Game Modes: Once again, the modes of play are extremely addictive to play. Franchise mode remains relatively unchanged, and still remains fun to play (No point of tinkering with a good thing). There is also Superstar mode, which is a totally brand new mode in which you take a player and play out his career. This mode can get somewhat repetitive in what you do, however, it is fun to play if you want a change from franchise mode. And, the minicamp games remain challenging and fun to play if you dont really feel like playing a game.

Audio: I love having the classic NFL films music on the game. And as usual, Al Michaels and John Madden provide great commentary, making it feel like your watching a game. However, Im really tired of the typical punk/metal selection of music that they put on this game. I often turn off said punk/metal music and I just have the NFL films music.

Graphics: As par with all of the EA sports titles, the graphics are great. The players look like their NFL counterparts, and they also do well with the stadium and the field graphics. There isnt really much to say about the graphics really, they simply are great.

Overall, the madden series remains the pinnacle (And as of this year the only) football series. Hopefully the fact that they are the only football series, does not lead to a decrease in quality of the games, because that would be a shame.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/10/06