Madden NFL 06

"Great start for Madden on the 360"

Gameplay 9/10: Everything is similar to past versions of Madden, but because of the immense amount of animations and the ability of higher definition, there is just more to see and control. Let's start with passing. First of all on older versions I was frequently frustrated by the mystery sacks. Not so in the 360 version, I do get sacked, but I feel like when I do, I usually earn it, cause I was not checking the blitz or ready for it. Passing feels much more fluid and intuitive than before as you actually can see most of the routes clearly in high definition. Receivers seem to run better routes and can actually get behind the corners if the play calling and execution is done properly. Precision control is able to be used without the vision. Running is enhanced over other versions also for the same reasons. Not everything is perfect of course, for example on defense, once a tackle animation starts if you are controlling a 2nd defender and try to get in on the tackle, you may literally go right through the offensive player and have no bearing on the play. On offense, the spin move is really exaggerated while the jukes have been toned down too much. I still am waiting for the day when taking control of defensive back actually gives me an advantage over the AI, instead of actually harming my chances, as it is still too hard to control.

Graphics 9/10: Player details are crazy good. Seeing the uniform mesh and glean off of the jerseys and just the depth of detail is top-notch and enhances the experience. You can see the breath of the players in slow-motion on the replays, that is how detailed it is. And try zooming in on the rotating football on a replay, nice. During a play and in the menu screens, everything looks really good. And of course there are some things that need some work. For instance, the animations once in a while do get in the way of the gameplay. I would like to see some time shift from the sunlight and weather changes too, which are absent.

Sound 6/10: The radio announcer is good and adds accurate comments most of the time, but I would really prefer an announcer. Considering that EA Sports has a deal with ESPN I would think they are working on this. There are some other strange sounds in the game, the sound of your player running with the ball in the open field is very odd, like a sound bit they grabbed from the very first Madden game. The crowds sound good. Still would like to see custom stadium music, like 2K5 did, should be easier than ever on the 360. The vintage NFL films scores included are nice and provides for a real authentic feel.

Features 6/10: Personally, I could care less about create-a-fan, superstar mode, and the EA radio show. All that stuff was a waste of time to me and I am actually glad it was not included. However, I do miss the fantasy rosters and mini-camp. As far as play challenging goes, it was broken in the old-generation systems, so better to leave it out then just inserting a broken system. It is sorely needed, however, as I have had several calls that are wrong that a replay would have settled. Also, still waiting for EA to implement a half-time highlights show and post game. This is something that 2K5 had and even Links 2004 had.

Presentation 8/10: It is easy to look at what is not there, but it is nice to look at what is there and be happy. The high definition allows for a menu system is vast and easy to navigate. The play calling system is vastly improved with options for how to call the play and showing 6 plays on the screen instead of 3. For head-to-head players in the same room, a masking button “X” is new to Madden.

Conclusion : I recommend this version of Madden. After reading many negative reviews, it surprised me, pleasantly. If you love football and love football video games and own a 360, why would you not get it? While you could wait until August for Madden 07, you could also wait until 2008, or 2009 and you'd be missing the fun of playing a good football game today. Madden 06 has some glitches and for better and worse lacks some of its old-generation features, but they are easy for me to overlook.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/16/06