Madden 2006

Game systems  >> Madden 2006 review Madden 2006 review Gamers were demanding the best Madden NFL Football ever this year and the response at retail indicates that we delivered the game that everyone wanted," said Marketing VP Todd Sitrin. "Consumers have voted with their dollars, and the vote is in -- this is the best version of Madden NFL Football ever." The quote above was about Madden 2006 being the fastest selling Madden title to date, with over 1.7 million copies sold on all platforms in its first week. This is truly cause for celebration at EA, especially given the mixed reviews the game has received. But let’s be honest, if sales were the sole judge of how great a game is we’d all be singing hosannas to Enter the Matrix. So is this Madden truly the best? Or do these early numbers also reflect the fact that for NFL fans anyway, this is the ONLY new football game you can buy due to EA’s exclusive NFL deal? It seems that the NFL videogame community had become divided into two camps: the larger camp, fans of Madden, and the smaller, but growing, 2K series camp. I would count myself amongst the latter group (as would many game reviewers). Though I have long loved EA’s NCCA Football series, and occasionally played Madden, for the NFL experience, I usually found myself leaning toward the NFL 2K games and their incredibly polished presentations. Madden, in recent years, has felt stale: an annual roster update, and games that looked like PS2 ports. Like many NFL fans I felt a little cheated by EA’s NFL deal (though it is a GREAT business move), and had concerns that EA would just crank out another Madden “update.” Key Features New QB Vision Control: Use the right analog stick to find open receivers heading for paydirt. New QB Precision Placement: Use the left analog stick to lead a receiver to an open area, throw away from a defender, and more. NFL Superstar Mode: Create a Superstar and guide his life on and off the field. Choose an agent, earn one of 60 personas, and live the superstar life. Enhanced Broadcast Presentation: Authentic new camera angles, improved graphics, and new commentary and cutscenes that provide the look and feel of a real NFL broadcast. All-New Truck Stick Control: Deliver big hits on offense to break tackles and pancake defenders. The presentation of Madden 2006 hasn’t changed at all compared to Madden 2005. All the graphics look the same like player models, animation, and stadium environments. I was hoping to see facial emotions on the football field, but I guess that level of detail can’t be reached with current generation systems. I have played the Xbox version, and can truthfully say it isn’t much different than what the PS2 has to offer. . The sound is just like its predecessors, featuring the commentators Al Michaels and John Madden. Al Michaels takes the lead in announcing particular gameplay while Madden throws in his two cents every once in a while. The sound effects aren’t too overemphasized and flow naturally with the game. Of course, what’s an EA Sports game without an original music track mix. The jukebox is back and features many different artists like the All American Rejects, Fall Out Boy, and Hot Hot Heat. The songs felt out of place in the game and may not have been the best choice for Madden’s song list.

Next reviux page... Doom 3 demo