PlayStation 2

Madden NFL 06

Madden NFL 06 would be a great upgrade even if weren't the only NFL-licensed football game around. Kudos to EA Sports for not being afraid to juice the complexity factor of an already complex game. Rookies will have to pay their dues, but veterans get treated to a brand-new challenge. And if you're somewhere in between you should just enjoy the game.

This series may have shown signs of exhaustion last season, but EA has finally turned things around, creating what I feel is one of the best entries yet.

Overall, Madden NFL 06 is a new direction for the series. With changes in button configuration and new features, the learning curve is a bit steeper. There is a way to convert back to the controls for Madden 05 controls, but the new button set can be advantageous, especially the X button for the "new" running ability. With the mix of QB Vision Control and the new running scheme, the game is actually quite enjoyable and is one step closer to being a realistic sim game. If you are a fan, you have either already picked up – or will pick up – this title and enjoy it (after several hours of practice, of course). For those who are new and preferred the some other football series, this isn't a bad place to start (not that you have a choice in the matter).

Madden NFL 06 naturally brings back all the things gamers have come to love from the series. The game still includes an insanely deep franchise mode, complete with practices, fantasy drafts, trades, salary-cap considerations and coverage in local and national newspapers. It still includes mini-games in which gamers can work on their offensive and defensive efficiency. It still includes online play and user-created tournaments. And it still includes roster updates, complete with the newest rookies from this year’s draft. Most years, that would round out the updates, but EA also introduces an entirely new gameplay mode and passing mechanic to Madden NFL 06. But they’re not as awe-inspiring as EA might have hoped.

The growing of this franchise sounds inevitable, but one only has to remember last year's Madden to know that this isn't always the case. Although the series could certainly improve some gameplay problems here and there, we're not only seeing its betterment with this year's installment, we're seeing real growth. Whether it's the first steps of an online franchise via your EA Locker or your life as the equivalent to Budweiser's Leon in NFL Superstar, Madden's exploration of new areas is not to be missed.

Exclusive license in hand, Madden is back. But let's face it, not much has really changed in the past few years. EA's signature franchise has played with new controls and slightly improved the defensive AI, but fundamentally, the series has been static. This year, however, some real changes are taking place. With an all-new play mode focused on superstar players, a revamped passing system, and new moves on both sides of the line of scrimmage, Madden NFL 06 is definitely bigger than ever. But is it better?

Instead of resting on its laurels, the Madden franchise takes a big step forward with Madden 06. My expectations were kept at a minimum at first, but the game washed away the doubts after spending some quality time with it. One of the things that I am impressed with the most is the effort that EA Sports put in to the game with the Next Generation systems right around the corner. Madden 06 has definitely taken the Madden franchise to the next level.

All that said, Madden NFL 2006 is the football game to get this year. It is far and away the most cerebral sports title ever released, forcing both the offensive and defensive coordination to methodically attack each other in order to achieve their respective goals. Careful and well thought out strategy is the name of the game, much more so than relying on frantic, on the field playmaking. The additions of the vision cone, Truck Stick, Superstar mode (among other new features) are key in making Madden NFL 2006 quite different from last year, and a much better experience. So realistic you can practically smell the jockstrap funk, this year's version of Madden is simply not to be missed.

The biggest change that was made in the offseason was the addition of a new passing system known as QB Vision. Essentially, QB Vision uses a cone of light to show you how much of the field your quarterback can see at any given moment. Some QBs (like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning) can take in a lot of the action at once, while others (Michael Vick and Rex Grossman come to mind) have a very limited view of the field. You'll be more likely to complete a pass if you throw to a player inside of said cone, although it's not always a guarantee. On the flipside, attempting to pass to a player outside of the vision cone will usually result in a lame duck.

Much has been printed in recent months about the deal the National Football League made with Electronic Arts, in which the NFL granted EA Sports exclusive rights to its name, teams, and players, singlehandedly crushing Madden NFL's ever-rising competition. Even a blind man could understand EA's motivation, for better or worse; after Sega and Take Two took a huge a huge and costly gamble of selling ESPN NFL 2K5 for merely $20, which resulted in cutting into Madden's sales for the first time, EA took the easiest way out, by making sure nobody else could make an NFL game, much to the chagrin of NFL 2Kx fans across the country.

Football-Primus: Freut Euch auf einen komplexen Karriere-Modus und neue spielerische Feinheiten.

Guess what, Madden 2006 is a great football game. But so was Madden 2005, and besides precision passing and QB vision, there is no big reason for casual fans to absolutely lay down 50 bucks for the same game with different lineups. But for fans of the series and sports nuts, grab a copy from your local videogame retailer and have a ball.

To give credit where credit's due, Tiburon annually manages to find ways to creatively invoke refreshing new substance into the Madden franchise -- when all it really needs to do is update rosters to sell, and sell big. It's a commendable stance that EA Sports has taken with regards to it meal ticket, as there has never been new stuff just for the sake of throwing it in. These improvements have been significant ones too, albeit sometimes very small. Rarely, in its 16 years of life, has the series stuttered or stepped back due to a faulty new feature or detrimental gameplay implementation... and in the last few years Madden has been nothing less than immersive and fun.

Is it just me, or does NCAA 06 look better? The kicking game is way too hard - I've never seen so many out-of-bounds kick-offs or missed extra points in my life! Another thing I don't like is how you can't preview your receiver icons without displaying their routes. The right stick is supposed to let you unleash devastating hits on defense, but these look awfully soft to me. Similarly, the "speed burst" move is barely perceptible. Maybe EA should add an "Arcade" mode to spice things up. And where are the cheerleaders, half-time show, chain measurements, and other niceties you'd expect from a mature franchise? Madden plays great but there's still room for improvement. I personally prefer EA's NCAA offering this year.

Madden 06 is either going to be a breath of fresh air or a huge disappointment - there's no way to know until you play the game. The developers should be applauded for trying such drastic changes, even if all of the new additions aren't that enjoyable. If you're tired of the same old thing, then give Madden 06 a shot. If you fear change, maybe some more quality time with Madden 2005 will suit you just fine.