I’d like to stop and gloat that John Madden, famed player, coach, and commentator of the National Football League is an alumni of my university, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. So, I had the natural inclination to review Madden 2006 because I think we have an uncommon bond stronger than blood (Green and Gold, Baby!). John Madden has made a career off of bettering the sport of football including his support of the most popular and #1 sport franchise in videogame history, properly titled Madden Football. Through the years, there have been numerous and grand improvements to the gameplay and presentation (adding in bonus features each year to really make the game shine). Madden 2006 is no exception, bringing another year of great football gameplay to fans worldwide. And although the extra game modes EA Sports threw in to add replay value feels amateurish when compared to the greatness that is Madden, new features like Precision Passing and QB Vision take the franchise to a whole new level.

Unless you have been living under a rock lately, you’ve probably played one version of Madden Football at one point or another. Fans of the series have come to love the standardization of the offense while gladly seeking improvements to the defensive AI system. This year, it really is a whole new game, with more attention spent on the advancement of passing. Among the changes in offensive gameplay is the avant-garde QB vision. Just like it sounds, EA has dropped in a new feature that relies on the field of vision a quarterback has for the accuracy of passing. For a more reliable pass (diminishing the likelihood of incompletions or interceptions), the receiver must be within the field of vision of the quarterback. The skill level of quarterbacks will determine the scope available to control (those that are more advanced have a wider field of vision). While delivering a more precise offense, this adds a whole new level of difficulty that I love and others loathe. Having to worry about where your QB is looking (controlled through the right analog stick, although it defaults to a receiver when in play) all the time leads to lack of attention to the surroundings around you such as blitzes. The average number of sacs in a game has increased as a result of this new gameplay element. Also, your opponent can see the very same field of vision you are using and can determine most of the time who you will pass the ball to. Luckily, those who hate the new feature have the ability to shut it off in the game settings.

Coupled with the QB Vision is Precision Passing, allowing your QB to throw the ball where it needs to be in relation to the receiver. Using the left control stick, you can decide where the receiver will catch the ball (either to the left, right, behind, or ahead). Though it sounds useless in theory, it is almost essential when dealing with opponents ready to swat or intercept a thrown pigskin. Additionally, the implementation of a hit stick for ball carriers to either knock down defenders when pushing forward or drop back and watch your opponent fall flat on his chest when pushing backwards. This feature doesn’t work as well as I’d hope it would, and works less often than I attempted it. The defensive system hasn’t changed at all since Madden 2005, but like the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke…”

These new gameplay elements are the only thing different than Madden 2006’s predecessors.  If you were to disable QB vision, it would essentially be Madden 2005 in a different box, with the same modes including franchise, quick play, minigames, create-a-fan, and online. Online mode for PS2 requires either a $2 purchase from any viable credit card or your email address for spam mail from ESPN (if you are smart, create a fake email address to use). The ease of entering a game to play was very impressive and the load times were virtually negligible. Playing against real online opponents just feels better (or worse depending on the final score). A little something has been added to the online mode called EA Sports Locker which will let you and friends download franchise games to play offline and then upload them back for other friends to play on. I haven’t found a purpose to it’s existence, but I’m sure there is one.

Superstar mode is the only new mode from Madden 2006. Although a great idea in concept, it’s an utter failure in practice. You create a character by choosing the combination of your parents (because why shouldn’t a kid decide who his parents are?), pick an agent (that ranges from all-star representatives to sleaze balls you wouldn’t trust with a piggy bank), take an IQ test (with brain teasers such as “what is your favorite food?” and “do you like football?”), a few interviews, and prepare for the draft (my character was 2^nd round pick for the Bengals, although I’m sure you will have better fortune). Soon after, you will attend training camp, and then hopefully begin your road to the Super Bowl. Sponsors will come around once and a while for possible endorsement deals as well as movie roles (roles which helped display the immortal genius that is Shaq through the artistic compilation, “Kazaam”). Sounds pretty cool, eh? Well stick those two thumbs up in your garbage disposal because Superstar mode is plain awful to play. Most of the work done off the football field is viewed through a calendar displaying specific events to attend. There is no timeline, however, in the way the calendar works and you can jump three weeks to any one event. Also, most of the activities you engage in is purely text based and offers the blandest role-playing system I have seen for a long time. After my first preseason game, I was completely bored.

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.

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.

Gameplay: 8.8
Solid gameplay with extra features you will either enjoy or loathe.

Graphics: 8.0
The graphics haven’t improved at all from Madden 2005, but there isn’t much difference between the PS2 and XBOX version.

Sound: 8.5
Nothing sounds better than Madden’s words of wisdom. I just wish the music soundtrack was better.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 9.0
I’ve got a fever…and the only prescription is more Madden!

Multiplayer: 9.0
Madden 2006 offers a simple and fun multiplayer mode you just have to experience.

Overall: 8.8
The Madden franchise has come along way since its start in the early 90’s. And although the level of progression has been diminished in Madden 2006, it still has the right to call itself the #1 selling sports franchise of all time. Hopefully next year EA Sports will cook up something never before seen through the capabilities of next generation systems.