Madden NFL 06 (Xbox 360, 2005)

Madden NFL® 2006 (Xbox 360™)
The most innovative and best-selling sports video game in history is about to revolutionize the way football is seen and played … again. Madden NFL 06 for the Xbox 360 has been built from the ground up to deliver completely redesigned gameplay and the most lifelike football experience ever created. Feel the intensity like never before as the mind-blowing player models bring the emotion and passion of the NFL to life on every play. With a full Franchise mode, in-depth online play, and a new playcalling system, Madden NFL 06 is poised to continue its legacy as the only authentic and licensed NFL experience, setting the bar for the next generation of gaming.

Features

• Revolutionary player models: 3D head scans provide photo-realistic faces and physiques show a level of detailed emotion and intensity of the NFL like never before.

• Next gen graphical effects: See the reactions of coaches and players on the sidelines, to the seat-level accuracy of thousands of life-like 3D fans. The new graphics engine provides realistic lighting and visual effects that have never been possible before now.

• Three times the animations: The action starts before kickoff and continues with every touchdown celebration thanks to thousands of new animations.

• Redefined gameplay: Select plays in a whole new way with the innovative playcalling and new picture-in-picture system. Popular features like QB Vision Control and the Hit Stick are also included to make Madden NFL Football veterans feel right at home.

• Sight and sounds of the NFL: Featuring biased hometown radio announcers, injury reports on the scoreboard, and actual NFL Films on audio, including hits and player chatter.

• Advanced franchise mode: The game mode invented by Madden NFL Football comes to the Xbox 360 with new, easy-to-use Player, Team, and Box Score Cards that give you all the information you need to take your team to the top.

• Online play: Find the perfect opponent instantly anytime of the day with Xbox Live— and see where you stack up against the best players in the nation with the real-time leaderboard.

• Extensive customization options: Customize settings, menu music playlists, gameplay controls, strategies and more.

The most innovative and best-selling sports video game in history is about to revolutionize the way football is seen and played ... again. Madden NFL 06 for the Xbox® 360 has been built from the ground up to deliver completely redesigned gameplay and the most lifelike football experience ever created. Feel the intensity like never before as the mind-blowing player models bring the emotion and passion of the NFL to life on every play. With a full Franchise mode, in-depth online play, and a new playcalling system, Madden NFL 06 is poised to continue its legacy as the only authentic and licensed NFL experience, setting the bar for the next generation of gaming.

McNABB IS MADDEN'S MAIN MAN

Thanks to the versatility he brings to the quarterback position, All-Pro Philadelphia Eagles and NFC Champion quarterback Donovan McNabb will appear on the cover of Madden NFL 06. The newest iteration of the EA SPORTS best-selling football franchise is the only videogame with the official license of the NFL and its players. Reflecting the focus on the passing game for the first time in ten years with the all-new QB Vision Control and QB Precision Placement, McNabb is the perfect representative for the cover of the most popular football videogame franchise. Last year Madden NFL 2005 sold more than six million copies.
"This is one of the top honors in the NFL - you have truly made it when you are on the cover of Madden NFL Football," said McNabb. "With the attention and changes they have made to the passing and the focus on the quarterback this year, it was worth the wait to be the cover guy and part of the EA SPORTS team."
McNabb, who was named to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl in his seven years in the NFL, is one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the NFL. He is a threat as both a passer and a scrambler. As the second-highest rated passer in the NFC (104.7) he became the first player in NFL history to finish a season with more than 30 touchdown passes (31) and fewer than 10 interceptions (8). He appeared in his first Super Bowl this past season and passed for 357 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.

* Revolutionary Player Models - 3D head scans provide photo-realistic faces and physiques and a level of detail that shows the emotion and intensity of the NFL like never before.

* Next Gen Graphical Effects - From the reactions of coaches and players on the sidelines to the seat-level accuracy of thousands of lifelike 3D fans, the new graphics engine provides realistic lighting and visual effects that have never been possible before now.

* Three Times the Animations - The action starts before kickoff and continues with every touchdown celebration thanks to thousands of new animations.

* Redefined Gameplay - Select plays in a whole new way with the innovative playcalling and new picture-in-picture system. Popular features like QB Vision Control and the Hit Stick are also included to make Madden NFL Football veterans feel right at home.

* Sight and Sounds of the NFL - Featuring biased hometown radio announcers, injury reports on the scoreboard, and actual NFL Films on-fi eld audio, including hits and player chatter.

* Advanced Franchise Mode - The game mode invented by Madden NFL Football comes to the Xbox 360 with new, easy-to-use Player, Team, and Box Score Cards that give you all the information you need to take your team to the top.

* Online Play - Find the perfect opponent instantly anytime of the day wit

The new Xbox 360 has been all the craze - and one of the most dominating game series of all-time, Madden, is once again a staple in advertising and marketing. So you want to know if it is worth $59.99? Here's the scoop on Madden 2006 for Xbox 360.

Gameplay:

The graphics are absolutely amazing. There is no other game on Xbox 360 that has such realistic graphics. However, these graphics cannot make up for a loss in gameplay. The franchise mode is very limited and you cannot challenge calls during a game. The game does play great though. Running is quite difficult, as this is the first time Xbox 360 has used this game engine to produce Madden. Get used to it, as it will be the same engine they use for future games.

Online Play:

The online play is VERY limited. You cannot participate in any tournaments and there is no such thing as Fair Play (opponents can go for it on 4th down, run no-huddle over and over, etc). Also, the precision passing and a few of the buttons have been changed, so there will be some getting used to if you play previous Madden games. Although there are updated rosters, some injured players can be subbed in. Another note, if you use the EA Locker feature for Madden 2006 for Xbox, then you might be dissapointed (this version does not have EA Locker).

Also, it is VERY difficult to scount your opponents prior to a game. You cannot view their tendancies or previous statistics.

Overall:

I'm not sure I would pay $59.99 for this game. If you need to play football for Xbox 360, this is your only choice. If you are very strict about gameplay (especially online) I would suggest you maybe pick this up used for $30.00 and then go out and purchase NBA 2k6.

The reason it gets 4/5 is because of graphics. It is still amazing to me. I will say this though, if you having been playing Madden for a long time you will see that the gameplay and features are more like Madden 2001.

EA Sports had to rush out the production of this game to be released for the 360. Expect a huge improvement for 2007.

...Another review from Sublime Boutique.

Here's the scoop on Madden '06 for everyone with a 360. Buy it only if you have a bunch of people who LOVE to play Madden. If you have to buy only one Madden this year, better stick with the current gen one for PS2 and XBox. Heck, I'd even get the PSP version of this game before I bought this game, seeing as how the PSP version has a deeper franchise mode than the 360. I won't totally knock this version however, it does have its good moments. Also, this IS the engine EA will be working with for the next five years, so if you want to find a way to prepare for Madden NFL '07, this is it...

I won't lie, the graphics are outstanding. When you first boot up the game and see the opening trailer, you kind of wish T.O. would have shut his mouth so you really wonder what a Super Bowl rematch between the Eagles and Patriots would have been like (This is the opening scenario of the game, as McNabb fires a ball to L.J. Smith for a first down, then spikes the ball on first and goal with a tick left on the clock in SB 40 vs. the champs). When you play the game, a lot of things have changed. For one, Michaels and Madden no longer call the game. A local radio announcer calls the game, even though he is much, MUCH more enthusiastic with the call than Michaels EVER could be (Yes, this even includes Michaels infamous 'The Giants won the pennant!!!' call. The radio announcer can be that damn annoying sometimes).

One nice thing are the replays. They make you feel like your watching a classic NFL film, since NFL Film music is playing in the background (Think of the Burger King commercials where the King is pretty much running his own campaign to be MVP. That's how the replays feel like after a good play.)

Also, in the running game, you are going to need to take the ball to the outside or have a quarterback that can run his @$$ off (such as a Vick or McNabb; be smart and pray they don't get injured). Just like the initial Madden for the PS2 (Madden '01), it is going to take EA at least a year or two to work the offensive lineman enough for effective running plays up the gut.

What EA DID do that I appreciate is that they added more hip-hop to the EA Traks lineup, most notably Paul Wall's "They Don't Know" remix with Mike Jones. I bought Paul Wall's CD when it first came out, and it had the Chopped & Screwed version with it, but not the Mike Jones remix. Any fan of hip-hop knows that when it comes to EA & the rap game, you need to go to LIVE to get your fix. In addition EA added a bunch of underground artists, who got pretty dope songs. Don't worry if you like rock, Madden continues to stay partial to this genre as they added new songs to it as well (though I couldn't tell you what they are, seeing as how I don't listen to rock).

Another new feature to Madden for 360 is the virtual injury chart. Whenever a player gets injured, about 7 of 10 times, a virtual X-Ray comes up over the injured body part and lets you know how long that the player will be sitting out. This is one advantage over current gen (one of the VERY FEW, I might add), since you don't have to wait 2-3 minutes or go to the depth chart on the pause menu to find out how long players have to wait.

Finally, I will wrap this up with Madden 360's main weakness, a Franchise mode that is HOT GARBAGE. It reminds me of Tecmo Bowl for NES, it's that elementary.

Again, don't buy this game unless you have 2 or 3 Madden buddies or XBox Live (If you have BOTH, this is good).

As an avid fan of the Madden series since Madden 2001, I have been able to follow the progression of the series for a decent amount of time now. I have played the games on Nintendo, Playstation, PC, Xbox, and Xbox 360. This game was, in my opinion, the worst.

I had high expectations for the game. It was touted as a reincarnation for the series on the Xbox 360, the next-gen capabilities to bring the game to the next level. That was shot down within 2 minutes after I loaded the game.

Well let me start of by saying that the graphics are nice. Are they THAT much better than regular Xbox? No.

I tend not to be the type who will buy a game because of graphics - I look more for the game-play than anything. That being said, this game was a colossal failure in that department. Half of the features that you will find on any other system are missing in this game. You cannot edit rosters, you cannot challenge plays, you cannot create an NFL Superstar, there is no Mini-Camp, and get this ... NO SEASON MODE! Are you kidding me?

I was expecting the in-game experience to blow me away still. It didn't. There was something missing from the game, something lacking ... the engine used for playing the games must be written from scratch. Passing is a chore, running needs a tune-up, and instead of enjoying every quarter of play I had to struggle to finish it.

Everything taken into account, at the time I bought this game it was nothing more than a flashy, $60 demo. This was a GIANT step back for the series. The game collected dust on my shelf for 2 months before I sold it. I still have not bought Madden 07, and stand by my word that I will never buy another Madden again. Their acquisition of the exclusive NFL license was the worst thing that ever happened to the franchise and for us, the consumers. They continue to use their conglomerate influence to buy good reviews from huge magazines and websites, misleading gamers with downright unethical sales tactics.

In 5 years, EA Sports has moved from being the best source for sports games on the market to resorting to monopolizing the industry in order to make money. I am VERY disappointed.