"Another Great Madden Game"

Introduction:
Madden 06 is one of the best NFL video games to come out in recent years. It has all of your old favorite modes along with a few new features. Throw in updated rosters and improved graphics and sound quality, and this game will give you hours of fun.

Game play: 8/10
Madden 06 has all of your old favorites including Franchise mode which lets you play up to 30 seasons with a team, controlling rosters, salaries, and all that fun stuff. There is also tournament mode, which lets you test yourself against a small group of other teams. And there is the new mode which allows you to live the life of an NFL All-Star. You start in your rookie draft and go through your whole career, including practices, interviews, and games. This is an interesting feature although I personally still prefer the old Franchise mode. Perhaps in the next few years, the newer mode will get better but for right now, I found it a little too tedious. Another new feature is the Precision Passing which lets you control where on your receiver you want the ball to go. It takes awhile to get used to, but it is a very useful feature. The game play of Madden games just gets better and better and Madden 06 is better than any of its predecessors.

Graphics: 8/10
It seems that the graphics of Madden games just get better each year and this game is no exception. While there could definitely be many improvements, I was not disappointed and I am sure you won't be either. Sure, not every player looks exactly like their real life counterpart but most of them are pretty close to the mark. Most of the stadiums look very realistic as do the fans.

Sound: 9/10
Where to start? Well, first off, Madden 06 has a pretty good soundtrack of songs for you to listen to while playing so enjoy that. Second, the sound effects while playing are VERY realistic. They are so realistic they almost make you feel it when you get tackled! They really help pull you into the game.

Buy or Rent?
If you are a fan of football games, I would heavily recommend buying this game. You CAN rent it first if you want, just to make sure that you like it. I am sure however that any fan of football games would find his collection empty without Madden 06.

Conclusion:
Madden 06 is one of the best football games to be released for several years. You owe it to yourself to play it. It has its faults, but they are far outnumbered by its good features. The many different playing modes, great graphics and sound, and updated roster make this game a must have.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/19/06