Features
All of the features that were featured in Madden 2005 are back in 06. The quick play, create-a-team, create-a-player, and franchise modes are all back. Online play returns and is as smooth and hassle free as ever. It is nice that everything we liked is back, but it isn’t so nice that every mode is virtually the same as before. You’ll find all of the same minigames and features and even glitches in all of these modes as in 2005 just with an 06 coat of paint. This lack of evolution in the majority of game modes is particularly disappointing considering that the greater part of Madden 06’s potential audience likely already owns Madden 2005. There really isn’t any reason to buy a new game for $50 when you can get last year’s for a fraction of that price and it has all of the same stuff.Superstar Mode
The only new gameplay mode in Madden 06 is called Superstar Mode. In this mode you get to manage and live the life of an NFL superstar. It is sort of like a franchise mode that focuses on just one player. You start out by creating a player and even picking his parents in order to get the right mix of smarts and skill in order to be a premiere player. You then get to choose an agent, take some tests, and then you’ll be drafted to an NFL team and your career is off and running. In addition to actually playing in games, you’ll have to give interviews, perform in movies, talk to your coaches and agent, and do other things such as get a different haircut or tattoo. There are problems with all of this stuff, though. First off, everything you do besides actually playing football is handled through incredibly boring text menus. Secondly, you never really feel like a superstar because nothing ever really changes no matter how much money you make. The mode becomes repetitive very quickly and you long for game days just to get out of menu hell. I can play games in the regular modes, thank you very much.Gameplay
The gameplay has a few new features which add up to make this the best-playing Madden yet. All of the fundamentals are as solid as ever and deliver a really fun game of football. Last year’s game focused on defensive upgrades, but in 06 the offense got the lion’s share of the attention.The biggest addition is the QB vision passing cone. With this turned on, a cone of light will shine on the field indicating where your quarterback is looking and what they can see that you control with the right analog stick. Throwing inside of your vision cone results in sharp, accurate passes while passing outside of the cone causes some of the ugliest throws you’ll ever see. It is realistic, sure, and pretty darn satisfying when you get everything to work right, but moving the cone with the right stick while trying to avoid a blitzing defense is just about too much for most people to handle. On any difficulty besides the very easiest one, you have basically no time to find a receiver and get a pass off before you get sacked. You get used to it and it is fun when you do learn how to use it, but it changes the way you have to play and I’m not sure everyone will welcome the limitations it presents to their game.
