Madden NFL 06 (Xbox, 2005)

I have been playing Madden for 15 years now, which is pretty scary. Remember Sega?

While the EA Sports NHL Hockey series was always my favorite, Madden NFL was a close second. That said, over the last several years, I felt that both of these series have become less playable. Obviously, the graphics have been improving over time, but the game play itself was more fun to me in the mid 90's.

I think Madden 2006 has finally put an end ot this. The graphics are awesome and the gameplay is also much improved over previous versions. This game has all of the bells and whistles of previous years, but also has added just a better feel. The differences might be subtle, but noticeable to the experienced Madden player. In past, I have felt that running the ball was too difficult. Now, it seems EA has been able to balance that out, making it more realistic.

With a game like this, there are always some issues with control. It can be a little difficult to switch players and react quickly enough on defense, catching the ball, etc. Madden 2006 still has some of these issues, which is why I haven't given it an Excellent rating. That said, I highly recommend this game on the xBox!