NCAA Football 06 (PlayStation 2, 2005)

This is my favorite football game that, like Madden, doesn’t really go through that many changes year to year. Slight tweak here and there is about it. Sometimes that’s good, sometimes that’s bad. Consumer shells out another $50 and everyone’s happy.

The one thing that puts this game over Madden, for me, is the recruiting mode. Perhaps it’s just me but NCAA’s recruiting beats Madden’s sometimes overbearing draft mode. It’s much easier to scout and recruit players than its big brother. It’s also realistic so don’t expect five star recruits to go to Northern Arizona if USC comes calling as well. This can make it challenging to build a team from the ground up unless you play every game and stack your schedule with college football heavyweights.

That said, the new Heisman mode is a treat and is a worthy addition to the game. Give it a try or two though I find it difficult unless I’m on a good team to do anything noteworthy.

Give it a shot; they’ll be another one along next year but unless you’ve played before, you’d be wise to experience a new version every so often to keep up to date.