Madden NFL 06 - E
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that MADDEN NFL 06 is an incredibly realistic football simulation, even in its handheld incarnation. The game features the occasional hard hit (and some ads from game maker EA), but gameplay emphasizes the strategic and intellectual demands of football. The only thing parents need to worry about is how much time their kids will spend immersed in their virtual seasons. Parents should also note that this game is online enabled. Common Sense Media does not recommend online play for anyone under 12.
Families who play this game may want to talk about football's appeal. Are you more into it for the brutish hits, the big personalities, or -- as this game emphasizes -- the complex strategy? Do you think your viewpoint is the same or different than most football fans? Did the game's intellectual focus change your opinion of the sport?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Aaron Lazenby
MADDEN NFL O6 marks the 16-year-old series' first foray into handheld gaming, now that a system (Sony's PSP) is powerful enough to handle the game's significant demands. And while the game gets penalized for some technical problems, it ultimately crosses the goal line as a success.
This game is much like the installments that preceded it. Players manage almost every aspect of an NFL game in a perfect synthesis of coaching and player control. Players select plays, throw passes, run the ball, tackle opponents, kick field goals, and manage the game clock.
Teams reflect off-season roster changes, as well as an option for downloading updates. But the bread and butter of the game is the multi-season franchise mode in which players manage their favorite teams through training camp, pre-season games, the 16-game regular season -- and hopefully the playoffs and Super Bowl.
This is a football junkie's dream: Players develop young talent, tinker with their lineups, practice critical plays and then unleash their franchise on opponents.
What's most impressive about this EA intallment is its strong move to a handheld system. Graphics are crisp enough to compete with console versions of the game. The massive amount of player information and match up analysis (assistant coaches provide you with insight to help defeat your opponents, and even Madden can provide recommendations) seems impossible for a small-screen system to handle. And yet, Madden NFL 06 delivers.
Mostly.
The game does suffer from some technical hiccups. Players experience a long pause anytime a game-changing animation is initiated (like during a turnover or score). Loading times are long and loading screen images are often broken. And, most notable, when players are in franchise mode, Madden NFL 06 occasionally shuts down your PSP at the end of then game. EA has published a work-around, but this is still an annoying problem.
Overall, this is a great extension of the successful franchise into portable gaming. But it is addictive and engrossing. Remind your kids that they are not to play during math class.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentNo scantily-clad cheerleaders in this version. |
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ViolenceThe occasional hard hit will make you cringe, but nothing worse than you'd see on a real football field. |
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Social BehaviorUnsportsmanlike conduct is penalized (just like in real games). |
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CommercialismAds for EA adorn the stadiums. This game is part of a long-running series. |
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Educational ValueIf you want to learn the difference between a counter and a draw running play, Madden 06 is your game. |
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