Madden NFL 06

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Football champ looks great on handheld.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this 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.

  • Unsportsmanlike conduct is penalized (just like in real games).
  • The occasional hard hit will make you cringe, but nothing worse than you'd see on a real football field.
  • Not applicable.
  • Ads for EA adorn the stadiums. This game is part of a long-running series.

What's it about?

MADDEN NFL 06 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, and there's 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.


Is it any good?

 

What's most impressive about this EA installment is its strong move to a handheld system. Graphics are crisp enough to compete with console versions. The massive amount of player information and match-up analysis seems impossible for a small-screen system to handle. And yet, Madden NFL 06 delivers -- mostly.

The game suffers from some technical hiccups. Players experience a long pause any time a game-changing animation is initiated (like during a turnover or score); load times are long and loading screen images are often broken; and when players are in franchise mode, the game occasionally shuts down your PSP at the end of then game. EA has published a work-around, but this is still annoying. Overall, this is a great extension of the successful franchise into portable gaming.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about football's appeal. Are you 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 as or different from most football fans? Did the game's intellectual focus change your opinion of the sport?


This review was written by Aaron Lazenby
Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 
Entertaining
This was the first enjoyable Madden game.I thought it was well done.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
 

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 18 years old
April 9, 2008
 
OK
The games only OK Madden bought the rights for NFL games, which is quiet a shame because I would say NFL 2k5 is better, but if you want a football game, Maddens what your going to get. 3 stars not for 8 and under

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 
Dang im speachless(but not typeless)
this is one of the best games i have ever played it ranks right up there with NCAA06

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 18 years old
April 9, 2008
 
Best Madden Yet
I really like this game. Very fun for kids of all ages--- some adults could even enjoy a nice football game once in a while!

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
February 25, 2009
 
sol playa de la arena
i play football for wilbur cross

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Aaron Lazenby
Topics:sports and martial arts
Platforms:PSP
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Sports
Developer:Electronic Arts
Release date:September 21, 2005
Price:$49.99
ESRB rating:E

This review was written by Aaron Lazenby

Contact us to give us more feedback on our learning ratings.

 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Tell us what you think about our new Learning Ratings. We value your feedback.


About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you play Madden NFL 06?


Already played it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it