Madden NFL 06 Review (Xbox)

[VanCitySportsGuy]

I haven't picked up the game yet but I will soon.

That was a good review Clay. You talked about the key features and the review wasn't dry. You cracked me up with the Justin Timberlake comment.

[Picci]

Good review Clay. Just wondering, I believe OS had picked Madden06 to be their most anticipated game for this year. Was your scoring also based with this thinking in mind? I've enjoyed the game this year but still think NFL2k5 has room for a franchise season this year too.

[Spills22]

Good Review Clay. Although, you guys need to change your rating system. If you wouldn't bet against it being the best football game on a console, you should be giving it a 5 out of 5. Also, the 5 rating system is too much like Gamepro which gives five to every Madden ever made. It should be more exact. In my opinion, I stole Madden 2006 because I wouldn't purchase it or feed EA executives' children. Yes, it's shrewd capitalism tought in community college but F them. I hate them like the FCC for forcing me to purchase Satellite radio to hear Howard Stern, or Bush for refusing to support stem cell research while my grandmother and Christopher Reeves' wife dies of lung cancer when they never smoked a day in thier life, and I hate them like the evangelists who are just money hungry b@stards and you can't trust them or a word they say. For the first time ever I broke down and bought one those "cheat" systems, an Action Replay for my Xbox.

I am happy with my new 2K6 rosters.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I really want to like Madden. They have copied TT as much as they can but it's still small and not realistic. It just doesn't get me excited. I'm excited before it comes out but then when I play it I can't believe it's the biggest selling sports game.

I agree that it's better than last year's version but the players, coaches, and plays are just like last years. How do you guys keep playing this game?

[Shaver]

Quote: Originally Posted by Picci

Good review Clay. Just wondering, I believe OS had picked Madden06 to be their most anticipated game for this year. Was your scoring also based with this thinking in mind? I've enjoyed the game this year but still think NFL2k5 has room for a franchise season this year too.

No, that wasn't a factor. Keep in mind, Madden was the "Most Anticipated" on OS last year because everyone was interested to see what they would do with the exclusive license, the online system, etc.

[Shaver]

Quote: Originally Posted by Spills22

Good Review Clay. Although, you guys need to change your rating system. If you wouldn't bet against it being the best football game on a console, you should be giving it a 5 out of 5. Also, the 5 rating system is too much like Gamepro which gives five to every Madden ever made. It should be more exact.

You're certainly not alone in your opinion about our rating system, but the whole point of it is to force people to get the review from, well, the review instead of the score. Plus, if we went on a base 100 scale, either 1-100 or .1 - 10.0, Could you really tell the difference between an 82 and an 86? What if a 91 to me was different than a 91 to Aaron (our Reviewer of the Year)? We decided to set criteria for our scoring that is very general. It doesn't please everyone, but it has been one of the better decisions we've made for consistency in content.

Quote:

In my opinion, I stole Madden 2006 because I wouldn't purchase it or feed EA executives' children. Yes, it's shrewd capitalism tought in community college but F them. I hate them like the FCC for forcing me to purchase Satellite radio to hear Howard Stern, or Bush for refusing to support stem cell research while my grandmother and Christopher Reeves' wife dies of lung cancer when they never smoked a day in thier life, and I hate them like the evangelists who are just money hungry b@stards and you can't trust them or a word they say. For the first time ever I broke down and bought one those "cheat" systems, an Action Replay for my Xbox.

I have no idea what this has to do with the price of tea in china, but I would mention that Operation Sports is not a forum for political commentary. Stem cell research has absolutely nothing to do with Madden.

Quote:

I am happy with my new 2K6 rosters. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I really want to like Madden. They have copied TT as much as they can but it's still small and not realistic. It just doesn't get me excited. I'm excited before it comes out but then when I play it I can't believe it's the biggest selling sports game. I agree that it's better than last year's version but the players, coaches, and plays are just like last years. How do you guys keep playing this game?

Same way I keep playing ESPN 2k5... I enjoy it. Which game will get more console time in the next 12 months? Who knows.

[KBomber]

Quote: Originally Posted by Clay_OS

Quote: I am happy with my new 2K6 rosters. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I really want to like Madden. They have copied TT as much as they can but it's still small and not realistic. It just doesn't get me excited. I'm excited before it comes out but then when I play it I can't believe it's the biggest selling sports game. I agree that it's better than last year's version but the players, coaches, and plays are just like last years. How do you guys keep playing this game? Same way I keep playing ESPN 2k5... I enjoy it. Which game will get more console time in the next 12 months? Who knows.

I think the quoted poster has summed up my thoughts on the game in a lot of ways. I still have to try Playmakers Pancake sliders, but that'll involve me having to find time to get out to Blockbuster again to give the game a whirl and with back to school and two small kids, time is at a premium

Based on your comments, I would take it that I fall into the dreaded, "2K Sports Madden Haters" grouping, but I don't think that is characteristic of where many of us lie in terms of why we've had issues with the game. I quite honestly want to like the game a lot. My preference is to have a football game every fall that really sends me and Madden has been at least second place, for a couple of years behind NCAA 2003, sometimes third behind NCAA 2004 and NFL 2K4, and sometimes off the radar, like last year's version.

I think a great many gamers want to see consistent progression in quality in all aspects of any gaming title. My simple argument is that for everything that Madden did right this year, like the passing cone which I think is legitimately a greatidea , it has also taken steps back. To my mind, if we are going to support EA with our dollars, and especially to the level that the gaming community has supported Madden, don't they owe us more than incremental improvements in some areas at the expense of lost features that are pre-existing in earlier versions of the game?

To me, Madden is a good enough game, I rated it a 7.5 out of 10, so how we scored the title is similar, but I think our expectations from EA are much more varied. Some people on these boards will simplistically boil this down to "fanboyism", but to me it is more of a question of "consumerism" and what our reasonable expectations should be. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on that at some point

I'll sit back and wait for the usual flames from the usual culprits on this one

Have fun..................

[Graphik]

Quote: Originally Posted by KBomber

I think the quoted poster has summed up my thoughts on the game in a lot of ways. I still have to try Playmakers Pancake sliders, but that'll involve me having to find time to get out to Blockbuster again to give the game a whirl and with back to school and two small kids, time is at a premium Based on your comments, I would take it that I fall into the dreaded, "2K Sports Madden Haters" grouping, but I don't think that is characteristic of where many of us lie in terms of why we've had issues with the game. I quite honestly want to like the game a lot. My preference is to have a football game every fall that really sends me and Madden has been at least second place, for a couple of years behind NCAA 2003, sometimes third behind NCAA 2004 and NFL 2K4, and sometimes off the radar, like last year's version. I think a great many gamers want to see consistent progression in quality in all aspects of any gaming title. My simple argument is that for everything that Madden did right this year, like the passing cone which I think is legitimately a greatidea , it has also taken steps back. To my mind, if we are going to support EA with our dollars, and especially to the level that the gaming community has supported Madden, don't they owe us more than incremental improvements in some areas at the expense of lost features that are pre-existing in earlier versions of the game? To me, Madden is a good enough game, I rated it a 7.5 out of 10, so how we scored the title is similar, but I think our expectations from EA are much more varied. Some people on these boards will simplistically boil this down to "fanboyism", but to me it is more of a question of "consumerism" and what our reasonable expectations should be. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on that at some point I'll sit back and wait for the usual flames from the usual culprits on this one Have fun..................

Tell them how you really feel.

[quietcool72]

Great review, Clay. Madden is a beastly game to review this year due to the fanboy polarization on both sides of the issue.

You did it very well.