Post by musicradio77 on Oct 8, 2005 20:38:21 GMT -5
If you are a fan, you already own it. If non-fans can conquer the very steep learning curve, it is worth the bucks.
Player1 - Video Game Columnist
This review is not for you Madden fans.
No, I'm not going to blindly slam the game into submission. Fact is, Madden fans pre-love this game, and most likely already own it. I could find 100 ways the game sucks, write about the chemical makeup of a giant foam finger for the rest of the column, and you will still love the game ... and hate me.
So go back to practicing the game's new features and let me type to the Madden virgins for a few paragraphs.
NAME OF THE GAME
You rookies will need to practice long and hard before you can even think of competing with those snobby bastards who have flipped over to Dear Doug to get a nonsensical answer as to why their nipples itch.
Never fear, for there are enough fun modes in Madden 06 to offer even newbies tens of hours of enjoyable single-player game play. Below are a few suggestions to help you get started to eventually challenge the fanatics now oiling their teats who have each spent hundreds - if not thousands - of hours playing Madden games.
SLAP THE VIRTUAL PIG SKIN
Without some Madden pre-game knowledge, you will have little to no frame of reference for the game's controls, so immediately head for the Practice and Mini Games modes. Since the game's finger-twisting controls change when the ball is snapped or thrown, these will be key in your quest to become a respectable Madden gamer.
After about five or six hours, switch over to the NFL Superstar mode, a new feature to the franchise. Here you create a player from the genes up, guiding him through the draft, practice sessions, workouts, games and fashion choices until the day he retires. You'll get lots of practice while learning many of the game's intricacies in this semi-guided story mode.
After you complete that a few times - and if you still enjoy the game - play several mini tournaments against the computer. Skip the Franchise mode, since picking a fantasy team and learning to coach and manage a team will consume tons of practice time. Create-a-Fan and Create-a-Player are relatively short diversions, but unless you want to get bogged by minutiae, skip most of the Create-a options.
After about thirty hours, you should be ready to play against real opponents. Get a bitchin' Web connection and head online for a while. It'll be less embarrassing, and you can call them names without fear of getting bean dip slammed in your eye.
FOR THE WEB JUNKIES
Better than an unlocked video game bonus - it's additional content for those of you who logged on.
Though I recommend the online mode for novices and newbies, be warned that I spent more than 40 minutes trying to connect to the online servers to play online, with no love. I was able to download rosters and read messages, but no games for quite a while. Granted, I was trying between 8 and 10 p.m. Eastern Time, which are likely peak hours. Regardless, they should still be able to at least get me one game during that time.
If you play on the PS2 or GameCube, have mad phat memory card space available, especially if you want to save several tournaments, super players, custom teams or anything else. Every unique save takes up a ton of space, which can quickly fill the card. Xbox and PC versions have the clear advantage here.
One of the new features - and I only know this because they clearly labeled it as "NEW!" in the Features menu - is the focused cone-of-vision passing system. Basically, after a snap, the quarterback looks downfield with a bright-colored cone that can significantly increase the chance of a successful pass to receivers in the cone. It also means that opponents can try to predict your play, or it can add another level of fakery to the offense. Since it requires more finger action, I don't recommend it for beginners since it can add complexity to already confusing button controls.
You can also use the right thumbstick for a strong Truck move to force through oncoming opponents, but, again, it is a lot of finger switching that can take away from key commands.
If you don't set a pre-snap receiver, controls become a multi-button process that will force your fingers into a quick pretzel while the defense threatens to show you the grassy side of their shoes.
Commands and options include audibles, vision, plays, managing a team, practicing, tutorial, play cards, changing hot routes and buying crap for your Superstar's apartment. You can turn off the vision system and, in some modes, activate an Easy mode that can actually eliminate button pressing altogether.
The other big "NEW!" feature, and the one I enjoyed the most, is the Superstar Mode which lets you select a pair of parents, then spawn a core player you can adjust and outfit. As his career advances, he can change his hair, get some ink and even adjust his uniform, all while trying to gain fan praise and fat commercial contracts. You will need to take a rookie IQ test that includes some football rules and trivia in the 20 question mix. After hiring the right agent, you can work out in a training facility with a Schwarzenegger wannabe to increase your stats. Of course, that requires many hours of training, games and character tweaking, but, as I say above, it is good practice for playing against real-world opponents.
Besides giving you a sense of accomplishment, each successful play improves players' stats and core abilities. You pass by tapping a button corresponding to a receiver, but you can also target throws in front, behind or down low with the other button pad.
There are several cross-compatibilities with Madden 06, such as being able to import players from NFL Street 2 and NCAA Football 06 and even transfer data between the PSP and PS2. The Nintendo handheld Madden 06s aren't quite as interactive with the GameCube (bastards), but you can trade and play between handhelds.
Creating a custom or fantasy team can take hours, being a rather thought-filled process with stats-juggling and money management. As you play and earn points during practices and for certain in-game plateaus, you can also unlock historical teams, players, logos and jerseys. You can create fantasy teams by mixing created players with current and historical athletes and incorporating your own color schemes and provided logos. I was even able to set my custom player's alma maters as my own, John Carroll University and the terminally-last-place Kent State University.
I was especially annoyed by the game's music and - with some trial and error in the settings menu - turned it off. Commentary can add a realistic element, but after several hours of play, it'll become highly repetitious. Even Madden's play recommendations - which can help novices learn some tactics - come with too few audio clips. The game noise, however, is fun, though it comes with announcer commentaries.
MADDEN-ING
Though overwhelming at first, Madden 06 can be enjoyed by most gamers with a lot of patience and practice.
If you plan to jump right in and smack talk against more seasoned Madden-addicts, also plan to cry yourself to sleep in shame, with zero hope for any nookie.
PJ "Player1" Hruschak, who is convinced that the release of a new Madden game has a negative impact on seasonal birth rates in humans, can be reached at player1@cincinnati.com.
Player1 - Video Game Columnist
This review is not for you Madden fans.
No, I'm not going to blindly slam the game into submission. Fact is, Madden fans pre-love this game, and most likely already own it. I could find 100 ways the game sucks, write about the chemical makeup of a giant foam finger for the rest of the column, and you will still love the game ... and hate me.
So go back to practicing the game's new features and let me type to the Madden virgins for a few paragraphs.
NAME OF THE GAME
You rookies will need to practice long and hard before you can even think of competing with those snobby bastards who have flipped over to Dear Doug to get a nonsensical answer as to why their nipples itch.
Never fear, for there are enough fun modes in Madden 06 to offer even newbies tens of hours of enjoyable single-player game play. Below are a few suggestions to help you get started to eventually challenge the fanatics now oiling their teats who have each spent hundreds - if not thousands - of hours playing Madden games.
SLAP THE VIRTUAL PIG SKIN
Without some Madden pre-game knowledge, you will have little to no frame of reference for the game's controls, so immediately head for the Practice and Mini Games modes. Since the game's finger-twisting controls change when the ball is snapped or thrown, these will be key in your quest to become a respectable Madden gamer.
After about five or six hours, switch over to the NFL Superstar mode, a new feature to the franchise. Here you create a player from the genes up, guiding him through the draft, practice sessions, workouts, games and fashion choices until the day he retires. You'll get lots of practice while learning many of the game's intricacies in this semi-guided story mode.
After you complete that a few times - and if you still enjoy the game - play several mini tournaments against the computer. Skip the Franchise mode, since picking a fantasy team and learning to coach and manage a team will consume tons of practice time. Create-a-Fan and Create-a-Player are relatively short diversions, but unless you want to get bogged by minutiae, skip most of the Create-a options.
After about thirty hours, you should be ready to play against real opponents. Get a bitchin' Web connection and head online for a while. It'll be less embarrassing, and you can call them names without fear of getting bean dip slammed in your eye.
FOR THE WEB JUNKIES
Better than an unlocked video game bonus - it's additional content for those of you who logged on.
Though I recommend the online mode for novices and newbies, be warned that I spent more than 40 minutes trying to connect to the online servers to play online, with no love. I was able to download rosters and read messages, but no games for quite a while. Granted, I was trying between 8 and 10 p.m. Eastern Time, which are likely peak hours. Regardless, they should still be able to at least get me one game during that time.
If you play on the PS2 or GameCube, have mad phat memory card space available, especially if you want to save several tournaments, super players, custom teams or anything else. Every unique save takes up a ton of space, which can quickly fill the card. Xbox and PC versions have the clear advantage here.
One of the new features - and I only know this because they clearly labeled it as "NEW!" in the Features menu - is the focused cone-of-vision passing system. Basically, after a snap, the quarterback looks downfield with a bright-colored cone that can significantly increase the chance of a successful pass to receivers in the cone. It also means that opponents can try to predict your play, or it can add another level of fakery to the offense. Since it requires more finger action, I don't recommend it for beginners since it can add complexity to already confusing button controls.
You can also use the right thumbstick for a strong Truck move to force through oncoming opponents, but, again, it is a lot of finger switching that can take away from key commands.
If you don't set a pre-snap receiver, controls become a multi-button process that will force your fingers into a quick pretzel while the defense threatens to show you the grassy side of their shoes.
Commands and options include audibles, vision, plays, managing a team, practicing, tutorial, play cards, changing hot routes and buying crap for your Superstar's apartment. You can turn off the vision system and, in some modes, activate an Easy mode that can actually eliminate button pressing altogether.
The other big "NEW!" feature, and the one I enjoyed the most, is the Superstar Mode which lets you select a pair of parents, then spawn a core player you can adjust and outfit. As his career advances, he can change his hair, get some ink and even adjust his uniform, all while trying to gain fan praise and fat commercial contracts. You will need to take a rookie IQ test that includes some football rules and trivia in the 20 question mix. After hiring the right agent, you can work out in a training facility with a Schwarzenegger wannabe to increase your stats. Of course, that requires many hours of training, games and character tweaking, but, as I say above, it is good practice for playing against real-world opponents.
Besides giving you a sense of accomplishment, each successful play improves players' stats and core abilities. You pass by tapping a button corresponding to a receiver, but you can also target throws in front, behind or down low with the other button pad.
There are several cross-compatibilities with Madden 06, such as being able to import players from NFL Street 2 and NCAA Football 06 and even transfer data between the PSP and PS2. The Nintendo handheld Madden 06s aren't quite as interactive with the GameCube (bastards), but you can trade and play between handhelds.
Creating a custom or fantasy team can take hours, being a rather thought-filled process with stats-juggling and money management. As you play and earn points during practices and for certain in-game plateaus, you can also unlock historical teams, players, logos and jerseys. You can create fantasy teams by mixing created players with current and historical athletes and incorporating your own color schemes and provided logos. I was even able to set my custom player's alma maters as my own, John Carroll University and the terminally-last-place Kent State University.
I was especially annoyed by the game's music and - with some trial and error in the settings menu - turned it off. Commentary can add a realistic element, but after several hours of play, it'll become highly repetitious. Even Madden's play recommendations - which can help novices learn some tactics - come with too few audio clips. The game noise, however, is fun, though it comes with announcer commentaries.
MADDEN-ING
Though overwhelming at first, Madden 06 can be enjoyed by most gamers with a lot of patience and practice.
If you plan to jump right in and smack talk against more seasoned Madden-addicts, also plan to cry yourself to sleep in shame, with zero hope for any nookie.
PJ "Player1" Hruschak, who is convinced that the release of a new Madden game has a negative impact on seasonal birth rates in humans, can be reached at player1@cincinnati.com.