When Electronic Arts Inc., makers of the "Madden NFL" football series, signed a five-year deal with the NFL in 2004 granting it exclusive rights to the NFL's teams, players and stadiums, there was worry that without competition the Madden games would become lazy and unimaginative.
But in the latest installment of the video game chain, "Madden 2006," EA Sports introduces just enough innovation to accompany the same game play and style that has made Madden the most successful football video game franchise ever.
The main on-the-field change in "Madden 2006" is in the passing game. QB Vision Control was a needed addition to make the passing game more realistic and difficult. Vision Control establishes a realistic cone of vision for your quarterback — the better the QB the bigger the cone — and makes it tougher to connect with receivers not in the cone.
Off the field, the major addition to this year's game is the Superstar Mode. For those who play for the gimmicks and not the games, this is for you. This new mode lets you control the life of a player, from choosing his parents to taking his IQ test.
Most of the graphics and style of the actual game play remain unchanged from 2005, but changes here weren't needed. Groundbreaking graphics were added last year and they remain impressive in 2006.
"Madden 2006" has enough new features and changes to keep the game fresh but sticks to its time-tested strengths in how the game looks and plays. Some people might think that's lazy — but it doesn't need to be fixed if it's still working.
