Madden 06 (Xbox 360)

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Herschie
Posts: 1183
Joined: April 7th, 2015, 11:44 pm

Madden 06 (Xbox 360)

Postby Herschie » June 11th, 2016, 8:13 am

Ok, so there are games that you go back and play and wonder how the hell could I have enjoyed this when I was a kid? (I actually had fun playing Total Recall and Bible Adventures) And then there are games that you revisit a decade later, and decide that the game wasn't as bad as you remember it. Such is the case for Madden 06. You know it's funny how these games take you back to when you first played them, and the memories they trigger. For some reason, I was eating copious amounts of Cap'n Crunch Berries at the time, and now when I play this, I have a taste for that cereal. I don't, however, want to get my wife freaking out about Crunch berries smashed all over the floor. So maybe not. I do have some Rizz-O's....

Now you all remember what it's like to get a system that kicks off a generation. The graphics are upgraded, there are oodles of new features. Mostly, you can't wait to see what the games look like, and what's in store for the next seven years or so. And really, this isn't a bad looking game. I'm real big on lighting, and it's pretty good in this game. I'm playing an NFC Central matchup between the Bears and Vikings on Chicago's lakefront, and I really get the impression of playing on a chilly November afternoon. The players are sharp, although not very accurate, and the player-models can and would be improved as the years went on. There seems to be a problem with the refresh-rate, or whatever you call it, as you see blips in the graphics here and there. Hey, the game was rushed, what do you want from EA? But the graphics did showcase the resolution that the 360 was capable of, and when you first get a system, that's what you want to see.

The gameplay is serviceable, though better on the Gamecube version. The announcer isn't as bad as I remember, but he's not great either. I was excited to hear that they were going with a radio guy, since I'm a HUGE fan of Bears' play-by-play man Jeff Joniak, but EA didn't execute it correctly.

I remember being severely let down on this game, and this is the reason why I love soccer today. You see, there wasn't much on the 360 when it first came out, and I really did not like this game. So I grabbed FIFA: Road to the World Cup, and though it wasn't flawless, I could not stop playing it. The 2006 World Cup in Germany took place shortly thereafter, and now I love soccer. And now I'm hungover, because my Bosnian neighbor brought his TV out to the pool to watch the Copa de America and Euro Cup. He was accompanied by a Romanian and a Mexican. All of whom can drink my American butt under the table. So I can blame Madden 06 for me feeling like crap today.

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