December 1, 2005 - I’m often asked why I like football so much. I always answer the same thing: math. Football is a game based on numbers and statistics. In hockey, a simple pass from Sakic to Tanguay will be considered inconsequential unless a goal is scored. This doesn’t just stem from the fact that hundreds of passes are made in each hockey game, but also that so many games are played in each season. One little pass becomes a footnote in history. In football however, every action takes on a different meaning when you consider that there are only 16 regular season games and that each one lasts but 60 minutes. Add to that the running clock in the huddle and the defense and offense sharing the field and it’s staggering to note that Peyton Manning threw for 4557 yards (and 49 TDs) in 2004. Out of 497 attempts, he connected 336 times. This means that every time he did connect, someone should’ve averaged almost 14 yards and every 7 throws was a TD. If that starts to seem amazing, consider that most offenses in the NFL split their run/pass ratios at around 40/60 percent. And add to that that every offense runs approximately 60 plays per game, only 40 of which are passes. So to repeat this feat, you not only have to consider the averages and odds, but mind the numbers every time you get the ball. To me, this is what makes football great (and some superhuman athleticism too!) and Madden 06 manages to capture all these numbers in a way that’s never been done before.

Madden 06 for the Xbox 360 is not a port in any way, shape or form, of the console editions of Madden. Everything from the game engine, the animations, the audio and the graphics has been rebuilt from the ground up. This is both Madden 06’s greatest asset and cause for its biggest disappointments. Due to all the rebuilding, Madden 06 drops a considerable amount of tried-and-true Madden modes and features by the wayside and in so doing, feels more like a work in progress than a true Madden entry. Gone are the mini camps, the player cards, the storyline central, the Tony Bruno Show, the Superstar mode, the play challenges, the yellow flags, the price of popcorn, the deep career mode, the cheerleaders, the alternate jerseys, the historical teams, the create-a-player, the create-a-fan, the Madden points system, the online trophies, the complete defensive tweaking at the line, the easy right-thumbstick hot route assignments, the TV style presentation, Al Michaels and John Madden, split-screen replays, the owner’s box, the stadium building and remodeling, the create-a-team, the player import from NCAA Football 06 or from NFL Street 2, the mentors, the media, your agent, rushing attack modes, tournaments, practice mode, two minute drills, Football 101 with John, situation plays, etc. In short, everything that we were taking for granted while complaining that the series never made any major changes is gone.

What this Madden entry gives us though, as a first step into the next generation of sports games, is amazing graphics, perfectly balanced and realistic gameplay, improved controls and stat tracking the likes of which has never been seen before. Is that enough incentive for longtime fans to make a purchase? Is it enough to make them stop playing Madden NFL 06 on their old Xbox?

The first thing that anyone will notice about Madden 06 is how amazing it looks. Yes, this is what all next generation games seem to bring forward, but Madden trumps them all. All the players, coaches, stadiums and even the head referee are represented in painstakingly perfect detail. Gillette Stadium has its 3 Superbowl Pennants (each original and authentic) and the soccer markings on the field from Saturday’s game. Each QB has the right gear on, the players sweat, the uniforms wear, the sky looks amazing, weather actually affects gameplay, arm hair and facial hair is recreated perfectly. Every face looks right. Every pair of eyes follows the action. The replays are mind-boggling. Madden is the best looking game ever made and the work that has gone into scanning the players (or rendering them in a few cases) and taking thousands of pictures of stadiums pays off. If the graphics aren’t upgraded again for a while, this game will still look accurate.