I've been a Madden fan since the very first versions of the game. So for me, EASports does sports games better than anyone else. That's my opinion, take or leave it, but I thought I'd share it up front so you can understand my perspective. First off, I've never been too into the college game. While the games, players and fans are way more excited than a lot of pro games can be, I just never got into it too much. That being said, I do enjoy NCAA '06 quite a bit more than I anticipated. I think what attracted me to this was the new concept of racing for the Heisman. I've always enjoyed creating my own player in sports games, so that's what was a major draw for me with NCAA 06. You start right off by creating your own player at a high school tryout for college scouts. Depending on how you do, you can get a scholarship to big schools or just go as a walk-on at any school. From there, it's onto campus life where you participate in drills and games to build your player and race for the Heisman. If you're not into "virtual players" and just want to jump right on the college gridiron, you can do that, too. With all major schools and their players, NCAA 06 is ready to go. Like any EA football game, the controls are similar to what you're used to. A few minor tweaks each year, but it stays pretty consistent. The game play is relatively easy to pick up if you do have experience with previous titles. One addition this year is the "impact player". This is a nice feature for players who have a noteworthy impact on the offense or defense. When impact players get "in the zone", they can make some amazing plays and turn the tide in a game. The graphics and sound are what you'd expect. Nice on the field graphics, realistic detail and a pretty true-to-life look. The sounds are also good. The crowds seem to react better than in the past; like throwing an incomplete pass on third and long will bring boos from your fans, but going for it on fourth down will get a good roar out of them. The commentators are ok. A little less annoying than Madden, but still too much repetition. There's got to be a way to improve on that. Also, I don't care for the announcers mentioning when a player is "in the zone". I mean, you can tell if a player is on a hot streak if they get a lot of good plays, but, for the announcer to tell you "he's in the zone" seems pretty silly. All in all, this is a fun football game with the realism and detail I'd expect from EASports. Nothing revolutionary, but certainly worthy of your attention if you like console football games.
NCAA Football 06 doesn't just start with the normal "EA Sports! It's in the game!" intro like seen in the past before kicking you straight to the over decorated menus with the latest soundtrack. It starts you out with a ... Read Full Review
College football games are sometimes a little off- balance. But i have to say that this game really got me up and shouting. I definitely love this game more than my girlfriend. College football has never been better. nca... Read Full Review
