XBox Solution

Armchair quarterbacks who enjoy college football are going to get excited when they play NCAA Football 06. EA made headlines when they bought the NFL and the NCAA rights for video games. While some fans saw this as a mistake, I have to say if this is the company to own the rights then it was a good choice. NCAA is the best college football game to date. While this is a bold statement to make, the game backs it up.

The new additions and the revamping of the game make this one hard to put down. As a fan of both the NFL and the NCAA games, I was surprised at all the new features. With the added “Heisman mode”, fans of the series are in for a treat and some great competition. So rather than sitting there and reading a long intro, I think I hear the game clock winding down to kick off time. So let’s get on with the review of the best college football game around!

Gameplay

Due to the way the game is designed, this section is going to be a bit different than past reviews. There really are two entirely different games, so I am going to review one of the games separately. The second part of this section will cover features on both games.

The cover says it all – “Race for the Heisman”, so let’s start with this mode. It makes sense as you will find that the game starts you off in this mode by default. You get to play as a “blue chipper”, the All American football star in High School. Now its time to prove your skills to the scouts and win a full ride, or in proper terms, a scholarship. You get to pick from eight different positions to show off your skills. The positions include quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and defensive positions including linebacker and defensive back. Now granted, the odds of winning the prized Heisman trophy are usually handed out to an offensive player. However, it’s not unheard of for a defensive player to be in the running.

Do well enough and the top schools will offer you that scholarship. As an added bonus, you can get a few offers to pick from. Now in case you had hopes on your favorite team offering you a scholarship and they did not, you can simply choose the ‘walk on‘ selection and get the starting spot. This is the only angle of the mode that seems a bit unrealistic, but I can understand why they put this in the game. If they only allowed you to play on a team that picked you, I am sure this would frustrate many fans out there. Of course the game book does not give you any hint about this little tip. So think of this as my way of helping you get on the team you dreamed of playing for. Of course, if you do start as a walk on, the ranking system is harder on you for choosing to walk on rather than taking a scholarship. So in a way it balances the mode out a bit.

From here you will select the basic looks of your player and equipment. This is nice but pretty basic for a created-player mode. Now getting the starting position is just a part of the road to winning the Heisman trophy. You will need to conduct yourself in the right way as well. You will also have to read the playbooks and even check for new fans including adoring girls who want your attention. As a starter it is up to you to attend extra training sessions and practice drills. The dorm room is a lot like the “suite” found in the ESPN games. The rest of this mode is similar to the old NCAA mode. You will play the full season while trying to gain votes and a bowl bid. Overall, this mode is great and realistic, and it doesn’t seem like a management “Sim” mode.

In addition to the Heisman mode, EA went even further by including the regular NCAA mode. You can use the same profile but not the created player. I thought the developers’ decision to include this mode was great. You can pick a different team and play while keeping the “Heisman” mode is saved. So really it is two different games in one package and you can switch between the two modes and not get bored. Now in both game types there are some new features added this year including the “Impact Stick” and the “Impact Players”. The first one is pretty simple to explain; you use the right analog stick to juke with ease and also deliver some great tackles (more on this in the control section).

The “Impact Player” feature is a bit more complicated. You will see a white glow beneath a certain player or players. If you have played any of the Midway Hitz games, it acts similar to the on-fire mode. The better a player is doing, the brighter the glow will be and then it will start to pulse. If you are running with the ball and get nailed, hit the “A” button and the camera will go into the “Impact mode”. It is very much like an adrenaline effect. Although this will take some time to learn, it is a great new feature. Also added are more animated moves, victory celebrations and threw in a new infraction system. If a player has violated a team rule, you will need to take action or the NCAA will become a little upset and may even make you ineligible for a game. They really loaded this year’s version with a lot of new and needed features

Control / Playability

Anyone who has played EA’s football games in the past will learn the basic controls quickly. The game manual explains the controls very well and reading the manual is highly recommended. As in past versions there is help on screen that will explain the basics. The two things that will give most players the hardest time to learn will be how to use the “Impact Stick” and the new “Impact Player” feature. The learning curve is about 30-60 minutes.

Every control is easy to use and responds well. Although the advanced controls are more complicated, you will learn just by playing and using the on screen tips and help features. Overall, the controls are the same just with a few new additions. The official game site will also give players tips and more help on the controls if needed.

Xbox Live

The lobbies on Xbox Live are easy to navigate through, the only small hang up is accepting and reading the EA rules. The lobbies are the same as the ones found in Fight Night or NBA Street . It’s easy to find a game to match your skill level and easy to reach friends and accept invites or challenges. They added a few special rooms for 4-8 man games and you can create a private room. Online the gameplay is lag free and easy to see the other player’s connection strength. Overall it is a top-notch job in this area and a blast to play on Xbox Live.

Graphics / Presentation

Graphically, the game looks very good and really shows the time spent on this area. The lighting and reflections off the helmets, the weather changes and the stadiums look great. Of course, the cheerleaders are back as are the mascots. The new moves and the victory celebrations have been beefed up; you will not see animations over and over like in past versions. They decided to show a TV style broadcast pre-game show with the three commentators. While this is neat, it looks a bit weak and is the only place in the game that just seems a bit out of place. Everything else is very realistic looking.

Thank you for playing. Next stop – End zone!

Audio

Once again the commentary is done by Brad Nessler, Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso. A revamped commentary track was added and is improved over last year’s version. It still can get a little annoying since they do tend to repeat things more often than we might prefer, then again this is something that is always being worked on. The other sound effects like helmets hitting, the crowds cheering and music are all well done. The EA tracks or alright, but I preferred the marches. You can adjust the music to your own taste. It’s as realistic as they could possibly make the game sound overall.

Replay Value

Football fans have begged for more options and features and the newest NCAA Football 06 delivers! The two modes and the mini-modes offer great replay value. Throw in the recruitment feature and the chance to import the seniors to Madden 2006, and I think any fan of college football will be happy with all that is in this one. It will not be a game that gets old and that is rare to find in a sports game.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 9.1/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

NCAA Football 06 has to be the most in-depth NCAA to date. It has features fans have wanted for a long time, the load times are quick, and the game is well made and fun to play. Any football fan will want to add this one to their collection. It is challenging but then again this is what real football fans have waited for. It will be interesting to see where the series goes from here, but I was very impressed with this version.

Related Links

• Official NCAA Football 06 Website
• NCAA Football 06 Xbox Screenshots
• NCAA Football 06 Xbox Cheats and Codes
• Check Prices at EB Games
• Check Prices at Amazon.com

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