Madden NFL 06

Compatibility

After finishing NFL Street 2, you can bring a created player from its Own The City mode into Madden NFL 06’s Superstar mode. That player starts as an 18-year-old rookie, with stats determined by how you spent development points in Street 2. Franchise mode can also import draft classes from NCAA Football 06. Having a Madden NFL 06 save file unlocks the Madden Challenge Bus in Burnout Revenge, and the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions include a playable demo of that game.

Reception

Madden NFL 06 landed with a wide range of reactions, from very positive to mixed, depending on the platform. Scores on GameRankings and Metacritic ranged from a high of 85.26% and 88 out of 100 on PlayStation 2 down to 63.22% and 66 out of 100 on DS, with mobile scoring 66.67%. Both fans and EA developers have called it the franchise's undisputed lemon, blaming the awkward transition from the Xbox and PlayStation 2 to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

The QB Vision passing cone was so disliked that it was dropped by Madden NFL 09. Critics pointed out a shortage of new features and a weak soundtrack, noting that with the cone turned off, the game felt nearly identical to Madden NFL 2005. GameSpot rated the mobile version 7 out of 10, describing it as a decent football game with a solid statistical base but hampered by EA's inexperience with wireless and disappointing visuals. IGN also gave it 7 out of 10, noting that developer Finite Monkeys seemed rushed to meet "Madden Tuesday," resulting in an average game that, while featuring above-average visuals and spoken commentary, didn't deliver the full Madden experience.