Madden 2006

I bought this for my Xbox the week it came out. I couldn't get it out of my mind, so I gave in quickly. However, the true gaming lust hadn't arrived. I played it briefly, but really had cravings in other directions.

Now that the real NFL season is in mid-swing, the Madden lust has arrived in force.

The Superstar mode is interesting, I suppose, but I don't really get the point. The role-playing elements are okay, but there doesn't really seem to be that much control to exert. For example, to raise your scores mid season, you have to go through practice mode over and over. This gets old quickly, and during the point increases are temporary after training camp, so there isn't much point.

Franchise mode is as engrossing as ever. I built a team from scratch, with a mix of real NFL player, and created rookies based on friends of mine. The salary cap keeps me honest, but the game allows you the freedom to make the team truly your own. I was happy to dispense with the fantasy draft element.

One disadvantage is that the players on my team also apper on their normal teams in the league. The created players appeared as free agents.

I doubt that I'll purchase Madden 2007. While the incremental game play changes and stat updates are positive, the game doesn't change that much from year to year, and my money will be better spent elsewhere. I hear the Blitz is going to be even more interesting now that they've lost the NFL license.