NCAA Football 2006

Reviewed by Thomas Sanchez
September 8, 2005

Developer: EA Publisher: EA Sports Consoles Available: XBOX, PS2 Players: 1-2 Website: Click Here ESRB Rating: Everyone

It's that time of year again, Football time!! And once football season rolls along, the first gridiron game to be released is EA's NCAA Football. This year, NCAA Football 2006 has brought back our favorite college pigskin all-stars ranging from the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame to the defending champion USC Trojans. As it does every year, the NCAA Football series has not only been touched up in the graphics department, but also sports new and inventive features like In-Season Recruiting, Spring Drills, and my personal favorite, Race for the Heisman.

In-Season Recruiting is as simple as it sounds. You check up on a limited number of high school prospects to see how they like your school and if they will sign up next year.

Spring drills let you brush up those mad skills of yours with different exercises like Option Attack and Pass Skeleton. In Option Attack, you can perfect one of the most effective plays in college football, the quarterback option. The Pass Skeleton is something every quarterback must know and is essential for reading pass coverages for audibles. Players can also be trained using the infamous ‘ Oklahoma ', which is one of the most utilized practice drills in college football. This is where the field is narrowed, as linemen, linebackers and running backs must fight for every yard they get. The last drill is Rushing Attack, where you can hone your jukes and spins to power your way through any defense.

But Race for the Heisman has to be the best new feature of all. This is where you come right out of high school and compete to get scholarships from different schools. As you are awarded with a choice of 3 scholarships, you must then decide which school you will attend or become a walk-on at your favorite college. Next you can create a legend. As a freshman, you get an average dorm room and girlfriend. The better you get, the better your dorm room and girlfriend become. Pretty soon you'll be the BMOC (Big Man on Campus). When you become a junior you can elect to be eligible for the NFL Draft and prove your worth in Madden 06'or come back for your senior year and win the illustrious Heisman trophy. Without the Race for the Heisman mode, this title is practically the same as NCAA Football 2005.

This game keeps adding something new every year, but there are no real differences in the game play. There have been some great things added in the past, but I consider NCAA Football 2006 worth nothing more than a one and a half month rental. Besides, most folks use this title as a means to keep them occupied until the next installment of the Madden franchise.

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