Introduction

“Exclusive NFL License”. Those are the first three words you’ll read underneath the title of the game’s boxart and menu screens. EA managed to become the sole publisher of licensed football games, so what does this mean for you? Well for one it means EA now has virtually a monopoly over football videogames. Number two, it always means that they are trying to step up a notch and deliver some quality football games, and their first job is to introduce Madden to a whole new handheld audience by releasing it on the PSP.

Gameplay

Madden 2006 loosely resembles its console counterparts. For one, it doesn’t have the new quarterback vision that is on the home console versions, however this isn’t a negative.. To substitute for the lack of the quarterback vision, EA added an improved precision passing ability. This allows you to pass the football in the exact direction you want it to go, by tilting the anolog nub in the respective direction. In turn this feature allows the receiver to have a greater chance of making a successful catch. While this feature is welcomed, it has not been perfectly implemented. The anolog nub is very sensitive and in numerous occasions I found myself throwing the ball yards farther then the receiver was located.

The PSP version of Madden has a very delicate AI system. It's hard to find a good balance between difficulty levels. On the lower levels it seems too easy, but when you get up to All-Madden, you’ll feel like bashing the PSP on the ground in frustration. That feeling goes away quickly after you remember how much you spent on the handheld itself. Madden 2006 has a list full of options including Play Now, Wireless Play, Game Modes, My Madden, and PlayStation 2 Link. Play Now is essentially a “Quick Game” feature, and Game Modes have your “Exhibition, Season and Franchise” modes. All of these have already been introduced in previous Madden titles. However, navigating through these menus requires patience due to the game's long loading times. The most intriguing mode is “PlayStation 2 Link”. With this feature you can transfer games from your PS2 franchise mode and play them on your PSP. Makes you wonder why Nintendo never thought of this with all their GBA Connectivity they’ve been touting.



Multiplayer is a tedious chore, but in the end pays off. The game features an online mode, but you have to sign up for it. It will either cost you a couple of bucks or you can just provide your e-mail account and receive a lot of crap mail from ESPN. Once you get past the sign-up you can play against anyone, anywhere. In addition, the game sports the normal ad hoc multiplayer, where you can just get another friend to play against through your wireless connection in the vicinity.

Visuals and Audio

Not exactly a work of art, but definitely the best looking handheld Madden. The animations are fairly well done, and accurately represent what you would see in a real football game. The players are a little boxy and pixelated, and the stadium crowd looks like cardboard cutouts, but we won’t complain because frankly we’ve never seen a handheld football game look this good. The game runs with a few slowdowns here and there, but for the most part the frame rate stays intact. The audio is actually a near replication of the console versions, which is good to say the least. The commentary still features John Madden’s predictable sayings, but he is accompanied by Al Michaels. The crowd will also lend their voices by either cheering when you score a touchdown or booing if you make a bad play, or you’re the away team. EA also brings its “EA Trax” to the PSP version of Madden. The song selection is good or bad, depending on your tastes.

Overall

Since it’s the first football offering on the PSP, we’d have to say EA did a pretty good job with it, but definitely has a lot to improve before releasing Madden 2007. With a few problems here and there, Madden still comes out on top as the best handheld football game on the market. It should be worth a buy for any avid football fan who owns a PSP.