If you've never been near a console before, then you might not be aware that Electronic Arts' John Madden franchise has dominated the world of American Football for many, many years. Last year saw a 3D rendered John Madden lumber onto the handheld scene for the first time, on the Nintendo DS. Now the franchise returns to the console for the 2006 season looking a little more refined after those first few tentative steps.
New for this edition is an NFL Dynasty mode which for the first time on a console allows you to replay the exciting parts over and over again from a variety of angles. Last season's version used the touch screen merely to display a 2D overview of happenings on the pitch. This iteration sees the touch screen take a more central role, and players can use it to control kicking, passing and running. There's also the interesting inclusion of a feature that allows you to unlock 'classic' teams from your copies of NFL '05 on the DS and NFL '06 on the GBA.
For DS owners who like to share with their friends, there are five new mini-games to indulge in for multiplayer fun, to. While outings like this will always play second fiddle to the grander home console versions, there's a lot to be said for wireless American Football on the move, and with EA having something of a monopoly on NFL games, this is the only game to get if you have a DS.
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