Fans of the Madden franchise are a notoriously difficult bunch. If EA doesn't make a whole lot of changes from one year to the next, they're accused of releasing little more than a cash-in on the franchise. Should EA drastically alter the feel of the game by changing up the passing game or adding an uninteresting play mode, they're accused of making change for change's sake. This is why it's so surprising to see EA throw caution into the wind and build the Xbox 360's version of Madden NFL 06 from the ground up. Don't worry, it's still got that 'Madden feel' to it, but it has an all-new presentation that shows what next-generation sports titles are capable of delivering. However, one of the real problems of creating an all-new game is that there are some features missing and the gameplay isn't quite as refined as it normally is in a Madden game.

The first thing everyone wants to know about Madden on the 360 is how it look. In short, it looks amazing. The player models are incredibly lifelike and the game's presentation is beautiful. As you're playing, the camera focuses in on the players as they break from the huddle, panning around and eventually zooming in on the quarterback. All of the players look eerily realistic; you'll see sweat down a player's arm, they actually blink their eyes and you can even read logos on the uniforms. When you pan around the field during an instant replay, you'll notice improved animations in the offensive line, where the battle in the trenches looks more lifelike than ever. There are some outstanding new animations on both sides of the ball; with some nice new dodging moves and some vicious looking hits on defence.

The stadiums are nearly photo-realistic, even featuring such minute details as burnt out bulbs on the scoreboard. The fans in the stands also look top-notch; rather than detracting from the experience when you look out and see blurry 2D sprites, the crowd here adds to the atmosphere when the camera pans back to show 50,000 energised fans, clapping and cheering, dressed in their team's colours. The sidelines could have used some work, as it's kind of disappointing again not to see sexy cheerleaders skipping about in their bikinis - maybe in Madden 07, I hope…

From a gameplay standpoint, very little has changed, which is of course a good thing. It took a little while to adjust to the controls, since like most people, I usually play Madden on the PS2, but once I was accustomed to the different layout (like the sprint button being the right trigger), it felt like business as usual.

One of the biggest changes to the game is the way in which menus are navigated and plays are called. Rather than going back and forth to view different game menus, NFL 06 utilises seldom-used buttons (such as pushing in the right analog stick) to activate drop-down menus. In-game menus have also been improved, as plays can be called by formation, play type and even according to player. This new play calling scheme works great, as you can now view all your inside runs in one place, get the ball to a certain player with ease or even view your last five plays, so you can quickly go back to a successful play. Online play is also supported, and while it is very simplistic, it works fine.

So far so good, but what are the downsides to Madden 06? If I'm honest, compared to previous version of Madden, the 360 version of Madden NFL 06 is lacking the polished gameplay and features that loyal fans of the franchise have come to expect over the years. There is no training camp mode, nor is there any mini-games, so you can't perfect your skills by practicing plays over and over. There is a franchise mode, but it's watered-down and doesn't allow you to check email, read newspapers, make changes to your stadium, ticket prices, team amenities and the like. If you enjoy creating yourselves and your friends on your team I'm afraid you're out of luck, as there is no create-a-player in the game this year, which is a significant omission.

On the field, there are also some noteworthy issues. You can't challenge calls, so if you get a bad call, you're stuck with it. There's a pretty significant glitch where the computer can snap the ball without either team being set at the line, resulting in your team getting called for a penalty when the CPU is trying to run the hurry-up offence. The game also doesn't do a good job of figuring out forward progress, so you often come up short, even if the catch was three yards past the first-down marker; the running game doesn't feel as refined as the passing game. Defences have a knack for getting in the backfield and if the hole closes up quickly, the running back will sometimes get stuck in the pile while upright.

Almost everything about Madden's visuals is superb, but there are a few minor issues. When you're lined up ready for the snap, the camera is zoomed in rather close, most likely to show off how great everything looks. From this close perspective you can't see your receivers, so it would be perfectly natural to just move one of the analog sticks left or right to swing the camera over, but you can't. Instead, you've got to hit the trigger button, which quickly pulls the camera back, where it stays until you snap the ball. Some of the animations are too long and you can't break out of them.

You may have heard by now that John Madden isn't in the booth calling the action, though he is still in the game giving advice when you select an "ask Madden" play. NFL 06 rejects the typical television-style announcing crew for a lone radio broadcaster and sadly the commentary is quite sparse; even with the PA announcer calling the yardage and downs, there are still long lapses in dialogue where even the crowd don't make a noise.

It's really hard to say whether Madden NFL 06 is worth buying for the Xbox 360. Whilst it is fun to play, you can't help feeling that they could have done so much more. If you're really desperate to see what a sports game looks like on a next-gen console or if you're a huge fan of Madden, I guess it's worth picking up, but otherwise I would wait and spend your money on some more worthy titles later in the year. Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, anyone?

Reviewed by Ross Alexander for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).