Bad Habits - Geeked - November 16 2005
It happens from time to time, and when it does, you're never quite prepared. A great game can hit you like a 250-pound linebacker at a full sprint. Months of playing less than impressive titles, waiting for that one great game you know comes out in the middle of the summer, has left your senses dulled, so when the game finally does come out and you sit down to play it, it almost knocks you out.
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When your head starts to clear and you can finally focus on the clock, you'll realize that you've been playing for eight straight hours, you haven't eaten since you sat down, and you've only got about an hour before you have to be at work. Yes, my friends, NCAA Football 06 is that good.
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For the uninitiated, NCAA Football 06 is the best college football simulator on the planet. Every team, including many 1-AA schools, are in there and available for you to play. You get to be both coach and player as you fight for wins and vie for a national championship.
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Gameplay is easy and similar to Madden, so those making the transition shouldn't have too much trouble — though getting used to the controls may be difficult. You use the left analog stick to control player movement and the right to make special moves or guard the ball, but you have to hit the X button to sprint. Try making a special move right before or after a sprint and you'll see what I mean: The controller layout can lead to some interesting thumb gymnastics.
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Of course, the big question on most geeks' minds is: What's with this Race for the Heisman thing? It's essentially a sports role-playing mode. At the beginning of the game, you create a player and give him a hometown. You then run him through his paces at a training camp so schools can have a look at him. Interested programs will offer you scholarships, but since tuition payment isn't a factor, feel free to walk on with your favorite college team. Your guy, no matter what team he's on, will start in his freshman year and, in his sophomore year, he can start being seriously considered for the Heisman. In between games, you can check out your ranking, read the lame fan mail, and even look at a picture of your player's new (and ever more attractive) girlfriends.
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The other new feature worth mentioning is Impact Players, which are cool and fun to control. Each team seems to have at least one, and good teams have more than one on each side of the ball. Yes, Impact Players are better than most of the rest of your team, but it's not just skill. When you attempt special moves, new animation can be activated to show just how cool these guys are. Unfortunately, great hits don't seem to lead to additional stickers added to your helmet like the TV ads would indicate.
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This game is well worth your money (lack of stickers not withstanding), but buy it sooner rather than later. You'll grow attached to these guys and want to import them into Madden at the end of your first college season. And Madden comes out in a few short weeks, so that leaves you precious little time to win your first Bowl game.
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WHAT'S COOL: Damn near everything, but Race for the Heisman and Impact Players really change the game.
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WHAT'S UNCOOL: Some of the advanced gameplay features don't seem to work in Heisman mode; no defensive coaches to help choose plays; the price.