Madden NFL 06 Hands-On

At today's EA press event, we got a chance to take another look at the PSP version of Madden NFL 06, our first time with the handheld version since May, when the publisher showed an extremely early build of the game. While the PSP game won't match the console versions, feature-for-feature, the game will definitely look familiar to longtime Madden fans.

While the game will look similar to what you're used to, there are some significant differences between the PSP game and its console cousins. The difference is most obvious when taking snaps on the field, because the illuminated passing cone, featured so prominently in the console games, isn't part of the PSP version. The exclusion of this feature is tied mainly to the control limitations of the PSP itself, so the lack of a right analog stick would prevent the user from being able to manually control the passing cone, as you can do in the console game. That said, the passing game has not been ignored completely. While the "vision" portion of the revamped Madden passing game may be absent, the precision feature is in full effect. You'll still be able to accurately pinpoint your ball to your wideout's position so you can put the ball in exactly the right position to make the play--be it high, low, behind, or ahead of the receiver.

The unique control configuration of the PSP will mean that some of the familiar mechanics of Madden will be necessarily mapped to different buttons than you might be used to. The sprint button for quarterback rollouts will be mapped to the X button, for example (which is exactly the same as the PlayStation 2 version), but calling smart routes will be tied to the circle button in the PSP game. As well, lack of a right analog stick means many of the special right-stick functions found in the console game will either be substantially altered or removed altogether. An example is the offensive truck stick, a new feature in the console game. When playing the PSP version, you'll be able to use truck-stick moves (such as plowing through opponents) by pressing the triangle button. Unfortunately, the back juke, designed specifically to make opponents miss tackles, won't be part of the PSP game.

The good news is that the PSP version isn't simply a console port with all the cool features missing. One of the best inclusions in the game is the ability to transfer files between the PSP and PS2 versions of the game. If you own both the PS2 and handheld versions of the game, you can share a number of different file types between the two games, including rosters, profiles, and spawned games. Rosters and profiles are well and good, but sharing spawned games may be the best reason for the PSP version of Madden to exist. In a nutshell, transferring data between the two versions of the game will let you take your franchise mobile, play your franchise games on your PSP, and then resync your games with your PS2 once you get home.

Madden 06 for the PSP will also include a full franchise feature, one that will present a twist that's unique to the PSP game, in the form of an assistant coach feature. Here's how it works: Each week you'll have a number of goals to pursue in that week's games. Examples of these weekly goals include netting 300 yards, gaining 100 return yards, or ending up in the top five for offensive production for the week. Depending on your progress against those stated goals, you'll have development points that you can spend on team members to upgrade specific attributes for players. For the truly hardcore franchise players, this will be a key method of developing talent on your team.

Improving your overall team talent will also come to fruition in another PSP-unique feature: the practice squad. You'll be able to populate your practice squad with players from the free agent pool, whom you can then develop using a number of new minigames on offer. There will be restrictions on which free agents can be assigned to your practice squad, so players with a 75 overall rating or those that have been in the league for more than three years won't be eligible. As you develop talent, you'll be able to move your practice squad players onto your roster.

In addition to the 10 minigames found in the console games, the PSP version of Madden will include eight minigames unique to the handheld. Examples of these minigames include route runner (where you'll play a receiver looking to beat coverage from a DB and a safety); cover receiver (basically the opposite of route runner); and rush the quarterback (where you can do your best Michael Strahan impression to try and sack the QB against one, two, or three offensive lineman). One minigame, protect the quarterback, will even let you play the often-ignored position of offensive lineman as you go up against random defensive players looking to take your QB's head off.

Online, the PSP game will feature two-player football action in both infrastructure and ad hoc mode, and you'll also be able to post your high scores from the minigames to online leaderboards. Using the same EA Sports locker concept, you'll be able to post your franchise information online from either the PS2 or the PSP version of the game, which you can share with friends.

Visually, the PSP game is looking somewhere between the PS2 and PS version of Madden, with nice-looking player models and a bright color palette. During our play time with the game, we noticed some frame rate chug, but with a month of development time left to go before the game is released in September, we expect to see that improved. We look forward to getting more hands-on time with the game in the near future and will report back our findings once we do.