Slashdot Mirror
Only NFL Game This Year Gets Lukewarm Response
aendeuryu writes "The first reviews are in for Madden '06, and the reception is underwhelming -- it's scoring an average rating of 79% on gamerankings.com (at the time of this submission). The reviewers on Gamespot (7.8) and 1up.com (9.0) have different takes on the game, but the readership of both sites doesn't (7.4 and 7.8 respectively). Gamespot's criticisms put the game in a less-than-exciting light: the new QB-vision feature adds realism but takes away from basic fun, and (perhaps most damning) the graphics rate a 7 out of 10 on what was supposed to be a next-generation title. Normally, a mediocre game release isn't a big deal, except that, because of EA's negotiated exclusivity deal with the NFL, this is the only NFL title you'll get to play this year. So, what are the players to do?"
The winner of the round gets 10, and the loser gets a 9 in almost all circumstances. Penalties that lower the score from a 9 are somewhat common, but to get the judges to hand out an 8 in a round, the loser has to be on the verge of unconsciousness and bleeding from every oriface. I don't know if even a boxer being beaten to death in the ring can cause a judge to give out a 7 to him.