Visually this year’s title gets a well-needed face-lift, from the player models to the menus and overlays. March Madness 06 looks slick indeed, sporting detailed player models that have a number of seamless animations for moves and dunks. While game developers cannot license college kids, the obvious likenesses will differ from the players on the real life rosters. Thankfully, there are plenty of different faces and models to allow for variances between players on the court. The stadiums and atmosphere is electric with that on-campus look and attitude. Once again, it is nice to see the major differences from junior colleges and Ivy League schools, as you will notice not only crowd size, but also stadium architecture. There are a couple of noticeable flaws; the first being the framerate hiccup that also haunts the NBA engine. Additionally, the end of the game ceremonies are lackluster. Otherwise, this game breathes the college atmosphere, sweat socks and all.

Audio also captures the college frame of mind by not only using band music that will pump up the crowd, but also utilizing famed college announcer Dick Vitale…way to go baby! Joining him in the booth is Brad Nessler who calls the action, but when needed information or just a hokey catch phrase is needed, Dick waits patiently for his cue. The crowds are incredible and anyone with a pulse will find it hard not to get excited along with the crowd, unless of course you are the visiting team.

In NCAA 06, to coin a phrase from Dick, “it’s all about the game play baby!” EA is keeping the basic feel and controls of last year’s game, but adding new features that will provide more depth and complexity. One new feature is the Lockdown Stick, which allows you to play aggressive D and get in your opponents face using the right analog stick. This will allow you to play a more physical game by trapping, forcing turnovers, denying passes, and jumping into passing lanes. Added as well is an all-new Defensive Floor General Play calling. You can now customize your playbook to suit your team’s style of play. The game is more up tempo this year so you will see more turnovers that lead to fast breaks and easy baskets, dishing to an open teammate, and running and gunning to get your fans pumped up which in turn motivates your team. Overall, the game play feels different from the NBA series, which is nice considering that there is quite the difference between the two sports. It is nice to know that EA knows this as well.

NCAA March Madness 06 does not just come with new looks and controls, but it also comes with plenty of modes to soak up the experience with. College Classics mode allows for you to make a dream match up and re-create 20 of the greatest moments in history. You can also unlock old school jerseys and shoes to help customize your experience. Take your skills online on both Xbox Live and PS2, complete with roster downloads, tournaments, and head to head action to see who’s the best gamer. Lastly, the Dynasty Mode has been enhanced in many ways. You can use assistant coaches to gather information on upcoming games, teams, and players. You can also recruit high school and junior college players from a wide list of new stat tracking and player ratings. The 30-year program will allow for any coach to turn even the poorest team into a seated powerhouse. Even long time fans of the series will find plenty of new and exciting things to do to last you another full year.

With March Madness 06 being the real deal and true to life college atmosphere, the competition has to bring their “A” game to take the ball away from EA. As it looks now, EA makes the rest look like underclassmen.