Madden NFL has been around for quite a while, and has built up an incredible reputation. The XBox 360 launch release has great graphics - but a few flaws.

Let's start with the great parts. We have a high definition TV and the graphics were just gorgeous. You can see the details of the face, the definition of the muscles, the details of the uniforms. The stadiums have signs in them promoting the home team.

That being said, we noticed some issues with graphics right away. Some of the camera angles are just awful, and made it really hard to connect a player with a ball. The fans in the stand look like robots. Also, with the incredible detail they put into the character models, some simply aren't right.

I'm happy to deal with even mediocre graphics if the gameplay is stellar. After all, it's the gameplay that keeps you going for months and months. We ran into problems here, too, though. The XBox 360 console crashed only halfway through our first game - and that was only the beginning.

You can't challenge plays, either, even though some seem mighty suspect.

There might be some players who really like the changes, and who can deal with the crashes and bugs. If you think that might be you, then certainly rent it for a week and see. After a week you should be able to tell how well you enjoy it and if you want to buy it. I definitely feel this is a test-before-you-buy title.

Buy Madden NFL 2006 from Amazon.com