The Top 5 Madden Games of All Time - Bumble14's Blog

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The Top 5 Madden Games of All Time Stuck

Posted on August 13, 2009 at 06:13 PM.

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Madden 10 is only a few short days away, and many who have played the final version of the game are already proclaiming this years offering as the series� best. The majority of Madden fans, including myself, will have to wait until tomorrow to pass their final judgement, but this doesn�t have to stop us from taking a look at some of the greatest years of Madden. Here are my picks for the 5 best Madden games since the series inception in 1988.

5.) Madden 99 (Playstation 1)

1998 was the year we all were introduced to a little game mode known as �Franchise Mode� in Madden 99. While gamers were not given as deep of an experience as we are now used to, Madden 99 gave us our first taste of running a franchise for 15 years. It may sound silly to some, but before Madden 99, console football gamers had never experienced the joys of drafting, re signing, and trading players, all with implications beyond just one season.

To top off the addition of Franchise, Madden 99 featured some of the series� best gameplay to date. Jukes, spins, and stiff arms had all been perfectly balanced in the game, and there were tons of animations-like the one handed catch, and real time head tracking-that made Madden 99 a force to be reckoned with. I almost forgot to mention that the game featured one of the best create a play features to ever be included in a football game, something that even today�s games should learn a lesson from.

It�s tough to argue that Madden 99 deserves a spot on this list as it was the best 32 bit NFL game to ever be released. This game logged hundreds of hours in my old PS1 and holds a place in my own personal sports gaming hall of fame (aka, the big black box my wife makes me keep in the basement).

4.) Madden 94 (Genesis/SNES)

Madden 94 is widely regarded as the game that officially put the Madden franchise on the map due to it�s many innovations and gameplay introductions that are still present in today�s games (play call menus, user catches, camera shifts on turnovers, the ability to flip plays). Sporting the NFL license, the game was the first game in the Madden series to sport actual team names and logo�s. Madden 94 did not have the NFLPA license, but this hardly detracted from the amazing overall gameplay experience on both 16 bit consoles.

Madden 94 also included one of the most nostalgic features in all of sports gaming history- the Ambulance. Who could forget smearing their friends quarterback as they scrambled out of the pocket, only to see them get run over by the hellish Madden meat wagon. What was even better was that if you watched the ambulance in instant replay you would notice that the vehicle would magically disappear once it reached the sidelines, miraculously leaving your injured player behind for treatment.

As a 12 year old budding sports gamer, Madden 94 was the introduction to a whole new world of interactive football for me. It will forever live on in memory as the game that jump started my interest in NFL video games, and the single Madden game that all subsequent Madden�s owe their success to.

3.) Madden 04 (PS2)

Madden 04 took the franchise mode established by Madden 99, and transformed it into one of the most addictive modes to ever grace a sports title- owner mode. Not only were you able to manage a team through 30 years of dynasty, but you were given full financial control over the teams facilities, game day foods, and advertising. For those stat junkies out there, you were able to view pie charts and bar graphs monitoring team financial success and performance for hours on end.

What made owner mode even better was the ability to move an underperforming team to another city, complete with a user created nickname, logo, and jerseys. I�ll never forget taking my hapless Lions out of Detroit, and moving them to Mexico City, where they would go on to win multiple Super Bowls. How many games allow you to just pack up and move if your team is so terrible it can not be salvaged? The answer is one, Madden 04.

The introduction of owner mode, coupled with some outstanding gameplay elements (playmaker controls) made Madden 04 a force to be reckoned with. The game was as good as it gets in 2004, much like it�s cover athlete Michael Vick. Unlike Vick, the game holds up much better 6 years later.

2.) Madden 64 (N64)

Rock solid gameplay, the first fully polygonal athletes, 64 bit graphics, and rumble pack support, all made gamers forget that Madden�s first foray onto the N64 did not include the NFL license. I could care less if my Patriots squad was technically called �Foxboro� in the game, because Madden 64�s highly balanced gameplay kept me glued to my 27� SDTV during my most formidable high school years- not to mention that Drew Bledsoe and I teamed up to start a Foxboro dynasty way before the Pat�s made New England a popular pigskin destination.

There is something to be said about just how well Madden 64�s cpu AI played. The computer would actually establish a run game against you to set up the pass, especially teams that did so in real life. There were no money plays in Madden 64, and in a day and age before �highlight sticks�, and super jukes, the game managed to provide some of the most enjoyable head to head, and cpu battles to date. I still remember many of my Madden 64 games because of how amazing they played out.

Madden 64 deserves more credit than the mainstream Madden community gives it. The game was an absolute gem back in 1997, and is still pretty fun to play if you managed to hang onto your N64- just make sure to change the batteries in your rumble pack.

1.) Madden 05 (PS2/XBOX)

Madden 05 took the already solid foundation of Madden 04, added the now famous hit stick and defensive hot routes, and quickly became the best Madden to ever be released. Madden 05 was the pinnacle of the series on the PS2 and XBOX, and I would even go as far to say the pinnacle of the series to date. The gameplay and graphics were extremely polished, and the depth of owner mode kept gamers busy for years.

2K5 may have had better presentation, and a stronger cult following, but Madden 05 deserves to be mentioned when gamers discuss the top football games of all time. This game was pure bliss if you were a Madden fan, and should have been used as the building block when taking the series to the XBOX 360/PS3. History tells us that this was not the case, but after playing both Madden 10 demo�s extensively, it�s hard to shake the feeling that the development team looked to Madden 05 for some inspiration.

Madden 05 is the Madden game that all future Maddens should aspire to be. It will be tough to ever eclipse EA�s 2004 offering, but if any Madden is able to capture the near perfect gameplay of 05, many hardcore Maddenites will be very happy.

Will Madden 10 go down in history as one of the top entries into the series? Only time will tell, but from what we have seen so far, EA�s flagship franchise is well on it�s way to duplicating past success.

What are your top 5 Madden�s of all time? Will Madden 10 make the list a few years down the road? Sound off below.

Comments

# 1 da.kid.frank @ Aug 13

madden 64 was a great game when i was lil.madden 04 and 05 didnt really change that much

# 2 jdareal21 @ Aug 13

For me it goes like this

1) Madden 10
2) Madden 2004
3) Madden '97
4) John Madden Football (1990)
5) John Madden Football '92 (Just for the ambulance alone)

# 3 spursfan @ Aug 13

1)Madden 05
2)Madden 04
3)Madden 01
4)Madden 92
5)Madden 94

# 4 bigsmallwood @ Aug 14

1. Madden 06
2. Madden 05'
3. Madden 2003
4. Madden 2004
5. Madden 93'

# 5 wolverine2481 @ Aug 15

not my favorite but i loved it in when i was 9
Madden '92, use to piss my uncle and my father off lol.
Now that i am older i noticed how much cheesing that i did in that game.
apparently there was a glitch in the game where you juke straight up the middle and run for a big gain touchdown. they hated it. lol

# 6 SonicZulu25 @ Aug 15

Good post. I agree with you for the most part...especially with your take on 2005. It was a very solid game that ironed out the issues from the previous years on the last gen. Anyway, my top 5:

1. 2005 (xbox/ps2)
2. 2003 (pc)
3. 1993 (genesis)
4. 1999 (pc)
5. 1992 (genesis)