December 29th, 2021 at 3:29 PM ^
Nothing compares to NCAA 2006 but I am enjoying crushing my 15 year old with Brady in '22. He's ridiculous.
December 29th, 2021 at 3:47 PM ^
NCAA 2006 has the best combination of graphics and speed of the game. Starting in 2007, they improved graphics but game speed went down.
The very first Madden game is terrible by todays standards, but at the time it was unbelievable.
December 30th, 2021 at 8:39 AM ^
Why is he so fast? I can always get out of the pocket with Brady.
December 29th, 2021 at 3:35 PM ^
Easy - Madden NFL ‘95 for SNES.
Nothing better than just crashing into other players after the play was done. Also if you knew the cheat codes, you could be the expansion Panthers or Jaguars where everyone had a 99 rating.
December 29th, 2021 at 3:38 PM ^
I ran two plays in that game: Barry Sanders right, and Barry Sanders left.
I won a lot, at least when playing single-player.
December 29th, 2021 at 3:41 PM ^
This is correct; if you ran a veer left or right and got to the edge, you were going to make 40-50 yards down the sideline, easy. Especially with the better RBs in the game. This also applied to kickoffs and punt returns.
December 29th, 2021 at 5:16 PM ^
The best glitch of all time has to be the three point shot in Double Dribble. Even the Simpsons immortalized it.
December 29th, 2021 at 9:04 PM ^
*Family Guy w/ Peter vs Cleveland with commentary from Joe.
December 29th, 2021 at 10:12 PM ^
Yes. Family Guy. Thanks for correcting me.
December 29th, 2021 at 3:35 PM ^
Just never could get into Madden, always preferred NCAA.
December 29th, 2021 at 3:35 PM ^
Madden 05 is my favorite in the series
It's amazing how much worse that game has gotten over the years.
December 29th, 2021 at 4:28 PM ^
This. Madden 2005 (Ray Lewis on the cover) and it's not close.
December 29th, 2021 at 5:30 PM ^
I'm not really sure if the series got worse. There's just really nothing new you can do now. In the early days of the sporting games, there were TONS of things the developers could update. Compare some of the old Fifa games to now- they are worlds apart.
Today, the graphics have caught up and there's really not much else you can do with it. It's just the same release every year with updated rosters and slight tweaks to the gameplay.
December 29th, 2021 at 10:36 PM ^
NFL 2K5 was better than Madden 05. Madden 04 was my favorite, especially when using Mike Vick (the cover athlete)
December 29th, 2021 at 3:37 PM ^
Madden 03 (Faulk on the cover) holds the most nostalgia for me due to the soundtrack and look of the main menu. I had fun playing almost every edition on PS3 (13 in particular). Once they switched to PS4, gameplay felt less intuitive and way too heavy on preprogrammed animations by players. I also think the rise of MUT, arcade mode, and competitive eSports/twitch coinciding with me graduating from college and spending time on things other than gaming disenchanted me from the whole hobby. It's just not the same now. /Done old man-ing.
December 29th, 2021 at 6:57 PM ^
Fellow old man here. You aren't wrong. The gameplay and deep single player season/franchise modes have taken a back seat to their microtransaction based card game scheme that is designed around multiplayer only. The animations are awful and they just don't care to put the time and effort into creating a good football experience.
Though, this goes for almost every sports game currently created I suppose.
2005 was truly the last great Madden
NCAA 14 with Denard on the cover was still quite good as there were no stupid multiplayer injections. Probably the last good football game I've played that was more recent unfortunately and I don't trust EA to make their new NCAA game to be any less predatory than their current Madden schemes
December 29th, 2021 at 3:39 PM ^
It is sad that the obvious answer is not Madden '22. Seems like these things should only get better with time, instead they have found new ways to pull as much money out of 12 year olds parents as they possibly can, year after year.
It really should just be one game with new patches every month, and constantly updating rosters. Then it wouldn't be such BS when they try to sell in game coins or whatever they call them now.
December 29th, 2021 at 3:41 PM ^
The series getting worse was the only logical conclusion once the license to the NFL was made exclusive.
December 29th, 2021 at 3:40 PM ^
I think Madden 04 was my favorite. I could have the year wrong, but I think that year Mike Vick's attributes were 99 speed (edit: someone posted it was 97) and 93 throw power. He was totally unstoppable given that video game QB's are always more accurate then in real life.
December 29th, 2021 at 3:44 PM ^
Madden 2001 - holds a special place in my heart because that’s the one I learned about football by playing. It also had Eddie George on the cover, and the Titans were scary good in that game. Also, rookie Tom Brady and an old Jim Harbaugh.
Madden 2004 - Mike Vick was a f’n cheat code in the game with 97 speed and maxed out passing abilities in the high 90s. The most unstoppable sports video game character since Bo Jackson’s video game. EVERYONE used the Falcons, who didn’t just have an unstoppable Vick, but the 2nd fastest WR in the game (Peerless Price) the unexplainably unstoppable Brian Finneran, and a backfield combo of Dunn/Ducket and top 5 TE in a prime Alge Crumpler. It was pretty common for the only matchup online to be Falcons vs Falcons because they were that unstoppable. This game also had the best video game soundtrack I remember - Yellowcard, Blink 182, OutKast, AFI, Killer Mike, Jet, Avenged Sevenfold and so many more.
Madden 06 - The passing cone was super cool if you knew how to use it, and the career mode was wildly good. You would start in a dinky apartment and end up in a mega mansion depending on how good you got. You could also import your “Race for the Heisman” NCAA character or your NFL Street 2 character and continue your career there.
For me, the Madden 2004-2006 period were the golden years of Madden. The game made so many massive upgrades every year in that period instead of repackaging the same game year after year like the do today. And it was a period when all my friends had the game and we would all come home from school and play until the evening hours. This time of year was especially the best for Madden, because by Christmas, all of us finally had Madden (the last of us getting it for Christmas) and we could play all day on our sweet dial-up connection. Oh to be a kid in northern Wisconsin again ha
December 29th, 2021 at 3:51 PM ^
I spent countless hours and many sleepless nights during holiday breaks in high school creating my HS football team in the game down to every detail in Madden ‘05. Of course everyone had a 99 rating but those were the days…
December 29th, 2021 at 3:55 PM ^
Madden 05’s hit stick was absurd. 90% forced fumble rate if you knew how to time it. I remember forcing 20+ turnovers per game with it.
When Madden 07 came out, they introduced the crazy lead blocking controls for fullbacks (remember that position?) and highlight real tackle breaking/jukes to offset the hit stick.
December 29th, 2021 at 5:56 PM ^
Gameplay-wise I'm convinced '06 is the greatest football game ever created. I played on Gamecube and it feels so much like real football. Speed of players/tackling is IMO better than anything they've come out with since.
December 29th, 2021 at 3:46 PM ^
Madden 11 was the last Madden that felt correct and smooth. Every Madden after that either had some weird gameplay mechanic that felt wonky or they were too focused on micro-transactions and Ultimate Team to improve the gameplay
December 29th, 2021 at 3:50 PM ^
Basically this. I bought Madden 18 when it came out and it was such a mess if a game and a total ripoff with the MUT pay to play system.
EA and Take-Two Interactive have ruined sports games at this point. Take-Two is also the reason GTA 5 is now on its 3rd console instead of a new game coming out.
December 29th, 2021 at 3:54 PM ^
super... tecmo... bowl?
December 29th, 2021 at 4:45 PM ^
this is correct
December 29th, 2021 at 3:56 PM ^
Definitely PS2-era versions. NCAA 06 and Madden 04 were great.
Every iteration of both began to stink starting with that next generation of games. Even the beloved NCAA 14 was pretty bad in my eyes and the newest Madden games are truly awful.
December 29th, 2021 at 3:56 PM ^
04 with Michael Vick and the mini camp drills
December 29th, 2021 at 6:18 PM ^
Mini camp drills were my favorite!!
December 29th, 2021 at 3:57 PM ^
The Madden and NHL games for Sega can not be topped
December 29th, 2021 at 4:01 PM ^
NHL 94 FTW.
December 29th, 2021 at 4:15 PM ^
Was 94 for the first year with player names and you could knock players and make them bleed on the ice (I.e. Swingers and little Wayne bleeding on the ice)? If so, I agree with you 94 was the best!
December 29th, 2021 at 6:31 PM ^
I believe so. Best hockey game ever
December 29th, 2021 at 9:57 PM ^
Bill Walsh College Football belongs in the conversation for great Sega era & all time games.
December 29th, 2021 at 9:58 PM ^
Bill Walsh College Football belongs in the conversation for great Sega era & all time games.
December 29th, 2021 at 3:57 PM ^
Gridiron for the Atari ST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvzLpJkY5e0&ab_channel=petsasjim1
December 29th, 2021 at 4:08 PM ^
FIFA won't be called FIFA next year -- I wonder if they'll change the Madden name too?
December 29th, 2021 at 4:14 PM ^
I was more of a Joe Montana football 94 kid
December 29th, 2021 at 4:14 PM ^
NFL 2K5 count?
December 29th, 2021 at 4:15 PM ^
My favorite was actually the original PC game in like 1989. It was the first game that I know of that actually let you draw up your own plays. It was more of a sim than the action game the franchise turned into, but it was a blast.
December 29th, 2021 at 4:42 PM ^
Ugh, Madden (the game) has been in serious decline for years. A shame. I wish someone else had the license.
December 29th, 2021 at 4:56 PM ^
My favorite is NHLPA '95 on Sega
(I'm I doing this right?)
December 29th, 2021 at 8:52 PM ^
There it is, Mikey, check it out. His head's bleeding. Mikey, check it out. Little Wayne's legs are shaking all over.
That was '93 though...
December 29th, 2021 at 4:59 PM ^
I don't have a favorite, but I miss when you could play NCAA and import the draft class into Madden. I would play with Michigan and load the Lions with all the draft eligible Michigan guys.
December 29th, 2021 at 5:30 PM ^
Super bowl with Plunket!
2k rules
EA drools
December 29th, 2021 at 5:38 PM ^
NCAA ‘14 remains the best football game ever (super linebackers aside). Agree with others that those middle 00s of Madden were the best. Franchise mode with some of the more detailed aspects was upgraded, gameplay felt semi-realistic. Haven’t played a Madden since Madden 25 which was a bit of a mess.
Honestly, as I’ve gotten older I’ve moved more into sports management games like Football Manager and OOTP. Would love a CFB or NFL equivalent.
December 29th, 2021 at 5:40 PM ^
Was it Madden 12 that had Jamal Lewis on the cover? That was my stuff right there. Mostly played rushing attack against friends. Ron Dayne and Jamal Lewis were nice with the truck stick
December 29th, 2021 at 5:56 PM ^
ESPN NFL 2K5. The only NFL game I ever played and really liked.
Looooooved me some helmet mode.
December 29th, 2021 at 6:22 PM ^
I played Madden mostly in the 90's, I think I had the 92, 93, 95, 98 and 99. If I remember correctly 93 was my favorite as I could use the All-Pro team, and on kickoffs I'd choose an onside formation but kick it deep. That formation would put Deion Sanders to the left side and he would outrun the receiving team to catch it around the 5 yard line. Emmitt Smith was the RB and I'd just give it to him and score usually on 1st down everytime. I was always trying to see if I could score over 100 pts against the computer. Good times.