The NFL faced devastating news on Dec. 28, when it was announced that John Madden had passed at the age of 85.
Madden was a Hall of Fame coach, and one of the most well-known NFL commentators that the league has ever seen. On top of those accolades, he was the main component of creating one of the most popular video games series that still lives on to this day, Madden NFL.
The “Madden NFL” series is played by most people that love the game of football, and who also love video games. From children to adults, you can catch anybody playing this game.
There are 32 installments of the “Madden NFL,” but there are only a few that have many going back to their game systems to play. Let’s take a look at the top five “Madden NFL” games.
Madden NFL ’99
Taking it back all the way 90s, Madden NFL ’99 introduced a mode that many still play in the current Madden franchises, which is Franchise Mode. Franchise Mode allowed players to control a team, sign and trade players, and play however many seasons they wanted with the end goal of winning a Super Bowl.
Madden NFL 2004
If you’re ever having a conversation about what Madden game was at the top, the 2004 version will be named by the OGs that played. One reason is that Michael Vick was on the cover, and he was the best player to use in the game. For a quarterback, nobody had ever seen a player that had so much speed at the position.
Madden NFL 2005
“Madden NFL 2005” was the beginning of the hit stick, which allows you to land a hard hit on your opponent and possibly knock the ball out of their hand. Ray Lewis was on the cover of this game, and he was also a hard-hitting defensive player himself, which made it perfect that the hit stick was introduced this year.
Madden NFL 2007
This version of “Madden NFL” changed the game for offensive playmakers, with the use of the truck stick. This allowed players to push through their defenders, which could allow for more yards on the ground. Franchise Mode was also at the top of its game, with players taking an actual impact on your team if they had a good or bad game.
Madden NFL 10
Between the versions of “Madden NFL” that were released in the 2010s, this game had the most impact of all of them. With improved graphics and better gameplay, this was the start of something new for the franchise. Improvements to tackling, animations, and game modes gave this game the versatility it needed.
Which version of “Madden NFL” was your favorite?
