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August 23rd marks the release of Madden NFL '17, the 29th game in the Madden football franchise. The video game franchise that's been around longer than most NFL players has undergone quite a bit of changes over the years. The original John Madden Football that was released in 1988 didn't even include actual NFL teams and featured graphics that made it difficult to tell which player was holding the ball. Over time, though, the graphics continued to improve and several features were added, such as team and player rankings, new controls, and modes like franchise and owner mode, among many other things. Madden NFL '17 promises to have a bunch of new features relating to offense, defense, and special teams.
Our latest infographic takes a look at the history of each game in the Madden franchise. The games, which have been around for decades and released on more than a dozen gaming consoles, have become the most popular sports video game around. Even for video games in general, it has maintained its role as an annual favorite even though it's virtually the same game at it's core. Sure, the players on the teams change, but most of the buzz is generated from new features, updated player rankings, and reports about which athlete will be featured on the cover. Check out details on each of the games, including the latest release, below!
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Madden NFL: Evolution of a Video Game Franchise Transcript
On August 23rd, 2016 we'll add another chapter to the storied Madden franchise as the 29th Madden football game is released. Take a trip down memory lane with us and reminisce on all the past Madden games, that at the time we were sure couldn't possibly get any better. Do you remember which teams were the best to play with? Or who your favorite in-game commentators were? How about the very first cover athlete? Or which game was the first to feature a franchise mode? We have all these questions answered and many more!
*All release dates listed are US-only.
John Madden Football
Consoles: Apple II, MS-DOS, and Commodore 64/128
Released: June 1, 1988 (Apple II) / 1989 (MS-DOS, Commodore 64/128)
- John Madden Football was the first of the Madden video games. It was developed and released by Electronic Arts.
- John Madden Football was created after the success of Earl Weaver Baseball.
- Players of the game could control many features of the game, such as weather, quarter length, fatigue and injuries of the players, and penalties.
John Madden Football
Consoles: SEGA Genesis, SNES and Amiga
Released: December 1990 (SEGA Genesis) / November 1991 (SNES)
- There were 16 available teams that were unofficially based on actual NFL teams. Due to lack of NFL or NFLPA licenses, team and player names could not officially be used.
- A passing window feature allowed you to zoom in on three receivers to throw the ball to.
- Notable features allowed you to play with a variety of field conditions including mud, rain or snow.
John Madden Football II
Consoles: PC
Released: 1991
- John Madden Football II was only released for the PC.
- Updates to this game included larger playbooks for the teams, as well as more involvement from John Madden.
- The game did not use real NFL teams or player names. The game had two teams, All Madden and All Timers.
John Madden Football '92
Consoles: SEGA Genesis
Released: 1991
- When a player was injured during this sequel, a scene of an ambulance speeding onto the field would play. Fans loved this detail, due to the fact that the ambulance would run over any other player that was in the way.
- New features in John Madden Football '92 included two-player co-op, QB injuries, audibles, and instant replay. There were also different types of games: pre-season, regular season, and playoffs.
- John Madden Football '92 did not have overall team ratings.
John Madden Football '93
Consoles: SEGA Genesis and SNES
Released: 1992
- John Madden Football '92 sold over one million copies. It was one of the most successful games developed by the then-named Blue Sky Productions.
- New features in this game included a no-huddle offense, taunting, stumbling, head-butting, one-handed catches, and the ability to overturn some of the referee's calls.
- Players could play as eight famous team line-ups, such as the 1976 Oakland Raiders, as well as two "All-Madden Greats" teams. Those two teams were made up of the best football players in history.
Madden NFL '94
Consoles: SEGA Genesis and SNES
Released: October 1993 (SNES) / February 18, 1994 (SEGA Genesis)
- When the game was first released, two teams had their entire roster reversed in error: the NY Giants and the NY Jets.
- This was the first Madden game with an official NFL team license.
- First game to use the famous "EA Sports—It's in the Game" catchphrase.
- First game to freeze play and flip the field during kickoffs and punts.
- There were 80 teams to choose from, which included all 28 NFL teams.
- Game Announcers: John Madden
Madden NFL 95
Consoles: Game Boy, Game Gear, SEGA Genesis, and SNES
Released: November 1994 (SNES and Game Boy) / 1994 (SEGA Genesis) / 1995 (Game Gear)
- The SEGA Genesis version of Madden NFL 95 was the first Madden game to have both the NFL team logo and NFLPA licenses.
- This was the first Madden game to include no passing windows, however, the feature could be put back in by choosing so in the options.
- Best Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers: 99 OVR, Jacksonville Jaguars: 99 OVR, Carolina Panthers 99 OVR
- Game Announcers: John Madden
Madden NFL 96
Consoles: Game Boy, Game Gear, SEGA Genesis, SNES, and Microsoft Windows
Released: November 10, 1955 (SEGA Genesis and SNES) / 1995 (Game Boy and Windows) / 1996 (Game Gear)
- Madden NFL 96 was the last to be endorsed by the NFL on Fox.
- Playoff tournament allowed players to abort the game while in the lead and still win.
- The game featured improvements to the AI, including the ability to spike the ball and cover the receivers more efficiently.
- Mini-games were included in the new Create-A-Player feature of the game, used to determine the player's ability.
- Best Teams: San Fransisco 49ers: 99 OVR
- Game Announcers: John Madden, Pat Summerall
Madden NFL 97
Consoles: Game Boy, SEGA Genesis, SEGA Saturn, SNES, PlayStation, and Microsoft Windows
Released: August 15, 1996 (PS) / August 31, 1996 (PC) / September 24, 1996 (SEGA Saturn) / 1996 (Game Boy and SNES) / 1997 (SEGA Genesis)
- Featured the Baltimore Ravens, which absorbed the roster from the '96 Cleveland Browns.
- First Madden game created in the 32-bit gaming era.
- Madden NFL 97 included salary caps in team roster creation, the first game in the series to do so.
- Introduced an NFL Free Agents Team, so gamers could trade and add players, to keep rosters correct.
- Best Teams: Dallas Cowboys: 85 OVR
- Game Announcers: John Madden, Pat Sumerall, and James Brown
Madden NFL 98
Consoles: SEGA Genesis, SEGA Saturn, SNES, PlayStation, and Microsoft Windows
Released: July 31, 1997 (PS) / October 31, 1997 (PC) / November 1997 (SNES) / 1997 (SEGA Genesis and SEGA Saturn)
- The Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and Green Bay Packers tied for the best offense with a perfect score of 100.
- Madden NFL 98, the latest game in the series to be released on SNES, Genesis, and Saturn, was also the latest edition to use 2D sprites for in-game characters.
- Best Teams: Green Bay Packers: 95 OVR
- Game Announcers: John Madden, Pat Summerall, and Andre Ware (Coach)
Madden NFL 99
Consoles: PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Microsoft Windows
Released: July 31, 1998 (PS) / September 1998 (N64) / September 30, 1998 (PC)
- The European version featured an athlete (Garrison Hearst) on the cover for the first time in the game's history.
- The first Madden game to feature Franchise Mode (up to 15 seasons).
- Best Teams: Denver Broncos: 95 OVR
- Cover Athlete: Garrison Hearst, San Fransisco 49ers, RB 20
- Game Announcers: John Madden, Pat Summerall
Madden NFL 2000
Consoles: PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, Apple Macintosh, and Microsoft Windows
Released: July 31, 1999 (PS) / August 1999 (Game Boy Color) / August 31, 1999 (N64 and Windows) / November 16, 1999 (Mac)
- This was the first year where players taunted each other on the field after plays.
- First time multiple gamers were able to play in the same franchise mode. It also expanded to 30 seasons.
- Best Teams: Green Bay Packers: 94 OVR
- Cover Athlete: Dorsey Levens, Green Bay Packers, RB 25
- Game Announcers: John Madden, Pat Summerfall
Madden NFL 2001
Consoles: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, and Microsoft Windows
Released: August 22, 2000 (PS) / August 24, 2000 (PC) / August 28, 2000 (N64) / October 23, 2000 (PS2) / November 13, 2000 (Game Boy Color)
- Madden NFL 2001 was the first official Madden game to solely feature an athlete on the cover. Previous cover athletes, Garrison Hearst and Dorsey Levens, were only available on the P.A.L. versions.
- This was the first Madden game to feature NFL Europe teams. Those teams included the Amsterdam Admirals, Barcelona Dragons, Berlin Thunder, Düsseldorf Fire, Frankfurt Galaxy, and the Scottish Claymores.
- Best Teams: St. Louis Rams: 95 OVR, Jacksonville Jaguars: 95 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Eddie George, Tennessee Titans, RB 27
- Game Announcers: John Madden, Pat Summerall, Stefan Marks
Madden NFL 2002
Consoles: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Xbox, and Microsoft Windows
Released: August 13, 2001
- One of the last games to be released on both the Game Boy Color and N64.
- First Madden to feature the Houston Texans. They were available as an expansion team (44 overall).
- Best Teams: Baltimore Ravens: 99 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota Vikings, QB 11
- Game Announcers: John Madden, Pat Summerall
Madden NFL 2003
Consoles: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Xbox and Microsoft Windows
Released: August 12, 2002
- First time Al Michaels appeared as a commentator (replaced Pat Summerall).
- First EA Sports game to feature EA Trax, which are in-game soundtracks featuring new artists.
- Best Teams: St. Louis Rams: 94 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams, RB 28
- Game Announcers: John Madden, Al Michaels, Melissa Stark
Madden NFL 2004
Consoles: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Xbox, and Microsoft Windows
Released: August 13, 2003
- Michael Vick is widely regarded as the greatest madden character ever, because of his 95 overall speed as a quarterback.
- Madden NFL 2004 saw the inclusion of an owner mode, giving the player all the tasks of owning a real football team. These responsibilities include managing coaching staff, running concessions, and team location.
- Best Teams: Miami Dolphins: 88 OVR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 88 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons, QB 07
- Game Announcers: John Madden, Al Michaels, Melissa Stark
Madden NFL 2005
Consoles: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, and Tapwave Zodiac
Released: August 9, 2004
- In December 2004, EA Sports acquired the rights from the NFL and NFLPA to be the sole creator of NFL video games.
- Madden NFL 2005 is the first Madden game to feature Xbox Live, which gave players the ability to play online.
- Best Teams: New England Patriots: 99 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens, LB 52
- Game Announcers: John Madden, Al Michaels
Madden NFL 06
Consoles: Play Station 2, Play Station Portable, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, Xbox, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Windows Mobile, and Mobile Phone
Released: August 8, 2005
- Superstar Mode let you create a player or choose an NFL rookie and play with them through retirement.
- QB Vision was released, where you would need to make sure that the QB was looking at the WR to ensure an accurate pass.
- Best Teams: New England Patriots: 97 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Donovan McNabb, Seattle Seahawks, QB 05
- Game Announcers: John Madden, Al Michaels, Lisa Guerrero
Madden NFL 07
Consoles: Play Station 2, Play Station 3, Play Station Portable, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, Wii, Game Boy Advance, Xbox, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, and Mobile Phone
Released: August 22, 2006
- Free agent quarterback Enson Chaudoir (59 overall) is listed in the game, but is a fictional character. He is said to resemble rookie QB Matt Baker from North Carolina.
- Introduced Highlight Stick, which allowed users to use Truck Stick along with more variety of running moves.
- Best Teams: Indianapolis Colts: 97 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks, RB 37
- Game Announcers: John Madden, Al Michaels
Madden NFL 08
Consoles: Play Station 2, Play Station 3, Play Station Portable, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, Wii, Game Boy Advance, Xbox, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PC, Apple OS X, and Mobile Phone
Released: August 14, 2007
- Madden NFL 08 was the last game in the franchise to feature all six of the NFL Europa teams.
- Featured all-new animations like mid-air collisions, one-handed catches, and gang tackling.
- Best Teams: New England Patriots, 97 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Vince Young, Tennessee Titans, QB 10
- Game Announcers: John Madden, Al Michaels
Madden NFL 09
Consoles: Play Station 2, Play Station 3, Play Station Portable, Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360, and Mobile Phone
Released: August 12, 2008
- Cover athlete Brett Favre came out of retirement to sign with the Jets five days before the game's release. EA Sports then made an alternate cover featuring Favre in the new Jets uniform.
- QB Vision (debuted in Madden NFL 06) was eliminated from the game, because of heavy fan opposition.
- Best Teams: Indianapolis Colts: 97 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers/New York Jets, QB 04
- Game Announcers: John Madden, Al Michaels
Madden NFL 10
Consoles: Play Station 2, Play Station 3, Play Station Portable, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360, iOS, and BlackBerry
Released: August 14, 2009 (PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360) / August 20, 2009 (BlackBerry) / September 9, 2009 (iOS)
- For the first time in the game's history, Madden NFL 10's cover featured two players. Both Troy Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald played in SB XLIII.
- Online Franchise Mode let players connect with their friends online and enjoy the depths of Franchise Mode.
- Best Teams: New England Patriots: 93 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers, SS 43 / Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals, WR 11
- Game Announcers: Chris Collinsworth, Tom Hammond
Madden NFL 11
Consoles: Play Station 2, Play Station 3, Play Station Portable, Wii, Xbox 360, iOS, and BlackBerry
Released: August 6, 2010 (iOS) / August 10, 2010 (PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360) / August 20, 2010 (BlackBerry)
- New animation technology allowed up to nine players to be involved in tackles.
- New ratings were added such as throw accuracy (deep, medium, and short), and throw on the run, as well as many more, making specific players' styles more realistic.
- Best Teams: New Orleans Saints: 92 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints, QB 09
- Game Announcers: Chris Collinsworth, Gus Johnson
Madden NFL 12
Consoles: Play Station 2, Play Station 3, Play Station Portable, Wii, Xbox 360, iOS, Android, and BlackBerry PlayBook
Released: August 30, 2011
- Thirteen million fans voted in a 32-player bracket to decide the new cover athlete. Peyton Hillis (10 seed) edged out Michael Vick (3 seed) for the cover.
- First game to include expanded original rosters, including almost all players invited to training camp.
- Best Teams: Green Bay Packers: 92 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns, RB 40
- Game Announcers: Chris Collinsworth, Gus Johnson
Madden NFL 13
Consoles: PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Wii, Wii U, and Xbox 360
Released: August 28, 2012
- Various signature moves and celebrations were included in the game, such as Tim Tebow's "Tebowing", Victor Cruz's "Salsa Dance", Rob Gronkowski's "Gronk Spike", and Cam Newton's "Superman Taunt".
- The introduction of Infinity Engine allowed players' weight, center of mass, body type, and height to be incorporated in every movement. This was designed to make in-game action more realistic than ever.
- Best Teams: New Egland Patriots: 91 OVR, Green Bay Packers: 91 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions, WR 81
- Game Announcers: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
Madden NFL 25
Consoles: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Android, and iOS
Released: August 23, 2013 (PS3, Xbox 360, and iOS) / September 19, 2013 (Android) / November 13, 2013 (PS4) / November 22, 2013 (Xbox One)
- Being the 25th year EA Sports had released the game, it was called Madden NFL 25.
- The game added a Connected Franchise mode where players own and manage an NFL team, while playing online.
- Best Teams: San Fransisco 49ers: 91 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions, RB 20 / Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings, RB 28
- Game Announcers: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
Madden NFL 15
Consoles: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Released: August 26, 2014
- The annual Madden Super Bowl simulation predicted the final score of Super Bowl XLIX. It also predicted that Tom Brady would pass for 335 yards and 4 touchdowns. He passed for 328 yards and 4 touchdowns.
- A new global dynamic camera system was introduced allowing dynamic scenes of players interacting after plays.
- Best Teams: Seattle Seahawks: 91 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks, CB 25
- Game Announcers: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
Madden NFL 16
Consoles: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Released: August 25, 2015
- After being absent from the previous three installments, EA Trax returned in Madden NFL 16. The soundtrack was also available on Spotify.
- Madden NFL 16 introduced the new game mode Draft Champions. Draft Champions added the Fantasy Football experience to Madden.
- Best Teams: Seattle Seahawks: 91 OVR, New England Patriots: 91 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants, WR 13
- Game Announcers: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
Madden NFL 17
Consoles: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Released: August 23, 2016
- A new kick meter is being introduced to make kicking more difficult.
- Pylon Cam and Time Scale replays will provide brand new angles.
- Improved Zone Coverage updates have been made to balance out the passing game.
- New Path to Daylight features a faint line where the ball carrier is heading.
- Best Teams: Carolina Panthers: 87 OVR, New England Patriots: 87 OVR
- Cover Athletes: Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots, TE 87
- Game Announcers: Brandon Gaudin, Charles Davis
Sources: MaddenRatings.Weebly, Wikipedia, Madden-School, IMDb, GameFaqs, EASports, BleacherReport
If you grew up playing Madden '96 on Sega Genesis or more recently have enjoyed playing Madden '16 online with your buddies on Xbox One, there's no question that the franchise has been a mainstay in bringing home the action of the NFL over the years. Which Madden game was your favorite? Which console did you enjoy playing on the most? Did you have a favorite cover athlete and, if so, did they fall victim to the dreaded Madden curse? Whether you're planning an epic weekend of playing Madden NFL or settling on the couch for a relaxing Sunday watching football, gear up with some NFL gifts for cheering on your favorite team!
Design Credit: Cody Petersen
Research Credit: Lee Burg, Alex Knobloch, Justin Theis
