Although games like Minecraft and Fortnite garner plenty of attention, you can’t quite beat a sports-related gaming marathon for many gamers. For American football fans, there have been some genuinely iconic releases over the years.
Throughout the history of gaming, sports fans have been treated to an array of great products in this area. Alongside listening to NFL-themed podcasts and looking at NFL point spreads before wagering on the games, there is generally always time for a football-themed gaming session for millions of fans of the sport. After all, as great as watching football is, sometimes there is a need for a bit more self-involvement, and games based on one of the world’s biggest sports have always hit the spot with fans in that respect.
So, while titles like Madden NFL 25 are currently entertaining mass audiences, below is a brief look at a selection of favorites that came before it. Without them, the gaming category of entertainment wouldn’t be the same.
Midway NFL Blitz 2002
Kicking things off with a title that promised chaos when initially marketed and certainly didn’t disappoint, Midway NFL Blitz 2002 was a masterpiece in its own right.
While it might be tough to track down a copy of this undisputed favorite in the modern environment, Midway NFL Blitz 2002 would probably still entertain mass gaming audiences if it were around today. It contained absolute mayhem as players would hunt each other down with no risk of penalty, the absence of serious rules made for an epic gaming session, and it still contained the hard hits and crucial plays that fans crave. Overall, Midway NFL Blitz 2002 is impossible to forget.
Madden 2011
As a beloved franchise, we’ve been exposed to some excellent Madden games over the years. One of the ideals of them, though, is easily Madden 2011.
For starters, it was the first game to feature Ultimate Team, the gameplay was arguably the greatest we’ve ever seen, and aspects of it, such as player motion, were arguably well ahead of its time. Overall, when assessing the various Madden games we’ve been treated to, Madden 2011 is a definite contender for one of the ideal Madden titles ever.
EA Sports NFL Street 2
A game we simply couldn’t leave off the list, EA Sports NFL Street 2 is iconic.
Combining gameplay and arcade play for a magical product, the game’s street style resulted in an unbeatable all-round package. Despite a few notable attempts, we haven’t seen anything quite like it since.
ESPN NFL 2K5
Although the franchise is firmly a thing of the past now, ESPN NFL 2K5 will always be fondly remembered by football lovers. The last game from the 2K series, it tops many of the Madden releases for football-loving gamers.
The title’s physics were superb, the presentation on show was immaculate, and the fact that players could rework contracts was another brilliant inclusion. Throw in the array of game modes and its lesser price compared to other football titles on the market, and ESPN NFL 2K5 was definitely one for football purists.
Madden 2005
Before Madden 2011 came to the fore, Madden 2005 was probably the ideal game of the lot. The iconic franchise hasn’t always delivered, but this particular installment is another example of when it definitely did. The gameplay was top-notch for a 2005 release, the mechanics were smooth, and it offered the strong doses of entertainment that football fans required. Additionally, the game’s music was on point, with fans enjoying the various tracks that played in the background of franchise mode and the like.
