John Madden Football (1990 video game)
First home-console entry in the long-running Madden NFL series.
John Madden Football, also known as John Madden American Football in Europe, was Electronic Arts' debut home console title in the annual Madden NFL series. It launched on the Sega Genesis in 1990, loosely following the 1988 game of the same name. Often called Madden '90 or Madden '91, it was followed by a Super NES version in 1991 with new content later seen in the Genesis's John Madden Football '92, and a reworked Amiga version in 1992.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Park Place Productions
- Publisher
- Electronic Arts
- Designer
- Troy Lyndon
- Michael Knox
- Scott Orr
- Richard Hilleman
- Jim Simmons
- Composer
- Rob Hubbard
- Series
- Madden NFL
- Platforms
- Genesis/Mega Drive
- Super NES
- Amiga
- Genre
- Sports (American football)
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Development
Electronic Arts considered the title "the turning point" and "everything to us". While also working on Joe Montana Football for Sega, EA contracted Park Place Productions to develop Madden. The developers emphasized fun and arcade action rather than the realism of the previous game. Much of the team consisted of former Cinemaware developers who had worked on TV Sports: Football, a football game released the same year as the earlier John Madden Football, which IGN noted "stole some of EA's thunder". An Atari ST version was announced but later cancelled; ST Review reported that EA decided to abandon its development.
Reception
Electronic Arts projected the Genesis version would move about 75,000 copies, but it ultimately sold around 400,000 units. This made it a killer app for the console, helping it compete with the NES. Computer and Video Games scored the Mega Drive release a 95%, highlighting its realistic gameplay and audio. Sega Power gave it a 92%. In 1990, John Madden American Football for the Mega Drive took home the Golden Joystick Award for best 16-bit console game. The Strong National Museum of Play later added John Madden Football to its World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2018.
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