Madden really pushed and pushed, and the result is great!
The history of this game is just as enticing as this game itself. You see, this game was released in 89, and even then, having 11 players on the field was quite demanding given the still pretty puny technological limitations of the era's PCs. Thus, it was half decided that instead of going for whole 11 member teams, there would only be teams of 7, but Madden did not have any of that. Thus, the EA engineers really had to rethink the game and manage to encapsulate the makings of the real world game into this little jewel. Thus, they rethought the engine to be able to handle the larger teams, and in doing so they had to rethink a lot of the principles behind it; thus, the final product was way leaner, cleaner and was a really exciting product, really on the cusp of evolution compared to some other titles of the era. So, I think that that push forward will still be visible to modern day players today. Yeah, it's in 2D and it' pretty limited, but it's still, deep down, a playable and rich experience. So, for the history or for the love of the game, play John Madden Football - John Madden American Football, it's got what it takes, all thanks to Mr. Madden, who wouldn't settle for half measures! Oh, and try some other Madden titles as well, they really were always a step ahead of their competition, no matter of the epoque they were released.
