Ahhh, now THAT’S more like it!
Sega Genesis
Released in 1994 by EA Sports
Grade: B+
Madden 95 is a smooth-moving, offense-oriented football game that’s not too simple, not too complex.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the fifth of eight Madden games on Genesis. The earlier versions showed lots of promise but were troubled with passing windows that ruined the passing game on offense and defense. EA wised up and Madden 95 is the glorious result. Madden 96 is a curious misstep that plays way too fast, but EA returned to quality gameplay for Madden 97 and Madden 98, which include a few advancements and clearer graphics. Those games are often hailed as the peak of 16-bit Madden, but I think 95 is the best of the bunch.
Praises and gripes
This game is built on a good foundation of gameplay that feels enough like real football. There’s always a lot happening. The players move with flow and momentum, and they’re faster than in earlier editions. The control may initially feel a bit awkward, but you’ll get the hang of it pretty quickly.
Offense is intuitive. You’ve got a good view of the field and your three receivers. Passes travel at a good speed. You can easily throw bullets or rainbows with a hold or tap of the button. You often need to steer the receiver to the ball, which works well once you get the feel for it.
The only issue is that offensive linemen usually don’t form a good pocket or running lanes. It’s tough to avoid sacks and knocked-down passes. The saving grace is that quarterbacks are still accurate when flushed out of the pocket, and running backs can shed tackles.
The rest of the controls are basic and intuitive. Running, tackling, and defending passes are all easy to handle.
The playcalling is simple, and you’re in and out of the huddle in a flash. You can flip plays and put a receiver in motion, which are key ingredients. The playbooks could use more depth, though. You’ll re-run the same plays often.
There’s a good chaos factor, making no two contests alike. There are enough interceptions, fumbles, and dropped passes to make games unpredictable.
Oddly, the graphics are pretty rough compared to earlier versions. Teams wearing all white are particularly offputting. The sound is also lacking. There are familiar grunts and cheers and Maddenisms, but overall it doesn’t sound like you’re in a stadium.
The CPU is pretty easy to beat, and there’s only one difficulty setting, so you may need to choose a low-tier team for a challenge when playing solo.