Nintendo 64
Released in 1997 by EA Sports
Grade: C+
This game strikes a nice balance: easy to learn like its 16-bit predecessors, but with a more realistic feel. It’s a decent start for Madden on N64, but plays a bit too awkwardly for a solid recommendation.
Where it falls in the series
It’s an oddity for Madden because it lacks an NFL team license. You’ve got real players, but you’re stuck with just city names and jerseys that are all slightly different from the real thing. “Green Bay” looks just like the Packers, but with white pants. “Foxboro” looks like the Patriots but with red helmets.
It’s the first Madden on N64, followed by 99, 2000, 2001, and 2002, and it’s the first with 3-D polygon graphics. This came out three months after Madden NFL 98 on Saturn and PlayStation, which uses sprites.
Praises
It’s got the familiar simplicity of previous Madden games. Most of the controls are the same, and the new additions, like using shoulder buttons for stiff-arms, add depth without getting in the way.
Playcalling is the same as well, which is a good thing. The playbooks are robust and well balanced.
The key upgrade is in the offensive line play, which helps the run game significantly. Finding the holes and running through them is intuitive. The O-line also forms a decent pocket on pass plays.
Gripes
The passing logic is a bit clunky. It’s not fluid. Your receivers are often standing still when the pass gets to them.
Playing good defense can be difficult for the wrong reasons. You can feel slightly out of control trying to run down the ballcarrier. The N64’s loose joystick isn’t quite right for football.
The 3-D players are more defined (and were great for the time), but this actually makes certain movements look worse than they would in 16 bits. When your DB stops on a dime, turns, and sticks his hands up, he looks like a machine that you’d pay 25 cents to activate at a trashy carnival. Tackles look dumb sometimes too.
This is a good game, but you need serious N64 nostalgia to want to play it today. It’s not as realistic as later Maddens, and in my opinion, it’s far less charming than earlier Maddens.