The Madden NFL video game franchise we love today finds its roots in the 1988 John Madden Football game. New installments in the franchise are released each year, as they seek to update the roster and add new features that improve and enhance gameplay for the newest version.
The formula for Madden games remains much the same year after year, not evolving like the FIFA franchise. Given that it is based on the actual National Football League, there is little room for variety on what the game is; however, a few times over the years, the franchise has seen its game modes restructured with new modes and significant revisions. Based on those factors, here are the best and worst of the franchise.
Updated on 6th April 2021 by Saim Cheeda: The Madden series has definitely seen better days as the franchise is experiencing a downturn in quality. Years of presenting around the same level of entertainment have led to franchise fatigue and fans have been vocal about their displeasure. That’s not to say all games have been this way, as the lack of quality titles has actually made fans appreciate the entries that are a cut above the rest. Since it might be a while until another really good title comes along, it’s worth checking out more of the well-received games in the series. You should also be up to speed on the titles that should be avoided, so this list has been updated with both good and bad entries.
15 Best – Madden NFL 2003
At the time of Madden NFL 2003's release, it was considered one of the most realistic sports games to be made. Its most notable feature is the arcade-style gameplay that keeps things at a fast pace and never drags the action along.
This entry also has an improved tactical style of play that allows users to plan out their strategy as opposed to blindly running around. This creative streak was what truly propelled the series into a critically acclaimed one.
14 Worst – Madden NFL 21
There are only so many times that audiences can let it slide how the Madden NFL series brings little to no innovation these days. This entry has zero creativity behind it as it’s essentially the same game as the year before, albeit with a new title.
The presence of many bugs and glitches means that completing a match is its own accomplishment if things don’t get messed up halfway through. More than anything, though, it’s the lack of originality that causes this entry to be so belittled.
13 Best – Madden NFL 2002
This entry didn’t waste time in needless fluff and kept things simple. Featuring a traditional style of play, while there are no real surprises in store, Madden NFL 2002 is also an enjoyable affair since the game remains straightforward and easy to use.
The game’s defensive strategies stand out the most as players can bank on their team to defend well and capitalize on this to score themselves. All in all, a good balance in team tactics allows this title to remain in memory.
12 Worst – Madden NFL 06
By the point of this game’s release, consoles had progressed enough to allow for solid graphics. Unfortunately, Madden NFL 06 features player appearances that seem like a bit of a joke, with character models stuck with silly expressions.
The game’s soundtrack is another yawner, feeling drab and boring as it’s unable to really set the mood for a big sport such as this. The lack of technical improvements ultimately undermines any of the fun factors this title might have.
11 Best – Madden NFL 2005
While this entry is another one of the more-of-the-same variety, there’s no doubt it’s a fun title. On this occasion, the focus on the offensive side of things keeps the interest ticking. The game doesn’t take itself seriously either and that turns out to be a good thing.
Essentially, Madden NFL 2005 retains the fun elements of previous games without making obvious attempts to hide its lack of originality. It may not be a revolutionary title, but the matches are certainly entertaining due to the hard-hitting nature of the gameplay.
10 Best – John Madden Football
The best place for this list to start is where the franchise itself began in 1988. John Madden Football has not aged very well today, and it’s unlikely that anyone will be clamoring to play the original title. For its time, however, this game was amazing.
To start, John Madden Football featured 11 on 11 football, which is the same size as an actual football team. While it didn’t necessarily look like a real football game, technology wasn’t what it is today, and there is a very good reason the original spawned a sequel.
9 Worst – Madden NFL 18
Starting off the disappointments, we’ll first visit Madden 18. To be fair, Madden 18 wasn’t bad. To start, this game introduced the Longshot story mode which many fans enjoyed. For the actual football portion, the gameplay was consistent with other entries and didn’t noticeably regress in any category.
Unfortunately, that’s all it did. Introduced a new game mode that had very little football gameplay and rehashed the same formula as the previous installment. Doing nothing to fix major issues and arguably presenting an updated version of Madden 17 lands Madden 18 on the lower tier of titles for the franchise.
8 Best – Madden NFL 07
Possibly one of the best overall Madden experiences, 07 packed tons into its case. For starters, this game had arguably one of the best franchise modes in Madden history, as there were actual impacts on players having a strong or bad season, and they hit an automatic regression upon reaching certain age thresholds.
What really set Madden 07 apart though was the trucking ability. Allowing players to push through defenders as the ball carrier created one of the most impactful functions the franchise has seen to date, and players still scramble to get that last push off on defenders in order to fight for more yards.
7 Worst – Madden NFL 25
The first Madden game released on the Xbox One and PS4 was a huge disappointment to many. While the game looked polished and brought gameplay speeds to a whole new level for the next generation of consoles, gameplay features should have been implemented differently.
Nobody expected this game to be perfect, but fans did expect a more robust showing as the franchise made its debut on the new generation of consoles. Instead, Madden 25 mostly felt like a slightly polished rebranding of Madden 13 from the year prior. A sad transition indeed.
6 Best – Madden NFL ‘99
No play option is more beloved throughout the Madden franchise than Franchise Mode, where players take over as the coach of an NFL franchise and play through multiple seasons, managing their team to victory.
The first appearance of Franchise Mode came in Madden NFL ’99. At that time, it wasn’t an option to play as an owner and many of the current features were missing. What wasn’t missing was the ability to take over a team, sign and trade players, and play through multiple seasons seeking victory.
5 Worst – Madden NFL 20
The newest addition to the Madden franchise lands itself in murky waters for a few simple reasons: It isn’t giving fans what they want in terms of gameplay features and options. This version, like others, is simply the previous version with updated rosters and certain modifications to gameplay features and is far from the best of the year.
What hurts Madden 20 most is that the gameplay features added are unwanted. Face of the Franchise mode is a horrible repurposing of Longshot assets which further muddles Franchise Mode in a poor attempt at mimicking a decent career mode.
4 Best – Madden NFL 10
A common theme on distinguishing the good from the bad on this list is to review the play modes available and see what the installment added or modified for the franchise. Madden 10 is no exception. What did this title add? Madden Ultimate Team.
Ultimate Team is a divisive play mode, and it was far from perfect at inception. It’s no doubt a cash grab from EA, seeking to capitalize on microtransactions in a similar manner to many other video games currently on the market.
What this mode does right, however, is allow players to build a collection and effectively use that in a creative and competitive way that breeds interest. Those who enjoy it love the mode, and we definitely follow their logic.
3 Worst – Madden NFL 09
If you can’t remember playing Madden 09, you’re not alone. Featuring Brett Favre on the cover, this entry was largely nondescript. It didn’t introduce any new and memorable features, nor was it an overly breathtaking presentation. This game exists because there had to be an annual release, and there was.
At the time it was out, bugs riddled the initial gaming experience. Unlike current games experiencing similar issues, these weren't the funny kind. Issues with photos ran rampant, player rosters were incorrect, and fans were furious over changes that were improperly made. This annual installment played fine besides those bugs; it just didn’t offer anything which incentivized fans to return to the game. The single highlight was that the vision cone was gone, at least, for players who wanted to see this happen.
2 Best – Madden NFL 2004
Madden 2004 is arguably the best title in the franchise to date and comparable to the best in other gaming franchises. This installment brought to the table so many features that are still used or missed in current titles.
To start, this was the title that added Playmaker Controls to the franchise. Ever been playing Madden and notice that you needed to shift your offensive line or adjust your play without changing it entirely? That came from this entry.
Besides these controls, Madden 2004 also introduced the option to play Franchise Mode as an owner. If you’ve ever wanted to bankrupt a professional football organization by raising the price of hotdogs to unsustainable levels, this is the title that made that possible. It also had Mini-Camp Mode.
1 Worst – Madden NFL 13
Many would agree that Madden 13 is the worst of the series. Despite a nice and polished feel, this title fails to hold the hearts of fans. Highlighted by introducing the Infinity Engine to the Madden franchise, Madden 13 brought new physics into the game.
This game's glaring flaw is that it eliminated Superstar Mode in favor of the new Connected Franchise mode, combining elements of Superstar Mode with Franchise Mode into one interconnected play mode. This wouldn’t have been so bad if it hadn’t necessitated the omission of gameplay features fans loved in the older modes.