John Madden Football (1990 video game)


John Madden Football is a football video game, the second Madden football game released by Electronic Arts. It is the series debut on the Sega Genesis and later on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the Commodore Amiga.

Features

Its features include various field conditions, audibles, and password-saved games. The game is played from above and behind the quarterback rather than from the side as most games were. However, as in the previous version, no actual NFL teams are included due to the lack of NFL or NFLPA licenses for authentic teams or player names.
During the first initial release on a console, which was on the Sega Genesis platform, only a total of 16 teams were available to choose from. Each of these teams were based unofficially on teams from the 1990 NFL season. The following generic teams were chosen, with colors based on the local NFL team: Buffalo, Miami, New England, Cincinnati, Houston, Pittsburgh, Denver, Kansas City, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago, Minnesota, Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco. An All-Madden team was included as a bonus.

Development

Going in to the project Electronic Arts considered the title "the turning point" and "everything to us" As the company was also working on Joe Montana Football for Sega they contracted out Park Place Productions to develop Madden. As opposed to EA's approach to the previous game which emphasized realism, the new developers would emphasize fun and arcade action. Much of the development team was made up of former Cinemaware developers who had previously worked on TV Sports Football, a football game released the same year of the previous John Madden Football release which according to IGN " stole some of EA's thunder"

Reception

Electronic Arts had only expected to sell the Genesis version to sell around 75,000 units, instead the g title sold roughly 400,000 units. becoming a killer app for the Genesis, helping the console gain market share against the NES. Computer and Video Games awarded the Mega Drive version 95%, praising the realism and the sound.