With hundreds of millions of fans worldwide, the NFL is undoubtedly the biggest and most important sport in the US.
Its main event is the Super Bowl every February, which brings the sport’s relatively short season to a climactic finale. But that leaves die-hard fans with the prospect of around seven months when there’s no live-action to enjoy.
Fortunately, ever since the era of video gaming began, there have been many titles to recreate the action on screen.
Sure, they aren’t as exciting or involved as the real thing, and they take away the need to study NFL spreads and other intricacies of betting on the sport. But they make a pretty good substitute for anyone wanting their NFL fix.
Over the years, several of these games have stood out, head and shoulders above the rest. Here are five of the very best of them.
ESPN NFL 2K5
Lots of fans believe that this was the very best of the best. It was the sixth in the series and marked the end of an era. Shortly after its release, EA Sports signed a deal with the NFL to make Madden the NFL’s only officially-approved video game.
The game’s brilliance lay in introducing first-person gameplay, with each match presented as a live ESPN broadcast. It also included Franchise Mode, news clips reporting player injuries, and draft targets. It even allowed players to create their teams from the ground up.
I looked at it today, and maybe the graphics aren’t that great. But, for its time, it was genuinely groundbreaking.
NFL Street
EA had enjoyed massive success with their street soccer game, and here is an attempt to capitalize on that fact.
Along with its successor, NFL Street 2, it captured the very essence of street football. Teams of seven compete in streetwear, not heavily protected by helmets and padding. This translated into a fast, free-flowing game with no penalties and very few fouls. You could even earn points by effectively taunting opponents. Get enough of these, and you were awarded a Gamebreaker – the chance to charge headlong, scattering defenders on your way to a sure touchdown.
Another big favorite with players of the game has always been the “Own The City” mode and the many other mini-games it features.
Madden NFL 2004
Once EA Sports introduced the Madden series, many of its versions have come in for some fairly damning criticisms from fans. But one that won near-universal praise was the 2004 version.
One quirk of the game was the extraordinary powers it gave to the QB for the Atlanta Falcons, Michael Vick. He was an unstoppable force in the game, and developers had to take steps to address this in future versions.
The game also introduced the revolutionary “Owner mode.” This gave players total control over a franchise, even though refreshment concession stands were permitted in the stadium, allowing them to become their own Art Rooney of the game.
It was also the first time Playmaker Controls were included, a feature that remains today.
Madden 2011
The game engines of the Madden series have often come in for criticism, but 2011 was one year in which the series got things right. It seemed to have taken a quantum leap forward in terms of realism on screen, and the movement of players was smooth and free-flowing.
One of the most significant new features was the introduction of Ultimate Team. While this has drawn criticism in recent years for the in-game purchases it encourages, it was a fresh new element that was also very involved at the time.
Many thought this could be an actual turning point for the Madden series. Unfortunately, it seemed the turn was going in the wrong direction.
NCAA Football 14
Of course, college football is where all the pros start. So it’s essential to include at least one game featuring the NFL’s nursery. It may be the nursery, but this is a distinctly grown-up game that accurately depicts college football.
Enhanced by commentary from the legendary Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso, it was like watching an authentic college match.
The recruitment of new squad members was far more detailed than in previous college football games, as was the training mode. It even introduced a new set of fight songs to provide that true frat feel to the game. It was also the last NCAA game that EA Sports created up until this season’s College Football, which has also been very well received.
So there they are five of the best, with many other contenders who could have made your list. But we’re sticking with these.
