Madden NFL 99
Madden NFL 99 (sometimes shortened to Madden 99) is a football video game released for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and Microsoft Windows. It was the first multiplatform Madden game to be fully 3D (and the second one following the N64-exclusive Madden Football 64). The game's commentary was done by John Madden and Pat Summerall. The American versions feature John Madden himself on the cover, while the European versions used Garrison Hearst instead. The game was the top selling PlayStation sports video game in 1998 in North America, having sold 1.1 million copies on the PlayStation.[1][2]
Madden NFL 99 | |
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Developer(s) | EA Tiburon |
Publisher(s) | EA Sports |
Series | Madden NFL |
Platform(s) | PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Microsoft Windows |
Release | PlayStation Nintendo 64 Windows
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Genre(s) | sports |
Mode(s) | Single player, Multiplayer |
Gameplay
Features
- The game was the first to feature the concept of covering the ball while running and the chop block and "clothesline" techniques which were later scrapped and moved to players simply tackling ball-carriers. Although players' heights now resemble their real life counterparts, all players share the same sized physiques. The game also had twelve historic teams including the 1978 Steelers and 1985 Bears and secret teams such as the Tiburon sports team and NFL All-Star teams from each decade. The Cleveland Browns, who were a year away from rejoining the league, can be accessed for exhibition games via the password "WELCOMEBACK".
- This was the first Madden game to feature Franchise Mode, in which the user could control their team for 15 seasons, complete with realistic NFL type schedules consisting of alternating inter-conference divisional opponents. The user was able to trade, sign/release and draft players. There were a couple of drawbacks to this feature, the first being was that only one player/team owner was allowed to participate during the same franchised season, and the second prohibited any created players from being added to specific teams or to the free agent pool.
- The game was one of the few PlayStation games to support two multi-taps allowing for up to eight players to play simultaneously.
Free agents
- Created Players from NCAA Football '99 can be put in the game as free agents and put on other teams in Quick Game Mode.
- Darnell Autry of Northwestern Wildcats football fame is in the game as a free agent.
- Gary Zimmerman appears as a free agent despite being retired at the beginning of the season.
- Pepper Johnson is listed incorrectly as a 24-year-old twelve-year veteran, which would mean he would have been a 12-year-old rookie.
Rankings
The Denver Broncos had the best team overall in the game with a score of 92. The worst teams in the game were the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins with a score of 70. The best offense in the game belongs to the Green Bay Packers with a score of 95. The best defense in the game belongs to the San Francisco 49ers with a score of 97. The best special teams in the game belongs to the New England Patriots with a perfect score of 100.
Reception
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Next Generation reviewed the PlayStation version of the game, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "It can be argued that this year's Madden was better than last year's, but the fact remains that compared to its main competitior, the gaming experience has become more mediocre. The gap that had existed between the GameDay series and the Madden series can now only be described as Grand Canyon size."[20]
The game received "favorable" reviews on all platforms according to video game review aggregator GameRankings.[24][25][26]
References
- "Electronic Arts Ships Madden NFL 2000 for the PlayStation". Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. August 17, 1999. Archived from the original on November 25, 1999. Retrieved June 17, 2019 – via Yahoo.com.
- "EA Touts Madden Sales". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. February 23, 1999. Archived from the original on February 24, 1999. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
- Marriott, Scott Alan. "Madden NFL 99 (N64) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- Irwin, Jeff. "Madden NFL 99 (PC) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- Marriott, Scott Alan. "Madden NFL 99 (PS) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- "Madden NFL 99 (N64)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. 1998.
- "Madden NFL 99 (PS)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. 1998.
- Storm, Jon; Anderson, Paul; Reiner, Andrew (October 1998). "Madden [NFL] 99 - Nintendo 64". Game Informer (66): 41. Archived from the original on September 9, 1999. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- Storm, Jon; Anderson, Paul; Reiner, Andrew (October 1998). "Madden [NFL] 99 - PlayStation". Game Informer (66): 48. Archived from the original on September 16, 1999. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- Knibbe, Willem (1998). "Madden NFL 99 Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on February 9, 2005. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- Dick, Kevin (October 1998). "Madden NFL '99 Review (N64)". Game Revolution. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- Hubble, Calvin (October 1998). "Madden [NFL] '99 Review (PC)". Game Revolution. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- Dick, Kevin (September 1998). "Madden NFL 99 - PS". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on July 9, 2008. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- MacDonald, Ryan (October 16, 1998). "Madden NFL 99 Review (N64)". GameSpot. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- Poole, Stephen (October 16, 1998). "Madden NFL 99 Review (PC)". GameSpot. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- MacDonald, Ryan (August 27, 1998). "Madden NFL 99 Review (PS)". GameSpot. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- Egger, Dan (September 25, 1998). "Madden NFL 99 (N64)". IGN. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- Bates, Jason (October 22, 1998). "Madden NFL '99 (PC)". IGN. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- Perry, Douglass C. (August 26, 1998). "Madden NFL '99 (PS)". IGN. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- "Finals". Next Generation. No. 47. Imagine Media. November 1998. p. 150.
- "Madden NFL 99". Nintendo Power. 113. October 1998.
- "Madden NFL 99". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. 1998.
- Smolka, Rob (December 1998). "Madden NFL 99". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on December 9, 1999. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- "Madden NFL 99 for Nintendo 64". GameRankings. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- "Madden NFL 99 for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- "Madden NFL 99 for PlayStation". GameRankings. Retrieved May 15, 2015.