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The Original John Madden Football Gameplay Video

11:10 AM - January 11, 2014 by Steve_OS

Some of us old gamers grew up on John Madden Football, from the very first release on the Apple II in 1988. For those that are curious, this is what the game looked like. Just think what football games will look like in 25 more years.

Any of our old-school OSers have any memories of this one?

Member Comments

# 41 Skyboxer @ 07/30/14 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iLLWiLL


	SportsTalk Football? Whoops. Uh-oh. I can't...believe it. What a mistake.

"QB pitches to the RB... he makes a move.... breaks a tackle!!... Gain of 1"

That game was funny at times.

# 42 tyberious4now @ 07/30/14 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbo Lax 33


	This is why i never complain about graphics. I've been gaming for 40 years and can remember playing the original Madden, plus all the Atari sports games before that, where there were 3 players on each team and they all moved in unison. Gaming today is amazing and just taking a look back at videos like this should bring an appreciation for where things are today.

Man you are telling your age...lol I remember this as well that's why I don't complain about anything madden has to offer because I know what I came from....lol

# 43 Skyboxer @ 07/30/14 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbo Lax 33


	This is why i never complain about graphics. I've been gaming for 40 years and can remember playing the original Madden, plus all the Atari sports games before that, where there were 3 players on each team and they all moved in unison. Gaming today is amazing and just taking a look back at videos like this should bring an appreciation for where things are today.

Same here brother...

# 44 TTD71 @ 07/30/14 01:30 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq4CobNxgJM

I actually played this T.I. 99 "football" game....it blew away Atari and even Intellivision by having 11 guys on each team!!!

Thanks for the nostaliga!!

# 45 iLLWiLL @ 07/30/14 01:38 PM

Anybody play NES PlayAction Football? It had this top-down view with the field at like a 45-degree angle. When I was a kid, back in the late 80s, my Pops didn't know any better, knew nothing about Tecmo Bowl or madden, and he probably just bought that game for me probably because it was cheap, lol. Anyways, the game really sucked, lol.

# 46 iLLWiLL @ 07/30/14 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FaceMask


	Montana was more sim and realistic, but Madden had better gameplay.

I wouldn't say that. Montana's graphics always blew madden's out of the water (which, as a kid, was why i got it). But madden's gameplay was much better, and funner. Montana's passing game was good, but the running game terrible, non-existent. At least with madden you had to dive to tackle someone. In montana, the ballcarrier would go down just by being touched...

# 47 friscob @ 07/30/14 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iLLWiLL


	I wouldn't say that. Montana's graphics always blew madden's out of the water (which, as a kid, was why i got it). But madden's gameplay was much better, and funner. Montana's passing game was good, but the running game terrible, non-existent. At least with madden you had to dive to tackle someone. In montana, the ballcarrier would go down just by being touched...

I remember doing laps around the field in Montana's with barry sanders just spinning non stop lol. And ppl complain theres no defense in madden 25!

Still play the NES tecmo bowl from time to time, never really got into madden until the Ps2 editions

# 48 Armor and Sword @ 07/30/14 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skyboxer


	Same here brother...

Same same. 2600 gen gamer here. We have it made in the shade now. I love sports games today.

Never been better. Sorry but never been better despite the mob mentality on Madden these days. I understand about features, etc and yeah we all talk about presentation, depth etc and how it can be better.

But quite frankly gameplay? It has never been better IMO. PS2/XBOX has now reached nostalgia status and I can't play those titles anymore for any extended period of time. Are they still fun? Yeah...but then I play NCAA 14 or M25 and am loving my gameplay more than ever. Also the depth on NCAA 14 rivals any console football game (not named HC09) before it.

# 49 iLLWiLL @ 07/30/14 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by friscob


	I remember doing laps around the field in Montana's with barry sanders just spinning non stop lol. And ppl complain theres no defense in madden 25! Still play the NES tecmo bowl from time to time, never really got into madden until the Ps2 editions

I remember being able to do that for John Elway's Quarterback football, lol, but not in Montana

# 50 smace767 @ 07/30/14 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyberious4now


	I hear ya charter the problem these days are people trying to create real life in video games... I take it for what it is. I remember that handheld football game with the dots and thought man this can't get no better..lol. Maybe I went back too far!!! Lol

I was gonna say the same thing about the hand held with the dots.

I remember my first football game was the electric football game where they vibrated and it was the cowboys vs Steelers addition.

I remember the hand held with the dots and going in the closet in school and playing it, then putting it in my storage bin and when i came out one of my boys would go into the closet to play.

I remember in early 80s spending like 60$ on the video football game with the Xs and Os with the rollerball. Put it like this my moms was mad as ****. For a dollar then you could buy a 32 oz juice(think Kool aid), a double size bag of chips, a pack of cookies and about 3 or four now a laters or penny candy. So 60 dollars was a grip.

I remember having tecmo boowl and super tecmo bowl tournaments every day at lunch in the Army. We get an hour and a half for lunch and if we rush with what we had to do so we could get the first games started earlier and go from 11-1. Bo Jackson was cheese. Chicago defense was cheese. Joe Montana to Jerry rice was cheese.

I remember when SNES came out and we had the lunch time games in Madden.

I remember Joe Montana on Sega Genesis.

I remember the Columbine shooting and how crazy that was actually introduced me to NCAA football on PC. I was stationed in Colorado and there was live coverage of the shooting and we were gathered around the CQ area(think reception area for you non military) And this dude stopped to watch and had NCAA. I said let me see it. Took it home and burned / loaded a copy on my PC and have played NCAA every year since. Going from PC, to Playstation to XBOX to PS3.

I remember i was a drill sergeant and we had to take guys to the PX(think department store) to clear the installation when we chaptered(Kick out) a guy. They had the XBOX demo with Madden. I stayed there for 30 minutes watching and waiting for one quick feel of the sticks. I had not played Madden much due to NCAA for a few years. The XBOX leap was large and that actually had guys feeling WOW when they saw and played it. I bought an XBOX that week. Drill sergeant duty was a wake up at 3:50am get home at 9:45pm job. But i would get my game in at night before i passed out.

I remember being in Germany and just getting in country and going over this Female NCO's house who was a single parent for a big dinner type event. Her 12-13 year old son was a madden young kid. Made himself with all 99s and put him in the game and played cheese. I beat him 105-20( he went for 2 every TD). He was talking smack so i went in. Guys said why did you beat that boy like that on Christmas. Didnt realize i put a dent in his day till later. Oh well. Talk smack and cheesed with his 99 version of him self. I was i think the All time cowboys or probowl squad.

I remember i had Madden and i was in single soldier barracks with other senior NCOs and we all thought we were Great Madden players. This one guy was from ST Louis and loved the Rams/ greatest show on turf. The day before they came to pack our stuff for Iraq we finally played. Him the Rams and Me the Titans. Cowboys sucked to bad to use vs the Rams then. I had the lead and shut down a lot of his stuff, till Faulk and Warner got hot and he scored with 4 seconds left to take the lead.

He kicked it to the White fast guy the titans had as a returner. Cant think of his name right now. Ran to the left return cheese. Had a guy to beat and the guy the user was controlling. spin move on them. got some blocks leaped over the kickers dive and won with no time left. Screaming yelling and getting my Richard Sherman on. Didnt get to buy madden for xbox while in Iraq. I did have madden 2004 on my pc over there. I bought an XBOX and had it shipped to Iraq and with madden sold out, bought 2K5 and played that the entire time even after they got more madden . Drew Henson, Chad Hutchinson Cowboy years were rough. Played a dual franchise with me the cowboys and my boy Young the Bears.

Vision Cone madden was my favorite cause it created separation of QBs and DBs that not many games have made since. Developing / acquiring a great QB was a big thing.

Games have come along way from the top of this post and i can understand that. As a BS in IT guy i know that the game is a business product. Some of what guys want cant or wont happen cause its not cost effective. Its still a video game and not reality. In the end its on and off yes and no logic. There are ways to make that more dynamic but it will never be completely free flowing at the price points we have.

But... I have a guy in one of my ODs in his 50. I figure i have 6 years till i get to his age but by then my gaming will be about over. Am i satisfied with the football game i have now? I might just make it to the next next gen cycle. But for now i want the biggest improvements possible. I dont have time for "didn't get it in this year".
AI as a whole should and could be way better than what it is now. I have been satisfied with what was put out as far as getting my moneys worth out of the games i bought. And i haven't bought but maybe 3 or 4 at retail since 06madden. Played most releases used after i was done with NCAA. online CFMs have caused me to start buying at release. But this madden 15 level game play with head coach level management should have been released in 2010 or 2011 and we should be well ahead of where we are. The Show and NBA2K are totally different type games so no comparison is valid. But we should be more advanced then we are to get that type of experience. Even with 512MB of ram avail on last gen compared to 12-13 gigs now(yes its officially 16gigs but im pretty sure 2-3 gigs of "system" ram are not avail for applications anyway) the foundation coulda shoulda been better.

Satisfaction wont come easy from me going forward. I wont buy if they dont make leaps. If i win my case in a few weeks. Madden/ gaming will be my job so i will have time to be that guy. That always critical, youtube video producing guy in hopes of causing a movement to getting "that" wow madden by Madden 18.

# 51 friscob @ 07/30/14 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iLLWiLL


	I remember being able to do that for John Elway's Quarterback* football, lol, but not in Montana*

Idk man, i've never even played any Elway football games. Definitely remember doing it in like 93 or 94 sports talk football. Might just download the rom tonight to see if it it's still possible, that intro music was pretty sweet lol

# 52 iLLWiLL @ 07/30/14 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by friscob


	Idk man, i've never even played any Elway football games. Definitely remember doing it in like 93 or 94 sports talk football. Might just download the rom tonight to see if it it's still possible, that intro music was pretty sweet lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W97JxDd0CC0

LMAO! Takes me back

# 53 charter04 @ 07/30/14 04:43 PM

My best friend had that game ^^
It was pretty fun. My first football video game was John Elways QB.

# 54 azdawgpound @ 07/30/14 04:49 PM

I remember buying I think it was one first john maddens I didn't like it because u had hit all different buttons etc....my best memory's of a real game was techmo bowl now that was a crazy game had lots fun time with that and Gerald "ice cube" mcneil returning ko's and punts like nobodys business lol.

# 55 DirtyHawks12 @ 07/30/14 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iLLWiLL


	Anybody play NES PlayAction Football? It had this top-down view with the field at like a 45-degree angle. When I was a kid, back in the late 80s, my Pops didn't know any better, knew nothing about Tecmo Bowl or madden, and he probably just bought that game for me probably because it was cheap, lol. Anyways, the game really sucked, lol.

YES!! My brother and I got this for Christmas the year it came out, 1990. We got a small TV that year too for the Nintendo. We set everything up and played it all day on the floor next to the Christmas tree. My aunts/uncles couldn't understand why we were glued to it all day.

It was no Super Tecmo Bowl but it wasn't completely awful. The camera angle was odd though.

# 56 charter04 @ 07/30/14 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iLLWiLL


	Anybody play NES PlayAction Football? It had this top-down view with the field at like a 45-degree angle. When I was a kid, back in the late 80s, my Pops didn't know any better, knew nothing about Tecmo Bowl or madden, and he probably just bought that game for me probably because it was cheap, lol. Anyways, the game really sucked, lol.

I still have that game. It was actually pretty sim for its time. A fast 15 min quarters. Players got tired and had to be subbed out. They stupidly made QB's need to be subbed out but still. Lol I greatly preferred Tecmo Super Bowl but, for 1990 it wasn't terrible.

It was one of the few games that used the 4 player adapter. Two guys against two guys was unheard of back then.

# 57 iLLWiLL @ 07/30/14 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyHawks12


	YES!! My brother and I got this for Christmas the year it came out, 1990. We got a small TV that year too for the Nintendo. We set everything up and played it all day on the floor next to the Christmas tree. My aunts/uncles couldn't understand why we were glued to it all day. It was no Super Tecmo Bowl but it wasn't completely awful. The camera angle was odd though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by charter04


	I still have that game. It was actually pretty sim for its time. A fast 15 min quarters. Players got tired and had to be subbed out. They stupidly made QB's need to be subbed out but still. Lol I greatly preferred Tecmo Super Bowl but, for 1990 it wasn't terrible. It was one of the few games that used the 4 player adapter. Two guys against two guys was unheard of back then.

lol. It wasn't as bad as I made it sound, I suppose. It just was nowhere near the level of quality & fun that a Tecmo Bowl was. Really stiff, awkward controls. Although I must say what I did like was the "2K-esque" running controls, how you would have to pound the A-button to run faster, as well as to break tackles!!!

# 58 Skyboxer @ 07/30/14 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iLLWiLL


	Anybody play NES PlayAction Football? It had this top-down view with the field at like a 45-degree angle. When I was a kid, back in the late 80s, my Pops didn't know any better, knew nothing about Tecmo Bowl or madden, and he probably just bought that game for me probably because it was cheap, lol. Anyways, the game really sucked, lol.

Sure did. Had fun but the main issue with it was there was no "height" on passes. As long as you were in the path you could intercept it.
Fun times though.

# 59 Skyboxer @ 07/30/14 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iLLWiLL


	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W97JxDd0CC0 LMAO! Takes me back

I have this:

Dad got it for my birthday when I was a youngster.

# 60 therealsmallville @ 07/30/14 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charter04


	I still have that game. It was actually pretty sim for its time. A fast 15 min quarters. Players got tired and had to be subbed out. They stupidly made QB's need to be subbed out but still. Lol I greatly preferred Tecmo Super Bowl but, for 1990 it wasn't terrible. It was one of the few games that used the 4 player adapter. Two guys against two guys was unheard of back then.

I loved that game back then...it was the first game I can remember seeing digitized faces for lol When you went into your depth chart you could see them.

When you looked at SF's roster, it actually kinda looked like Joe Montana's face. Steve Young looked odd, but Joe wasn't half bad LOL

Great fun with it.

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