"The Best 16 Bit Football Game, Bar None."

When I bought Madden 98 in 2000, I played it to death, and had a great time, day in, day out. When my cartridge battery died out on me last year, I did not touch it until yesterday. Boy I miss this game, as it set the tone for many more Maddens to come. Game play will tell you why.

Game play: 9/10

While it does not have as many features, nor does it have as many receiver options like the later games, Madden 98 had a fantastic playbook, with great plays, and many different options for different positions on the team. Football is a rough sport, and you get that feeling when deliver a sack, or when you dive at the running back, as he barrels in to you. Madden 98 is more difficult than previous Maddens, in that it is more realistic (well, as realistic as a 16 bit football game can be). Receivers run routes correctly, and if the route fails, then they adjust accordingly. No football game before ever did that, and that is just one of the many things that makes Madden 98 so good. Otherwise though, its just a football game! Just like a story, is just a story.

Story: N/A

A story in a Madden game? The day EA would do something like that. Graphics will be up next.

Graphics: 8/10

While Madden 98 looks good, it hardly looks incredible. The players all look the same, with the same numbers, though their indicators reveal their true numbers (just so you can tell who's who). The field is nice and bright (albeit too bright if you decide to play with snow), and the presentation of the menus and such look great, properly displaying what mode/season you are in. Are the sounds as good?

Sounds: 8/10

Boom! Madden sounds crystal clear, as does Pat Summerall. The player sounds sound great also with the oofs, and grunts, etc. The classic Madden music (which disappeared soon after the 98 games) is back, and it sounds good, though it can be repetitive. What else is there to say really? Thankfully, the Maddenisms are in the game, as they add a lot of color. Is this a replay-able game?

Replay ability: 10/10

Especially with this roster, Madden 98 is a replay-able game, and then some. You can go through season after season, complete playoffs, et al, and it (can) never end, as the seasons go on and on. Furthermore, you can complete many trades, create players, play past Superbowls, the possibilities are endless!

Buy or Rent?

This is a game that you buy and build upon, as every Madden is. You do not rent Madden games people!

While the franchise has become stale and boring in recent years, at one time, the Madden games were far from that. I am just glad that the Madden series went out with a bang on Sega consoles, as this game was truly a highlight of the series. "There's a flag on the play!"

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/29/09

Game Release: Madden NFL 98 (US, 1997)