John Madden Football

From Sega Retro

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JohnMaddenFootball title.png

John Madden Football
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer:
Genre: Sports

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
US 		$49.9549.95[4][5] 700001
Sega Mega Drive
EU 		E036SMXI
Sega Mega Drive
BR

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John Madden Football, known as John Madden American Football in Europe, is an American football game developed by Park Place Productions and published by Electronic Arts. It is the second in the long line of Madden titles, which have been released annually since the creation of this game. The previous game, also called John Madden Football, was released in 1988 and is largely unrelated to this one, aside from the similar themes; that game received a sequel of its own after this one, in 1991 (John Madden Football II)

John Madden Football for the Mega Drive can be seen as "Madden '91", being followed by John Madden Football '92, '93, '94 and so on. Every game has been named after John Madden, American football player, coach and commentator.

History

Development

Having seen success and rapid growth in supporting the home computer market, Electronic Arts chose in 1989 to make the move into video games, and more specifically, the Sega Mega Drive. However EA were not keen on paying royalties to Sega (roughly $8-$10 USD per cartridge), and so invested time and money in reverse engineering the console in an attempt to circumvent these policies.

However, unlike Nintendo's efforts with the NES, bypassing the security system of a Mega Drive required the use of the word "SEGA", the thinking being that unauthorised use of this trademark would give grounds for Sega to sue companies which attempted to reverse engineer its console (something that was famously challenged when Accolade attempted a similar feat). To avoid this, EA made a proposal to Sega that the fee be reduced to $2, with the overall fee not exceeding $2 million USD. Sega agreed due to fears EA would sell the information to other companies, and the process would reportedly save EA $35 million in the next three years.

While EA released several computer-to-Mega Drive conversions during 1990, this new John Madden Football was seen as its first major contribution to the video game market. However, Sega were also keen to exploit the 1990 holiday season (and newly acquired license with NFL quarterback Joe Montana) with an American football game, using Activision's Hard Yardage as a base. The project however was struggling and was set to miss its deadline, so Sega approached EA to sell John Madden Football as Joe Montana Football.

EA refused, but gave Sega a watered down engine for Joe Montana Football (which still proved successful).

Legacy

John Madden Football was an enormous success for EA, and is seen as an industry game changer - one of the first steps to take back market share from Nintendo in North America.

Elsewhere in the world, John Madden Football and its sequels have been less successful as the sport does not tend to resonate outside of the US, however EA has applied the annual release system to other sports titles, namely NHL, FIFA, PGA Tour Golf and NBA Live.

Magazine articles

Main article: John Madden Football/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in GamePro (US) #18: "January 1991" (199x-xx-xx)
also published in:
Logo-pdf.svg

Artwork

  • JohnMaddenFootball MD EU Art Cover.jpg

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
90 [8]
97 [9]
95 [10]
95 [11]
92 [12]
86 [13]
87 [14]
75 №5, p92
95 [15]
93 [16]
96 [17]
91 [18]
81 [19]
94 [20]
92 [21]
100 №23, p53
90 [22]
84 №18, p66
83 [23]
95 №16, p90/91
Sega Mega Drive
 91
Based on
20 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
60
[24]
ACE (UK)
90
[8]
Complete Guide to Consoles (UK)
97
[9]
The Complete Guide to Sega (UK)
97
[25]
Console XS (UK) PAL
84
[26]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
95
[27]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
90
[3]
Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)
92
[28]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
88
[29]
Hobby Consolas (ES)
86
[30]
Joystick (FR)
87
[14]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL
75
[31]
Mega Play (US) NTSC-U
90
[32]
MegaTech (UK)
96
[17]
Mean Machines (UK)
95
[33]
Mean Machines (UK)
93
[16]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
94
[34]
Player One (FR)
91
[35]
Power Play (DE)
81
[19]
Raze (UK) PAL
94
[36]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
92
[37]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
100
[38]
Sega Pro (UK)
90
[22]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
84
[39]
Supergame (BR)
83
[40]
Tilt (FR)
75
[41]
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (US) NTSC-U
70
[42]
Zero (UK) PAL
95
[43]
Sega Mega Drive
 88
Based on
28 reviews

John Madden Football

Mega Drive, US
JohnMaddenFootball MD US Box Back.jpgJohnMaddenFootball MD US Box Spine.jpgJohnMaddenFootball MD US Box.jpgJohnMaddenFootball MD US Box Spine2.jpg
Cover
JohnMaddenFootball MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, EU
JohnMaddenFootball MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
JohnMaddenFootball MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, BR
JohnMaddenFootball MD BR Box.jpg
Cover
JohnMaddenFootball MD BR Cart.jpg
Cart

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Mega Drive
✔
CRC32 90fb8818
MD5 6c2b1deff4ad246d5ac0962591e1f974
SHA-1 10682f1763711b281542fcd5e192e1633809dc75
512kB 1990-07 Cartridge (US/EU)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 ACE, "January 1991" (UK; 1990-12-xx), page 165
  2. ↑ Mean Machines, "December 1990" (UK; 1990-12-xx), page 19
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 File:EGM US 017.pdf, page 21 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:EGM US 017.pdf_p21" defined multiple times with different content
  4. ↑ GamePro, "January 1991" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 62
  5. ↑ File:CGW US 089.pdf, page 83
  6. ↑ File:Supergame BR 10.pdf, page 36
  7. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "October 1991" (US; 1991-xx-xx), page 78
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 ACE, "February 1991" (UK; 1991-01-08), page 67
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Complete Guide to Consoles, "Volume IV" (UK; 1990-11-xx), page 31
  10. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "January 1991" (UK; 1990-12-15), page 70-72 (70)
  11. ↑ Computer + Video Giochi, "Febbraio 1991" (IT; 1991-xx-xx), page 66-68 (66)
  12. ↑ GamePro, "January 1991" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 58-60 (60)
  13. ↑ Hobby Consolas, "Octubre 1991" (ES; 1991-xx-xx), page 32/33 (32)
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Joystick, "Janvier 1991" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 108
  15. ↑ Mean Machines, "December 1990" (UK; 1990-12-xx), page 16-19 (16)
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Mean Machines, "February 1992" (UK; 1992-01-27), page 74
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 78
  18. ↑ Player One, "Janvier 1991" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 32/33 (32)
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Power Play, "1/91" (DE; 1990-12-14), page 174
  20. ↑ Raze, "February 1991" (UK; 1990-12-20), page 70/71 (70)
  21. ↑ Sega Power, "January 1991" (UK; 1990-12-06), page 34/35 (34)
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Sega Pro, "Christmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-12), page 67
  23. ↑ Supergame, "Maio 1992" (BR; 1992-05-xx), page 36-38 (36)
  24. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 120
  25. ↑ The Complete Guide to Sega, "" (UK; 1991-05-xx), page 47
  26. ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 131
  27. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "January 1991" (UK; 1990-12-15), page 66
  28. ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 62
  29. ↑ GamePro, "January 1991" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 60
  30. ↑ Hobby Consolas, "Octubre 1991" (ES; 1991-xx-xx), page 32
  31. ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 92
  32. ↑ Mega Play, "March/April 1991" (US; 1991-04-xx), page 45
  33. ↑ Mean Machines, "December 1990" (UK; 1990-12-xx), page 16
  34. ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 139
  35. ↑ Player One, "Janvier 1991" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 32
  36. ↑ Raze, "February 1991" (UK; 1990-12-20), page 70
  37. ↑ Sega Power, "January 1991" (UK; 1990-12-06), page 34
  38. ↑ Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 53
  39. ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 66
  40. ↑ Supergame, "Maio 1992" (BR; 1992-05-xx), page 37
  41. ↑ Tilt, "Février 1991" (FR; 1991-0x-xx), page 76
  42. ↑ VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, "January 1991" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 36
  43. ↑ Zero, "February 1991" (UK; 1991-0x-xx), page 90



Electronic Arts sports games for Sega systems
American Football
John Madden Football (1990) | John Madden Football '92 (1991) | John Madden Football '93 (1992) | John Madden Football: Championship Edition (1992) | Mutant League Football (1993) | Madden NFL '94 (1993) | Bill Walsh College Football (1993) | Bill Walsh College Football '95 (1994) | Madden NFL '95 (1994) | Madden NFL 96 (1995) | College Football USA 96 (1995) | Madden NFL 97 (Mega Drive) (1996) | Madden NFL 97 (Saturn) (1996) | College Football USA 97 (1996) | Madden NFL 98 (Mega Drive) (1997) | Madden NFL 98 (Saturn) (1997)
Baseball
Tony La Russa Baseball (1993) | MLBPA Baseball (1994) | La Russa Baseball 95 (1994) | Triple Play 96 (1995) | Triple Play: Gold Edition (1996)
Basketball
Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs (1990) | Bulls vs Lakers and the NBA Playoffs (1991) | Jordan vs Bird (1992) | Team USA Basketball (1992) | Bulls versus Blazers and the NBA Playoffs (1993) | NBA Showdown '94 (1994) | NBA Live 95 (1994) | NBA Live 96 (1995) | Coach K College Basketball (1995) | NBA Live 97 (Mega Drive) (1996) | NBA Live 97 (Saturn) (1996) | NBA Live 98 (Mega Drive) (1997) | NBA Live 98 (Saturn) (1997)
Golf
Zany Golf (1990) | PGA Tour Golf (1990) | PGA Tour Golf II (1992) | PGA Tour Golf III (1994) | PGA European Tour (1994) | PGA Tour Golf II (1995) | PGA Tour 96 (1995) | PGA Tour 97 (1996)
Ice Hockey
NHL Hockey (Mega Drive) (1991) | NHLPA Hockey '93 (1992) | NHL Hockey '94 (1993) | Elitserien 95 (1994) | Mutant League Hockey (1994) | NHL 95 (1994) | NHLPA Hockey (1994) | Elitserien 96 (1995) | NHL 96 (1995) | NHL Hockey (Game Gear) (1995) | NHL 97 (Mega Drive) (1996) | NHL 97 (Saturn) (1996) | NHL 98 (Mega Drive) (1997) | NHL 98 (Saturn) (1997)
Racing
Mario Andretti Racing (1994) | Andretti Racing (1996) | NASCAR 98 (1997)
Rugby
Rugby World Cup 1995 (1994) | Australian Rugby League (1995)
Soccer
FIFA International Soccer (8-bit) (1993) | FIFA International Soccer: Championship Edition (1994) | FIFA Soccer 95 (1994) | FIFA Soccer 96 (Mega Drive) (32X | Saturn | Game Gear) (1995) | FIFA Soccer 97 (Gold Edition) (1996) | FIFA Road to World Cup 98 (Mega Drive) (1997) | FIFA Road to World Cup 98 (Saturn) (1997)
Misc.
EA Sports Double Header (1992) | IMG International Tour Tennis (1994) | Toughman Contest (1994)
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