The Sad Decline of the Madden NFL Series (Part 1)

Madden NFL 21 is a bad game. But it's only the latest bad Madden. Over the last decade and a half, Madden has been spiraling out of control. Not only are older Madden titles like Madden 07 on the PlayStation 2 deeper games, but other titles from that era such as NFL GameDay and ESPN NFL 2K5 also do a lot of things better than Madden 21. This is part 1 of my ultimate Madden video. Part 2 will cover gameplay, bugs, and marketing, and is pretty juicy. Just need more time to edit it, hence why this video is now in 2 parts rather than one hour-long documentary. Enjoy and happy holidays from SOFTDRINKTV!

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
05:57 Timeline
11:42 Content

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[nicolasbernardini]

"this video was completed after hundreds of hours of research recording and editing" so more effort was put into the video about madden than the actual game

[MrEOM]

I loved how when your team was on the verge of going undefeated in a season your newspaper would start comparing you to the 72' Dolphins.. it was the little things that made us enjoy Madden of that era

[kenfriedlander]

When you remove competition. This is what happens

[Elliesbow]

Madden 05 mini camp was so addicting. I miss those days. Especially when you load it up and the players say “ea sports it’s in the game”!

[wndex]

This is a good example of why having a monopoly is bad.

[madmanus]

Makes me laugh when the ambulance comes driving onto the field and knocks everyone over.

[tehbeernerd]

The fact that all of these features have been left out of recent Madden games is not just an indictment of the series, but of video games as a whole.

[SB-bgto]

As a retro video game store owner, every single word you said in this video I’ve agreed with 100%. Games used to be packed with fun. Now the first question from development corporations is, “How do we add micro transactions?”

[chrisbroxton]

The Tony Bruno clip brought back SO much nostalgia.

[lotrdude]

"Madden 08 is, however, my favorite Madden game of all time" Scott the Woz would be happy to hear that lol

[MyEnemy]

As a 44 year-old who had been playing since the start, but finally gave up on Madden a few years ago, I can definitely bare witness to its horrific downward spiral.

[alexvokoun]

The removed feature make me so sad. Even minor stuff like the Sports radio show in Franchise mode really did a lot to help you become absorbed in the game.

[jahoncourt]

TONY BRUNO SHOW WAS SOO LITT as a kid i would jus listen in franchise mode it was so entertaining sounded like real radio

[mattobs]

I remember when you used to be able to make whole teams, stadiums, plays, etc. So you could essentially make your own unique team and it was so fun. I remember putting in HOURS on madden 12 and 2k3

[J_Braz_]

The youngsters today don't realize how good ps2 Madden was. Damn shame.

[MajorMotions]

Note: A big one for me is I remember in Madden 05 when one of your players got injured in franchise mode they would be listed as day to day, questionable, or unable to play. If they were questionable and say if it was an ankle injury, you would see that player have that ankle wrapped during the game. Also some of his attributes would take a hit to begin the game reflecting that he wasn’t %100. Just realistic AF!

The consequences of having no competition

[randyeason]

The franchise mode was so dope in early madden. I used to export the players from the college football game to Madden

[jaybanks]

I spent so many hours in Superstar Mode.
The reverse camera perspective when you played defense in superstar mode was so great. You actually earned your INTs by proper coverage and breaks on the ball. So rewarding!

[stokes]

Mini camp was the best, my brother and I would have competitions. Coffin corner punting, rush attack, kicking, passing accuracy. good times.