Playcalling expert John Madden again licenses Electronic Arts' flagship football simulation. New features for 1998 include more advanced Quarterback functions such as the ability to play lob passes and adjust timing patterns, and more instinctive AI features to adjust as the match goes on. Squad features have also been advanced, with the opportunity to create plays and trade them. Gameplay is much the same as the other editions, with the full season on offer as well as playoffs and the Superbowl. Everything is presented TV-style, with play-by-play analysis and reports. The contemporary NFL teams are joined by great squads of the past.
Also in series
Released on
Genres
Reviews View More
Madden starts to become itself here, I like that.
My first Madden! I won the Super Bowl with every team.
Games I Dislike That Everybody Else Likes
Graphically indistinguishable from Madden NFL 97, in fact I actually think this even looks a little worse. This is technically a better game as well, but only ever so slightly, in a way that doesn't really justify a full new release. It's a little tighter, the passing is slightly more responsive, UI is a bit cleaner, and there's this really cool feature where divots gradually build up in the field over time where big hits took place. But all of this feels like a patch as opposed to a standalone entry. And again, after a couple of these matchups I'm over it.
Graphically indistinguishable from Madden NFL 97, in fact I actually think this even looks a little worse. This is technically a better game as well, but only ever so slightly, in a way that doesn't really justify a full new release. It's a little tighter, the passing is slightly more responsive, UI is a bit cleaner, and there's this really cool feature where divots gradually build up in the field over time where big hits took place. But all of this feels like a patch as opposed to a standalone entry. And again, after a couple of these matchups I'm over it.