Another year, another NFL season is upon us. With that, it signifies a new installment of the great Madden franchise. While there’s little doubt that the series has seen a bit of a downturn over the past decade, the franchise still generates hype with each annual release.
This year there is even more excitement with the promise of a special edition, with the legend himself John Madden on the cover. Ahead of the release of Madden 23 next month, let’s take a look back at the franchise. In particular, let’s take a look back at which games Metacritic considers the best.
10 Madden NFL 07 (84)
The 2007 edition of Madden wasn’t as well received as its predecessors, but it still earned a solid 84/100 on Metacritic, and the PS2 port did anyway. The game, which featured Shaun Alexander on the cover, was the first to be released for Wii and PS3.
The gateway to the former has been praised for its unique motion controls. While it wouldn’t be the best port for next-gen consoles, it was still an important game for the franchise.
9 Madden NFL 10 (85)
Madden 10 is the most recent edition of the franchise to appear on this list. In a rare move, the cover of the game featured two players, Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu. The two had previously represented the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the previous Super Bowl.
The game’s PS3 and Xbox 360 ports scored an 85 on Metacritic. The 2010 edition of Madden is best known for having the beloved Ultimate Team mode for the first time. Although it was not released with much fanfare in 2010, it is one of the most played modes today.
8 Madden NFL 09 (85)
Madden 09 was a solid game that did well to build on the foundation laid the year before. The PS3 edition of the game scored an 85 out of 100, and the Xbox 360 port followed right behind it.
The game wasn’t too spectacular, but did a good job of improving the standard gameplay and franchise mode. However, the game is mostly remembered these days because Brett Favre appeared on the cover of the game despite being a member of the New York Jets.
7 Madden NFL 08 (85)
The Xbox 360 edition of Madden 08 earned a score of 85 on Metacritic, with the other edition of the PS3 next to it. The game didn’t do anything groundbreaking, but there was still a lot of fun in the game. Especially in the fantasy football-esque ‘Fantasy Challenge’ mode.
The cover was graced by then-Pro Bowl quarterback Vince Young, which was an interesting choice. Madden 08 was a historic edition as it was the last game released for the Gamecube in North America. It was also the last entry to be released for PC until Madden 19.
6 Madden NFL 06 (88)
Madden 06 was the first game to be released for the next-gen Xbox 360, but that edition was admittedly a bit rushed. However, the previous generation editions, such as the PS2 episode, were highly rated, earning an 88 on Metacritic.
The main special feature of the game was the Superstar mode, which was great. A fun fact about this title is that it is the only one with WWE star, Brock Lesnar, as he was signed to the Minnesota Vikings at the time of its release.
5 Madden NFL 05 (91)
Madden’s 16th episode was very well received. Featuring Baltimore Ravens star Ray Lewis on the cover, it was the last edition to be released on the Playstation and the first to be released for the Nintendo DS.
The edition has not released any new modes, but it has greatly refined the gameplay. The game’s PS2 and Xbox ports ranked highest, as they scored a 91 on Metacritic.
4 Madden 2001 (91)
The 2001 edition of Madden featured Tennessee Titans running Eddie George back on the cover. The cover rollback was historic, as it marked the first time in franchise history that John Madden was not featured prominently on the cover.
It was one of the most customizable games to date, as fans were able to create plays, create players, and have custom rules for their individual games. For example, if a player wanted, they could give themselves five downs and their CPU three. Customization was one of the best parts of Madden 01.
3 Madden NFL 2004 (94)
Madden 04 is not only one of the best games in the franchise, it is also one of the best sports games ever. The cover featured quarterback Michael Vick, who is in the running as one of the most overpowered players ever in the game itself.
The PS2 edition of the game received a 94 on Metacritic, with other ports immediately following. Additionally, Madden was named NFL 2004 Game of the Year at the 2003 Video Game Awards.
2 Madden NFL 2002 (94)
The 2002 edition of Madden was the first to appear on Xbox, and it also featured Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper on the cover. However, the highest score from critics went to the PS2 port, with a 94 out of 100.
Admittedly, the other ports followed close behind. A fun fact for this game was that due to licensing issues, Tom Brady was unavailable when the game was first released. However, he was in later editions.
1 Madden NFL 2003 (95)
Madden 2003 is the franchise’s highest-rated game on Metacritic. The PS2 edition of the game got a crazy 95 out of 100, with other ports of the game on the Xbox and Gamecube right behind them.
Running back Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk graced the cover of the game. The 2003 edition had many firsts, as it featured a dedicated soundtrack featuring licensed music for the first time. It also featured Al Michaels as the commentator for the first time and the mini-camp mode.
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