The List: Part 1 Football Games

Yes I know a list, some love em some hate em but it brings discussion. Every few days I will be making a list, checking it twice, going to find out who/what you like or dislike. Until all the sports genres are covered. If people are intrested and there is some response (adding your own lists) I will do the same thing with actual sports in the Water Cooler.

These are based on the games I have played so I denote the console(s) I played them on.


Top 5 Football games (Current Generation: PS2/Xbox/GC/Dreamcast):

5. NFL 2K (DC)
4. NCAA 2004 (Xbox)
3. ESPN NFL 2K4 (Xbox)
2. ESPN NFL 2K5 (Xbox)
1. NCAA 2006 (Xbox)


Top 5 Football games (Past: 2600/NES/SNES/Genesis/PSX/Saturn):

5. NFL Gameday 98 (PSX)
4. Joe Montana Football (Gen)
3. Tecmo Super Bowl (NES/Gen)
2. John Madden Football (Gen)
1. Tecmo Bowl (NES)


The 5 worst football games of all time

5. ESPN NFL Primetime 2002 (Xbox)
4. NFL Gameday 2002 (PS2)
3. NFL QB Club 2001 (DC)
2. Troy Aikman Football (Gen)
1. NFL QB Club 2000 (DC)


The top 5 enhancements to football games this generation

5. Maximum Passing 2K Series
4. In depth recruiting (NCAA Series)
3. Hardware that allows for use of enough polygons, to prevent against your eyes bleeding (see PSX)
2. Proper use of R-Analog stick (see NCAA 2006)
1. Getting Skinny NFL 2K2. Mario no more, for Visual Concepts at least.


The top 5 unstoppable players in a football game

5. Michael Vick - In every stinking game he shows up in.
4. Barry Sanders - (PSX) Madden - I forget the year.
3. Randy Moss - (DC) NFL 2K
2. (Tie) Bo Jackson & Randall Cunningham (aka QB Eagles) - (NES/Gen) Tecmo Super Bowl 
1. Lawrence Taylor - (NES) Tecmo Bowl.  The guy could block every extra point. LT wins it hands down. Bo don't block kicks.

This is about all I can contribute:

My current favorite is NCAA 2006.  I also hold NCAA 2004 in high regard.

I didn't play the last 3 versions of Madden a ton, but I think they were all good, but not spectacular.

NFL 2K5 played pretty well, and was incredibly deep, but like many 2K Sports franchises, had plenty of odd quirks that hurt the experience.

I think NFL Fever 2004 is underappreciated.  The "Read and Lead" passing was very innovative and fun.  For me, the only major problems were the darn 5 minute quarters only for "accurate" stats, and the fact that I could not get the D-line to stunt, unless I did it manually, no matter what play I called.

Sorry it's not in "list" format! 

Kevin

Football has never been a top of the list sport with me, but I do have some favorites.  I also can't comment on the unstoppables or the enhancements as I never paid that much attention.

So my list is only the top 5 of all time of the football games that I played and played a lot and wanted to keep playing a lot.  All generations and platforms included.

5. TV Sports Football (Amiga)
4.  Front Page Sports Football (PC)
3.  NFL 2k (DC)
2.  NFL 2k5 (Xbox)
1.  NCAA Football 06 (PS2)

TV Sports Football was a game that I got very excited about when it was being advertised in magazines.  This was back when I would buy every issue month after month and just drool over the ads for the games.  Those days are long gone, but the memories linger.  The TV booth presentation before and after the games was revolutionary at the time along with the cinematic kicking experience.

Front Page Sports Football was similar in anticpation level and I remember taking the San Diego team to the Superbowl.  After that I never played the game again.  I guess I got everything I wanted out of it and nothing would ever match that season.

I had a huge lull in gaming between 1995 and 1999, but when I resumed I grabbed a Dreamcast and had a lot of fun with NFL 2k and friends while we went round robin for entire afternoons.  I was usually everybody's whipping boy, but it was still fun.

NFL 2k5 had the graphics, the running game, and the post over the middle which kept me into my Packers dynasty for a long time.

NCAA 06 provided the facility for the SGN season.  5 months of edge of the seat action, top notch rivaly and camraderie.  What more could I ask?  Oh yeah, a four season dynasty culminating in a national championship for the Jayhawks.  Stop laughing Brent.  I mean it. 

OK time for a rare post, you guys have piqued my interest with this topic...

I can't believe nobody's posted the best-playing football game of all-time: Cyberball.

The 4-player version is hands-down the best multiplayer sports game I've ever played.  The 2-player version also has tons of strategy and gameplay.  Best part of it is that it's SO easy to get right in, understand, and play, but there's SO much depth when you play against other real people!

I know it's not "realistic" football, but to me it had more fun gameplay, strategy, and replay value than any "realistic" football game.  Also the best arcade sports game that I've played for any sport.

BTW If any of you have played the console versions, and you think I'm crazy, it's because the console versions were not able to capture the magic of the arcade version.  There's a multiplayer networked MAME version out there somewhere that's not too bad, but still not the same as the arcade version.

Best semi-realistic football game: Tecmo Bowl.  Lots of fun.  Still play the old Gameboy version on occasion if I have a plane flight.

Best realistic football games: Front Page Sports Football and/or TV Sports Football.  Although neither was super, both had their plusses.  BTW, TV Sports Basketball was outstanding.

I don't go for the EA Sports football games, I have never enjoyed them.  NCAA has fantastic feature set and outstanding atmosphere, but the gameplay, complexity, and lack of believability in much of the off-the-field stuff leaves me cold.  2K Sports has great graphics, but again the gameplay has been too complex and/or random-feeling for my liking.  I heard that NFL Fever had a little bit of innovation, but I never was able to try it.  It's too bad that most football games have followed the EA model...I personally preferred Blitz, despite it's issues, since at least the gameplay was fast and fun.

Hopefully someday there'll be a real alternative again.  Would love to work on it.

I recall enjoying Cyberball and Cyberball 2072. I had the Midway Treasures for Xbox that had Cyberball 2072 on it. Another alternative football title I enjoyed, which oddly enough came from EA was Mutant League Football.