On the day of the arrival of Madden NFL 12 (because it is only being released today we did not take it into account in this countdown, maybe next year) into the video game world, EA Sports’ latest game of pigskin, we decided to take a look back and wonder, gee, what were the greatest football virtual experiences of all time? Whether it was a simple game of X’s and O’s, a romp on our NES with a Tecmo game (remember Bo Jackson), or dropping legs on linebackers during a game of NFL Blitz, we had a number of experiences over the years that made us happy to be a quarterback. So now, without further ado, we unabashedly present our ten favorite football video games of all time. And if you think we missed one for some reason, let us know in the comments below and give us at least one reason why you feel that way. (And no, we didn’t consider John Elway Quarterback or MotionSports for Kinect, so sorry.)
10. Atari Football (Arcade): An old arcade game? And one that doesn’t even feature realistic players, instead relying on a black and white screen with X’s and O’s? And we selected this for our top ten? Absolutely. Despite its simplicity, Atari Football is a rollicking arcade experience, one that’s great fun if you can grab three other friends, as you face off in a two-by-two format. Still an oldie but a goodie if you can find it.
9. Super High Impact (SNES, Genesis): What Super High Impact lacked in complexity, it made up for in good old-fashioned gridiron fun. Featuring a number of fictional teams, a completely over the top announcer (“INTERCEPTEEEED!”) and plenty of rompous action to go around (including the opportunity to button mash your way through a fight), it was the precursor for the excitement to come in NFL Blitz.
8. Joe Montana Sports Talk Football (Genesis): At a time when we didn’t have many football games to choose from, Sega provided us with the ultimate option via Joe Montana Sports Talk Football. While we don’t think too fondly of the QB himself (he’s just a jerk, y’know?), there’s no questioning his skills, and you see them in every aspect of this game. The graphics look good, the running play-by-play is (for its time) impressive and the gameplay holds its own. “Holy cow!”
This feature top 10 list continues on the next page, please click Page 2 to see more of our favorite football video games of all time.
