The 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Nintendo 64 is fondly remembered by so many 90s kids. Living in an era before the NFL only licensed to Madden, the N64 had a surprisingly deep roster of football games that were released yearly. It also showcased the rise of Madden and howꦰ EA Sports used to value gameplay instead of 🌞top-of-the-line graphics.
While laughable when considering the state of EA Sports today, the golden era 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:of top-selling Madden games was forged on the Nintendo 64. If you're looking to dive into the nostalgia of football on the Nintendo 64, you'll remember some of these classic, influential titles.
12 NFL Quarterbac♈k Club 2000
Today's crowd of gamers that love their 60 frames per second would hate this game. NFL Quarterback Club's draw on the Nintendo 64 was better graphics than its Madden counterpart, and at first, the 640x480 resolution was enough to convert some gamers to this non-EA series. By the time the 2000 edition of NFL QB Club came out, though, people were less enamored by the graphics and more annoyed by the slow frame rate and player artificial intelligence that was duller than river rock. While it was branded as a simulation, the gameplay plodded along annoyingly. This could be seen as the moment in the series where things went off the rails for Acclaim's football series.
11 ൩ NFL Quarterback Cl🦄ub 2001
Acclaim couldn't turn things around after the less-than-loved 2000 edition of their NFL-licensed game. NFL QB Club 2001 had many of the same problems, with janky frame rates and more severe AI issues that sometimes border on the hilarious. NFL QB Club was known for its "you find a play that the defense can't stop and keep using it." With the failure to improve, critics noted at the time of this game's release that Acclaim needed to catch up with other NFL games. It would be the final QB Club on the N64, and the leap to Gamecube and PS2 saw the series slip even further.
10 Madden 64
This was a landmark game for EA Sports as this 1997 release was the first to be fully 3D. Specifically, this graphical move was because of the Nintendo 64. At its core, however, it was an updated build of Madden 98. While it didn't have the same graphical fidelity as NFL Quarterback Club and weirdly lacked an NFL license (but did have NFL players), it was still genuinely met with positive praise from critics. This first Madden entry on the N64 had great gameplay and AI better than their competitors. EA Sports would also continue to improve their Nintendo games during the console's lifespan.
9 🐻 ✨ NFL Quarterback Club 98
NFL Quarterback Club 98 was an eye-opener for gamers when it was announced for the N64. It took advantage of the 64-bit system to offer 30 frames per second (which, for you youngins' was excellent) and a 640x480 resolution. For a game made in 98, it had realistic shadows and weather effects.
It topped Madden 64 by having the NFL license and using motion capture for its animations. The thing that would drag down future installments of this series - the A.I. - needed to be improved. While not considered as fun a game as Madden 64, it outsold the E.A. Sports behemoth. It's just a shame Acclaim couldn't continue the momentum.
8 Madden 99
EA Sports read the room and upped the resolution of Madden 99 to 640x480 to better compete with NFL Quarterback Club. It was a gigantic step forward and surpassed its Acclaim counterpart. EA Sports added the NFL License, oddly absent from M✅adden 64, to go along with Franchise Mode and many other features. The gameplay was still entertaining and improved from the previous year, tackle animations had a wrap-up, and the passing game was far superior to Quarterback Club. EA Sports took the lead on the N64 with this game.
7 🎐 Madden 2000 ꦅ
As NFL Quarterback Club saw its frame rate suffer, Madden's entries continued to have smooth and even increased frame rates as the series continued. Madden 2000 improved on the powerhouse entry of the previous year. Various gameplay tweaks were added that critics enjoyed. Madden 2000 was also the first appearance of Hot Routes and Madden Challenge in a Madden game. This entry carried the momentum from the '99 entry, and EA Sports' next version of Madden would be the chef's kiss for NFL N64 games.
6 NFౠL Quarterback Club 99
Acclaim switched to a new engine for NFL Quarterback Club 99 and made some improvements to the AI. The graphics were again praised for their detail, while critics appreciated the improvements to gameplay. Still, some issues in the AI would foreshadow struggles in the next two installments of the series. Regarding quality titles, the N64's best year for footballing may have been 1998.
5 🏅 NFL Blitz 2001
While this list may be full of NFL simulators, the Blitz series was a more colorful arcade experience that shined on the N64. The 2001 edition of the game was jam-packed with features and minigames. Midway, having already released two other great Blitz titles on the N64, did not tweak the gameplay greatl𓃲y as they knew to keep the golden goose.
The graphics were so go🌌od in this game; it has been compared to those on the Dreamcast and ran at 60 frames per second. This would be the entry for the most modern N64 Blitz experience but it is built on the shoulders of giants.
4 NFL Blitz 2♓000
The second installment of NFL Blitz on the N64 saw Midway try to add more balance to the game. Teams were smoothed out in terms of good and bad, and the regular to post seasons didn't see a dramatic jump in difficulty. The graphics are sharp and smooth, and the playbook is larger and more in-depth. The real selling point is the four-player support on the N64 that you undoubtedly remember using on your friend's couch. Those were truly the days.
3 Madden 2002 🐠
Madden 2002 is a great football game on the N64, but it's starting to creep into "small changes from year-to-year" territory. Madden 2002 did feature a cool 16-bit Madden classic mode. The unique "mulligan" feature also lets you have a do-over on a play is notable as well.
However, by this point in the series, the N64's hardware was old, and it was time to move on to the Gamecube, PS2, or Xbox. Think of this like N64 gaming riding off into the sunset 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:with cursed Daunte Culpepper in the saddle.