Skip to main content

This is What "John Madden Football" Looked Like in 1988 on the Apple II

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e4-TQvsPcQ]

In conjunction with the Super Bowl taking place just outside New York next month, Astoria's Museum of the Moving Image is running an exhibit on the Madden video game franchise:

Madden NFL: 25 Years and Running looks back on 25 years of the groundbreaking video game franchise Madden NFL. The exhibition explores this landmark series, highlighting the game's focus on sports simulation, and its aesthetic evolution and enduring cultural legacy.

In addition to charting out various milestones for the series, the show will feature playable games, ranging from the original John Madden Football 1988 Apple II release (above) to today's slightly more technologically advanced versions.

The cover of the original featured the iconic former coach and announcer busting through a wall like he would do in those glorious old Miller Lite commercials. He was so happy:

Screen Shot 2014-01-09 at 10.24.32 AM

In my opinion, the golden age of Madden was N64. These iterations of the game featured decent enough graphics and player motion without the complicating features that make mastering the game feel like a full-time job. Also, Brett Favre was simply unstoppable. I liked that.

[H/T

@SportsTechieNET