John Madden Duo CD Football

~ JOHN MADDEN DUO CD FOOTBALL ~

Electronic Arts / Hudson Soft / TTI

Super CD-ROM

1993

This is my favorite of the classic-style Madden games for two reasons: Visually, it's very colorful and smooth (just as a Duo rendition of a game should be); and passing is handled extremely well (as the omission of the series' trademark receiver-following windows means you get a nice, clear view of the field).

Some Madden vets aren't as high on it for two reasons: They don't like using Run as one of the passing buttons, and they view the sporadic FMVs as unnecessary low-budget fodder. I don't find anything about the passing scheme unfairly challenging or uncomfortable, and, personally, I think the FMV skits are quite hilarious--hilariously bad, sure, but hilarious nonetheless.

Shots from the "special" polygonal opening.

You get the typical pre-game options and post-game stats.

NFL team nicknames aren't used, but real clubs are here with the names of the cities they represent (though you may question my use of the word "real" when you discover that this Detroit is actually superior to a number of other squads).

Similarly, though their names aren't used, NFL players from the year the game was made can be identified by their uniform numbers. For instance, Detroit running back #20 is Barry Sanders, and wide receiver #84 on the same club is Herman Moore.

You just know the designers got a kick out of creating these brief FMV horror shows.

You too can win the coveted Madden Trophy. (Goodness, if the Lions can do it, anybody can.)