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Ranking & Rating All Madden's Ever Made (1999 onwards)


BayRaider

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Ranking & Rating All Madden's Ever, plus why you shouldn't buy M21 on PS5/X. The past two Maddens to debut on a new system (06 on 360, and 25 on PS4/One) are two of the worst Maddens ever made. EA usually does a very poor job on their first next gen attempt. They basically just port the game, polish the graphics a bit, horrible/broken gameplay because they haven't refined it for next gen, and they remove many modes from the first next gen game every time.

I started this list at 99 and onwards, because that's the first game that introduced Franchise Mode. Though Madden's debut was '92 if I remember correctly.

 

The Legends:

1. Madden 2005 (PS2/Xbox)

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Rating: 9.75/10

The Franchise Mode and Gameplay in this one are just top notch. Everything about the game was tremendous.

2. Madden 06 (PS2/Xbox)

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Rating: 9.50/10

3. Madden 2004 (PS2/Xbox)

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Rating: 9.25/10 (PS2/Xbox)

4. Madden 07 (PS2/Xbox)

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Rating: 9.0/10

5. Madden 08 (PS2/Xbox)

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Rating: 9.0/10

 

Great Games:

6. Madden 11 (PS2)

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Rating: 8.5/10

7. Madden 2003 (PS2/Xbox)

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Rating: 8.5/10

 

Above Average:

8. Madden 2002 (PS2/Xbox)

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Rating: 8.25/10

9. Madden 2002 (PS1)

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Rating: 8.0/10

10. Madden 2001 (PS1)

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Rating: 8.0/10

11. Madden 99 (PS1)

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Rating: 7.75/10

 

The Average Pack:

12. Madden 12 (PS3/360)

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Rating: 7.5/10

13. Madden 10 (PS3/360)

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Rating: 7.5/10

14. Madden 12 (PS2)

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Rating: 7.5/10

15. Madden 09 (PS2/Xbox)

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Rating: 7.5/10

16. Madden 10 (PS2)

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Rating: 7.5/10

17. Madden 08 (PC)

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Rating: 7.25/10

18. Madden 25 (PS3/360)

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Rating: 7.0/10

19. Madden 08 (PS3/360)

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Rating: 7.0/10

 

The Below Average:

20. Madden 11 (PS3/360)

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Rating: 6.5/10

21. Madden 2000 (PS1)

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Rating: 6.5/10

22. Madden 09 (PS3/360)

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Rating: 6.25/10

22. Madden 01 (PS2)

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Rating: 6.25/10

 

The Bad:

23. Madden 18 (PS4)

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Rating: 5.75/10

24. Madden 13 (PS3/360)

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Rating: 5.5/10

25. Madden 16 (PS3/360)

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Rating: 5.5/10

26. Madden 15 (PS3/360)

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Rating: 5.25/10

27. Madden 17 (PS4/One)

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Rating: 5.25/10

 

The Really Bad:

28. Madden 16 (PS4/One)

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Rating: 5.0/10

29. Madden 15 (PS4/One)

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Rating: 5.0/10

30. Madden 20 (PS4/One)

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Rating: 4.75/10

31. Madden 19 (PS4/One)

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Rating: 4.5/10

32. Madden 17 (PS3/360)

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Rating: 4.5/10

33. Madden 25 (PS4/One)

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Rating: 4.5/10

34. Madden 07 (PS3/360)

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Rating: 4.25/10

35. Madden 21 (PS4/One)

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Rating: 3.5/10

 

Worst Madden of All Time:

36. Madden 06 (This game was on 360 only, not PS3)

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Rating: 1.75/10

EA/360 clearly rushed this game to market, creating one of the most buggy, glitchy, and BARE BONES, football video game of all time.

 

Best PS1 Madden: Madden 2002 (Above Average Game)

Best PS2 Madden: Madden 2005 (Legend Game)

Best PS3 Madden: Madden 12 (Average Game)

Best PS4 Madden: Madden 18 (Bad Game)

 

There was not a single decent Madden game on the PS4/One Era, in my opinion. And the past three years has been a total disaster of epic proportions. They need to hit the total reset button for PS5/X starting with Madden 22. Madden 21 will be one of their horrible quick ports, just like Madden 06 for 360, and Madden 25 for PS4/One.

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But yeah beware of Madden 21 on PS5 guys. First game on new gen is always terrible and a rush job. 
 

Madden 01 PS2 - 6.5

Madden 06 360 - 1.75 (easily worst Madden ever)

Madden 07 PS3 - 4.5/10

Madden 25 PS4/One - 4.5/10

 

Plus Madden 21 is already horrible as it is. The previous gen counterparts of those four games mentioned were actually good or decent games...

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- Madden 08 for PS2/Xbox was the last great Madden. I recommend anyone play it. Even Madden 09 for PS2/Xbox, which is near the same game with different rosters. Madden 10 changed quite a bit though, for the worse.

- Madden 12 for PS3/360 was the last slightly above average Madden

- Madden 25 for PS3/360 was the last average Madden after rebounding from a horrible M13. The Presentation in this game with the CBS Broadcast and announcers, is the closest thing Madden has had come close to a respectable presentation. And it had decent gameplay. A lot of people still play Madden 25 and NCAA 14 combined, for draft class purposes, and because they are the last decent football games.

It's literally amazing how bad Madden has been on PS4/One. The entire generation, just abysmal. Not one even average game.

 

Here's a couple videos on Madden 08 for PS2/Xbox:

 

Edited by BayRaider
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1 hour ago, Outpost31 said:

I just bought Madden 07 for my Xbox for 50 cents and 3.99 shipping. 

We'll see if I enjoy playing it. 

Franchise is deep and a lot of fun. Hard to go from PS4 to PS2 graphics, but not a big deal in my opinion. 
 

After a lot of debate I’ve decided to rock M25/NCAA 14 on PS3 and do Franchise/Dynasty, and Import/Export Draft Classes. M25 on PS3/360 was the last average Madden, and NCAA 14 was a solid game. Even bought $5 updated rosters from someone who copied all of them from M21 with identical player model and ratings. Must of took him weeks or months to do that with all the Create-A-Players. Well worth the 5 bucks. Couldn’t download roster shares normally because servers are down for anything prior to M16. 
 

I’m also gonna do a side Franchise with Madden 08 on PS2, as I super miss the PS2 days. 
 

Will keep me busy til M23. First couple years on next gen are usually terrible and I’m not gonna give in to EA. 
 


 

 

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You guys realize you just like certain years better because of where you were in life at that time period right?  Just like movies, tv or music?  Everyone has a point in there life when think everything was better.  I promise you if you got your hands on Madden 20 in 2005 you would have liked it far better than Madden 05

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Just now, BigC421/ said:

You guys realize you just like certain years better because of where you were in life at that time period right?  Just like movies, tv or music?  Everyone has a point in there life when think everything was better.  I promise you if you got your hands on Madden 20 in 2005 you would have liked it far better than Madden 05

Lol this is so ridiculously impossibly terribly wholly irrefutably untrue I can't laugh I am stuck in the opposite of a laugh it is a frown I am frowning at you.

Madden 2005-07 had player personalities, team morale, coordinators, retired players, Hall of Fame, training camp, EXTENSIVE team creation, a legitimate Superstar mode, former players becoming coaches, players actually held out, restricted free agency existed...

Those games felt like an RPG. 

Current games, for the past 8 years, have been simulation games.  That don't simulate well.  And I will be making a thread proving this. 

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4 hours ago, BigC421/ said:

You guys realize you just like certain years better because of where you were in life at that time period right?  Just like movies, tv or music?  Everyone has a point in there life when think everything was better.  I promise you if you got your hands on Madden 20 in 2005 you would have liked it far better than Madden 05

Completely untrue. 100% False. I did not rank these for the period they came out, I ranked them for right now. Madden 2005 today blows Madden 20 put of the water. Madden 19, 20, and 21 are three of the most horrendous sports games ever made. Zero fun factor at all. Franchise Mode is absolute trash, and the gameplay is arcadey and trash. 
 

I have WAY more fun playing Madden 25 for PS3 and Madden 08 for PS2 than I do playing 19, 20, and 21. Way more fun. 

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I think a lot of this is just nostalgia.  Madden 04 is highly regarded as one of the best Madden's of all-time by most people, but if he game released today it would be criticized non-stop. The game had a lack of features, especially on the defensive end. It was almost impossible to counter and contain certain strats people would use.

We just kind of look at games from back then with rose colored glasses.

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9 minutes ago, showtime said:

I think a lot of this is just nostalgia.  Madden 04 is highly regarded as one of the best Madden's of all-time by most people, but if he game released today it would be criticized non-stop. The game had a lack of features, especially on the defensive end. It was almost impossible to counter and contain certain strats people would use.

We just kind of look at games from back then with rose colored glasses.

Disagree, I pop in Madden 04 through Madden 09 on PS2, or Madden 10, 12, or 25 for PS3, and I'm having a way more fun experience than basically any of the PS4/One Madden's. The PS4 Madden's have atrocious gameplay where the physics and engine are both terrible. Not only is it arcade-like, it's really bad gameplay overall. PS2 and PS3 both have way better gameplay. Also Franchise Mode is miles better on PS2 and PS3 than the PS4 versions (with the exception of M13). PS4/One Franchise Mode is bare bones, and absolutely not worth playing in any way at all. EA basically sold its soul to Ultimate Team in the PS4/One Era. If you think M19, M20, or M21 are respectable games in any way, I have a bridge to sell you...

If you have more fun playing those than older games, more power to you. Glad you're having fun. However, the vast majority will disagree with that. PS4/One Madden's was a huge regression of Epic Proportions, and all terrible games compared to their PS2/PS3 counterparts. Hopefully they get it right on PS5. 

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22 hours ago, showtime said:

I think a lot of this is just nostalgia.  Madden 04 is highly regarded as one of the best Madden's of all-time by most people, but if he game released today it would be criticized non-stop. The game had a lack of features, especially on the defensive end. It was almost impossible to counter and contain certain strats people would use.

We just kind of look at games from back then with rose colored glasses.

Some people played Madden for franchise mode and team building.  The difference between 04-08 Madden and 12-21 Maddens as far as franchise mode capabilities is like the difference between Rosie O'Donnell and Gemma Arterton as far as attractiveness. 

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