3 Great NFL Video Games of the 21st Century:
Advances in tech that have emerged within the last couple of decades have allowed gaming developers to create more detailed and updated features within games that give their user an entertainment experience unlike no other. This is especially true when it comes to football video games, and more specifically the NFL with companies like EA Sports providing us with some of the best in the business.
Let’s take a look at just a couple of the greatest ones that have been released in the past two decades.
Video games provide a unique entertainment experience, entering into a virtual reality where anyone can be a professional sports player.
Madden 2005
A dynasty of a brand, Madden Sports, published by EA Sports, has been releasing games for consoles as far back as 1990. Since then, there have been over 20 Madden NFL games made, with the latest release dropping in late August of this year. However, there is arguably no better Madden than the 2005 release.
Gracing the cover was Ray Lewis, who many believed to be the best defensive linebacker of his time. This was pretty appropriate given that Madden ’05 also shone for its ability to present great new features for the defensive side of football. In short, it’s great fun to play as new tools allowed players to smack down opponents like never before.
At the time of the game’s release it received an extremely high rating of 91 on Metacritic. Fast forward 15 years later and Lewis’ former team is doing very well not just in the video game but also in real life, as the Raven’s current players’ super bowl futures indicate that they might just go all the way. Although football legend and Madden ’05 cover man Lewis hung up his jersey in 2013, great things continue to come from this team.
ESPN NFL 2K5:
Preceded by four other games of its kind, ESPN’s NFL 2K5 was the fifth and last installment in a video game series that revolutionized the experience of playing football on a console. Unlike the others that came before it, the game was equipped with never-before-seen features like the ability to play in ESPN’s 25th Anniversary mode where the player can choose unique settings from over the years.
With first-person mode, enhanced audio, graphics, and overall presentation, NFL 2K5 was, at the time, one of the most-loved and best-selling video games on the market. Fast forward over 14 years and it looks a bit different in comparison to what we have today, yet still will always be a classic gem in the hearts of gamers.
NFL Blitz 2001
If you’re the type of gamer that plays with groups of friends while hollering, jumping up and down, and slamming your fingers into the consoles keys with rage and delight, NFL Blitz 2001 was your dream come true growing up.
Published for Dreamcast, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy Color, the game’s fast-paced style paired with the announcers’ enthralling commentary and players who had superhuman skillsets made the experience of playing NFL Blitz 2001 both hilarious and extremely fun.
Some even go as far to say that it is among the best games available to play on N64, praising it for the games ability to be played by basically anyone, regardless of skill.
For anyone with a Nintendo 64 cooped up in their basement, fire it up and let the good times roll as you reminisce on a great game
