Madden NFL '96
Encyclopedia
Madden NFL '96 is a football
video game designed for the 1995 NFL season
, licensed by the NFL . It features John Madden on the cover. The AI
has been boosted and can now hurry in two-minute drill situations, spike the ball, and cover the receivers with better efficiency.
It was the last to explicitly be endorsed by the NFL on Fox
, although the NFL on Fox's iconic theme would continue to be used for several years afterward.
The game also was the first in the Madden series to include secret "classic" teams, which were unlocked by playing any of the 28 pre-expansion NFL franchises in the playoffs and by winning Super Bowl XXX
with that team (a rather easy feat as the playoff tournament system allows a player to abort the game while in the lead and still win). The 28 pre-expansion teams were each represented by a classic era equivalent, which ranged from 1960 (Philadelphia Eagles
) to 1986 (New York Giants
), although all players identified as number-only. Jacksonville Jaguars
and Carolina Panthers
, having debuted in 1995, did not have a secret classic team revealed in this manner, nor did the All-Madden team. However, Carolina was attached to the blank slate NFLPA team used for Create-A-Player, and Jacksonville and All-Madden hid the "superteams" with players named after the developers; these teams were accessed using unstated cheat codes.
, was originally planned to be the first football game on the PlayStation shortly after the console's launch in 1995. But after several delays, the game was canceled because it was not meeting EA's quality assurance standards. Visual Concepts would later go on to make the NFL 2K games.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
video game designed for the 1995 NFL season
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
, licensed by the NFL . It features John Madden on the cover. The AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
has been boosted and can now hurry in two-minute drill situations, spike the ball, and cover the receivers with better efficiency.
It was the last to explicitly be endorsed by the NFL on Fox
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
, although the NFL on Fox's iconic theme would continue to be used for several years afterward.
Innovations
Among the innovations in Madden 96, the Create A Player feature was added, which included many position specific mini-games that would determine the ability of the player.The game also was the first in the Madden series to include secret "classic" teams, which were unlocked by playing any of the 28 pre-expansion NFL franchises in the playoffs and by winning Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
with that team (a rather easy feat as the playoff tournament system allows a player to abort the game while in the lead and still win). The 28 pre-expansion teams were each represented by a classic era equivalent, which ranged from 1960 (Philadelphia Eagles
1960 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1960 Philadelphia Eagles season, their 28th in the league, resulted in defeating the Green Bay Packers to win their third NFL Championship. It was their only postseason appearance in the twenty-eight seasons from 1950 to 1977.-Off Season:...
) to 1986 (New York Giants
1986 New York Giants season
The 1986 New York Giants season was one of the most successful seasons in the professional American football franchise's history. The Giants, who play in the National Football Conference of the National Football League , won their fifth championship—and first Super Bowl—in franchise history during...
), although all players identified as number-only. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, having debuted in 1995, did not have a secret classic team revealed in this manner, nor did the All-Madden team. However, Carolina was attached to the blank slate NFLPA team used for Create-A-Player, and Jacksonville and All-Madden hid the "superteams" with players named after the developers; these teams were accessed using unstated cheat codes.
PlayStation version
Madden '96, developed by Visual ConceptsVisual Concepts
Visual Concepts is a California-based video game developer best known for developing Sega Sports' 2K series of sports games. After the success of the series, they were picked up by Sega and became a wholly owned studio with Sega, usually termed a first-party developer...
, was originally planned to be the first football game on the PlayStation shortly after the console's launch in 1995. But after several delays, the game was canceled because it was not meeting EA's quality assurance standards. Visual Concepts would later go on to make the NFL 2K games.