Madden NFL 97 is an American football video game developed by Tiburon Entertainment and released by EA Sports for various platforms in 1996. It is the sixth installment in the Madden NFL series and the second game in the series to be fully developed by Tiburon (following Madden NFL '96 on certain platforms).
Gameplay and Features:
- Roster Updates: The game featured updated NFL team rosters for the 1996 season.
- Graphical Improvements: On the PlayStation and Sega Saturn, the game featured fully 3D polygonal players, a significant upgrade from the 2D sprite-based players of previous generations. This allowed for more fluid animations and realistic player models. The PC version also offered high-resolution graphics.
- New Play Modes:
- Franchise Mode: A major addition, this mode allowed players to manage a team over multiple seasons, including drafting, trading, and managing the salary cap. This was a groundbreaking feature for sports games at the time, offering unprecedented depth.
- Create-a-Player: Players could create custom athletes and add them to any team.
- Play Editor: Allowed players to design and save custom offensive and defensive plays.
- Enhanced AI: The artificial intelligence for both offensive and defensive teams was refined, providing a more challenging and realistic experience.
- Commentary: John Madden and Pat Summerall returned to provide commentary, a staple of the series.
- Control Scheme: The game maintained the familiar Madden control scheme but often benefited from the introduction of analog sticks on new controllers, particularly on the PlayStation.
Platforms:
- PlayStation
- Sega Saturn
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
- Sega Genesis
- MS-DOS (PC)
- Game Boy
Reception: Madden NFL 97 was generally well-received by critics, particularly the 32-bit versions (PlayStation and Saturn) for their graphical overhaul, deeper gameplay, and the introduction of Franchise Mode. The SNES and Genesis versions, while still solid for their respective consoles, were seen as iterative updates to the previous year's games. The PC version was also praised for its high-resolution visuals and comprehensive features. The inclusion of the multi-season Franchise Mode was frequently highlighted as a standout innovation, setting a new standard for depth in sports simulation games. It was a commercial success for EA Sports, further solidifying the Madden NFL series' dominance in the American football video game market.