John Madden Football
John Madden Football — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is John Madden Football on?
- John Madden Football was released on Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Amiga.
- When did John Madden Football release?
- John Madden Football was first released on December 31, 1990.
About John Madden Football
Game play modes include regular season, playoffs and sudden death. The game features 16 regular teams plus one All-Madden team, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Play actions include selecting a pass recipient as a play unfolds, block tackles, dives and sackings. Different weather conditions come into play when it's wet, snowy or muddy.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Amiga
- Developer
- Park Place Productions
- Publisher
- Tec Toy
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Non-fiction
- Series
- Madden
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | 1990 | $12 | $40 | — | 2 reviews | Low |
Also released on: Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · Super Nintendo Entertainment System · Amiga. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardboard box release | $50 | $50 | — |
| European (PAL) release | $6 | $18 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a week
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about 2 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $0.75 in Oct 2009, $6.26 five years ago, and $11.88 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $0.75 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $0.75 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $0.87 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $0.87 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $5.00 | $16.98 |
| Jan 2015 | $3.88 | $30 |
| Jan 2016 | $3.34 | $40 |
| Jan 2017 | $3.02 | $12.50 |
| Jan 2018 | $3.62 | $17.50 |
| Jan 2019 | $4.22 | $20 |
| Jan 2020 | $4.88 | $20 |
| Jan 2021 | $7.19 | $32 |
| Jan 2022 | $10.53 | $65 |
| Jan 2023 | $10.00 | $39 |
| Jan 2024 | $7.25 | $30 |
| Jan 2025 | $10.00 | $35 |
| Jan 2026 | $10.55 | $35 |
| Oct 2026 | $11.88 | $40 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Barcode |
|---|---|---|
| North America | November 1990 | 014633070002 |
| Europe / PAL | December 1990 | — |
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1990
- Authenticity
- Low
The Genesis game that started the Madden line, rough by later standards but a historically interesting cart at an ordinary price.
John Madden Football, sold in Europe as John Madden American Football, was developed by Park Place Productions for Electronic Arts. It came out on the Genesis in North America in November 1990 and in Europe in December 1990, and it was the first game in what became the yearly Madden series. The Genesis game has a playbook of 113 plays and 16 generic teams, one per NFL city.
Computer and Video Games praised the Mega Drive version's realism and sound, and it won the 1990 Golden Joystick award for best 16-bit console game. Mean Machines Sega predicted players would still be playing it years later, alongside PGA Tour Golf and EA Hockey.
How it was made
Electronic Arts contracted Park Place Productions in early 1990 to build the Genesis game. EA had reverse engineered the Genesis on its own while negotiating licensing terms with Sega, and after showing it could make Genesis software without Sega's help it reached an agreement that cut the royalty it paid per cartridge.
EA expected the Genesis game to sell about 75,000 copies; it sold around 400,000.
What the press said at the time
| Mean Machines Games Guide | May 1992 | OVeiALL 94% |
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 3 | December 1992 | 94% |
“With gorgeous graphics, Super sound, and perfect playability, this is a Must- Have game for Megadrive owners.”
“The original stunner, this is simply an astonishing American football game It's since been superseded by John Madden's Football '92. but at its reduced price of £29.99 it's still well worth a look”
“With its two-player option, and multiple modes of play, this is a game which will keep you entertained for months.”
“Using stunning state-of-the-art 3D graphics and unbelievable sound, this is one of the finest sports games ever seen. Easy-to-operate drop-down menus are used to dictate play, and the control pad is used intelligently to allow an incredible amount of differ ent moves, including running, passing, diving, spin ning and head-butting. With its two-player option, and multiple modes of play, this is a game which will keep you entertained for months.”
How the Sega Genesis version differs
The 1990 Genesis release has only 16 generic teams based on 1990 NFL teams, plus an All-Madden team.
The Genesis version was built to be faster and more action-oriented than the earlier computer game, using a pseudo-3D view from behind the offense, a button-assigned receiver passing system, and 113 plays.
Also on other platforms
Super NES · Amiga
- Super NES. The Super NES version came in 1991 with new content also seen in John Madden Football '92, and features twenty-eight generic teams plus the All-Madden team.
- Super NES. Mean Machines called the import Super NES version disappointing compared to the Mega Drive game, with unfinished-looking, flickery graphics.
- Amiga. A reworked Amiga version followed in 1992.
Before you buy
Among US carts it sits about at the middle. The European cart usually costs about half as much as the US one. A cardboard-box edition is priced separately from the plastic-case copy, so check which one a listing is. Sega Retro lists it as working with only a three-button pad. A complete US copy means the case or box, cartridge and manual.
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