Did You Waste Time on These POOR NFL Video Games?

A look in the media highlights just how huge the NFL is. In terms of sporting competitions, it’s one of the biggest pastimes on the planet. As a result of its undeniable appeal, we’ve seen a number of American football-themed games come to the fore over the years, with some undoubted hits standing out. However, they’ve also been accompanied by some rather forgettable products.

Of course, this is all subjective, but there have certainly been clear disappointments in assessing football fan feedback and the general reaction to specific gaming releases. After all, football fans and gamers alike generally know what they’re looking for. They’re experts in this particular category of gaming because of their interest in the sport. They place NFL wagers, watch classic highlights on YouTube, and have played some of the best releases depicting this global sport. As such, when a poor release comes out, the makers behind the game get a reaction they probably weren’t hoping for.

With a selection of poor NFL games being released over the years, let’s take a look at some of them. You might’ve even wasted time on these products yourself. Thankfully, these days, the likes of Madden NFL 26 is entertaining mass audiences, but we haven’t always been so lucky. Let’s take a look at just how bad this top gaming category can be below.

NFL Football Pro ’99

These days, 90s PC games are making a bit of a comeback and are being explored by gamers. However, it’s fair to say NFL Football Pro ’99 doesn’t deserve any further attention after horrifically bombing when it was released in 1998. Football fans and PC gamers alike were initially excited by this release, only to feel let down by a game that was eventually recalled just a month after it hit the shelves. From bugs to shockingly bad gameplay, NFL Football Pro ’99 was riddled with issues.

Arena Football

A unique inclusion at the time, given its smaller field containing less players, Arena Football was meant to provide football gamers with enough space to showcase their skills and pull of some eye-catching strategic moves with more room at their disposal. In the end, though, the game’s AI was all over the place, with players running in different directions and quarterbacks doing their own thing. Also offering awful graphics, Arena Football really didn’t go to plan.

Backbreaker

While Backbreaker did get it right in some areas, there were more negatives than positives associated with this one. Released in 2010, the tackling animations were excellent, but they were supplemented by poor online modes, horrible passing mechanics, and an annoying camera that constantly got in the way of proceedings.

NFL Tour

Released in 2008, NFL Tour was painfully poor. In fact, it was so badly received that the game ended up being crowned as the “worst-rated American football video game” by Guinness World Records. While this particular label might seem harsh to some, there’s no denying just how shoddy NFL Tour was. Its gameplay was terrible, the commentary was unbearable, and there was a distinct lack of game modes. Overall, NFL Tour just felt like a rushed project.

Madden NFL 2013

As an overall franchise, the Madden games have been exceptional. However, not every Madden release has hit the spot, especially when looking at Madden NFL 2013 on the PlayStation Vita. While other versions of the game delivered, the Vita’s instalment was filled with issues, such as missing key features and no franchise mode. Fans and gamers were disappointed, refunds were issued, and the game quickly vanished into obscurity.