Top 10 Madden Covers

July 19, 2010 – Matt De Lima

In 1988, John Madden Football was released on the Apple II. Yes, the game was originally a computer game. Thankfully the game transitioned to the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis and the rest is history.

For the young generation of children and teenagers playing Madden back in the early ‘90s, Madden was best known as “That Ace Hardware Guy” or “BOOM! Tough actin’ Tinactin!” or just that old guy who drew squiggly lines on the screen during football games. Of course, we would come to learn that John Madden was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1970 to 1978, including his 1976 team which won Super Bowl XI.

The Madden franchise is the best-selling sports video game series of all time. After over 20 years, the namesake lives on. “Madden” has become synonymous with his video game and it will likely live on beyond his lifetime. He’s no longer in the game (Madden was replaced by Cris Collinsworth in Madden NFL 09) but his legacy will live on beyond his lifetime.

The covers of Madden have sparked controversy. There’s the so-called “Madden Curse.” But regardless, to be on the cover of the game is an honor and distinction. Some of the greatest players of all-time have graced the cover.

Now, here are the top 10 Madden covers of all time based on their look and significance.

10) John Madden Football (1988, John Madden)

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Just look at him. There’s color in his hair. There is his patented goofy not-quite-smiling and not-quite-yelling expression. Check out that sweet retro Electronic Arts logo at the bottom. Most kids these days probably don’t even know what EA stands for. This game was released in 1988 on the Apple II. For those of you who don’t remember, those were the computers at your school’s computer lab when you were a kid. You’d play Oregon Trail on them.