The NFL is growing in popularity with more games and teams than ever before, but the season only lasts 18 weeks. That means football fans need to get their NFL fix somewhere else when there’s no game day to look forward to.
Thankfully there are lots of fun NFL games out there to keep fans happy throughout the year, but that hasn’t always been the case. Back in the 1970’s when the first titles were released, consoles were not up to the job of recreating the realistic titles that we see today.
The first ever game was Football, released in 1978 by Atari and closely followed by Mattel’s Intellivision NFL Football a few years later. However, it wasn’t until 1988 when Tecmo Bowl for the Nintendo Entertainment System was released that we saw the beginnings of today’s superior games.
Here’s our list of the best NFL themed games to play right now.
Tecmo Super Bowl
Making its debut way back in 1988, Tecmo Bowl was a revelation with its use of players real names thanks to the NFL Players Association license. There may have only been 21 players featured on each of the game’s 12 teams but the title was a huge hit.
Tecmo Super Bowl was subsequently released in 1991 and thanks to superior game play and enhanced graphics it was an even bigger success. Full league play included 17 weeks of regular season play, plus playoff rounds, NFL rosters, player ratings, streaks and injuries.
Many fans claim Tecmo Super Bowl is the greatest football game ever made and it continues to find a new audience today. Despite it’s ageing gameplay and graphics, its popularity continues in online leagues around the world.
Gridiron Glory
If you like your games to offer more reward than just a virtual NFL ring and bragging rights, then check out a slot game. There are a wide variety of NFL slot games available to play among these Megaways slots and Gridiron Glory is definitely worth checking out.
The game offers impressive sound effects with cheerleaders, crowd noise and stadium music all adding to the immersive in-game atmosphere. The slot symbols feature all the characters you would see at a NFL game: Players, cheerleaders referees and of course a football.
Bonuses in Gridiron Glory include cascading reels, stacked wilds, free spins and multipliers, including a 250x multiplier. In total, Gridiron Glory offers an impressive 243 ways to win.
Optimised for mobile and online play, this NFL slot game is accessible anytime, anywhere – even if you’re at a game.
Axis Football
With Madden dominating the field when it comes to NFL games, there hasn’t been much choice for football fans. Thankfully, in 2015 Axis Games launched Axis Football, offering gamers an exciting new choice and providing EA Sports with some much-needed competition.
The game features immersive gameplay, extensive customization, player trading and deep management, plus in-season free agent signings. A variety of different stadiums plus facility upgrades are also available, giving players a refreshing change from the stagnant Madden NFL.
Where Axis Football really impresses is its immersive franchise experience that allows stat tracking, practice squads and spectating at other games. The graphics have room for improvement but are still acceptable and do not affect game enjoyment.
Fanatical Football
If you want to get your game fix on mobile then Fanatical Football delivers the most realistic football experience there is. Lead your team through exhibition and season matches all the way to the Super Bowl.
You can score touchdowns by running, passing and making hits with intuitive tap and swipe controls. Immersive graphics and sounds help bring you closer to the hard-hitting action.
A quick game or championship mode allows you to choose how you play. With 10 million app installs and a 4-star rating from nearly 500,000 reviews, Fanatical Football is popular with sports fans.
Madden NFL
Named after Hall of Fame coach and commentator John Madden, the Madden series is still the most popular football game there is. Originally starting life as ‘John Madden Football’ way back in 1988, EA Sports have released new versions every year since 1990.
The name ‘Madden NFL’ arrived in 1993 after EA struck an exclusive deal to use teams, players and NFL branding in the game. With over 130 million game sales, Madden NFL is the second bestselling sports game of all time and the top selling NFL game ever.
As technology has improved and console power increased, gameplay has become detailed and immersive with life-like graphics and sound. For most football fans, the experience is as close to playing NFL as they will ever get.
The game is so popular it is played in NFL locker rooms around the country. Players have even been known to campaign to EA Sports for a better player ranking within the game.
After over 30 years, the series shows no signs of slowing down. If you want the most realistic football game there is, then it’s Madden NFL every time.
If you’re looking for something simple, hoping to dive a little deeper, or even win some money, there’s an NFL game out there for everyone.