Play Madden '95 Online

Summary

Madden '95 was the first Madden title I ever saw on a handheld, debuting on both the Game Boy and the Sega Game Gear. Even though the Game Boy cartridge dropped the official NFL logo, it kept the full NFLPA license, meaning every player’s name and stats were accurate – a big step forward after earlier versions showed every athlete in white. The game also broke new ground by finally rendering black players in their proper skin tones and even featuring a black athlete on the cover. Despite the inevitable tiny, hard‑to‑read sprites and sound that feels more like bleeps than a stadium roar, the selection of teams and the depth of stats feel surprisingly robust, and the gameplay feels tight for a portable. Adding a touch of authenticity, the title uses the NFL on Fox theme by Scott Schreer, a piece John Madden himself helped approve just before launch.