ABC Monday Night Football (SNES)

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Herschie
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Joined: April 7th, 2015, 11:44 pm

ABC Monday Night Football (SNES)

Postby Herschie » October 19th, 2018, 6:37 am

Since Madden is once again a dud that I've basically figured out, I'm on the search for a good football game. "ABC Monday NIght Football" on Super Nintendo ain't it! That's not to say that there aren't some features that totally kick butt, but they're not enough to keep me playing.

The features that kick butt are the Monday NIght Football music themes. They have the main one, "Heavy Action" by Johnny Pearson. They also had the one that they use when they introduce the teams, I have no idea what it's called. Sadly, they don't have this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7O8LqwKwwg

And what REALLY sucks is that Hank Williams Jr. is nowhere to be found! How you figure it's Monday Night Football in the '90s if you don't have that?!

Actually, what this reminds me of is when I was in Boy Scouts. Because we always had our meetings on Monday nights if you're wondering why on Earth it brings back such memories? Actually, we did play football in our troop. In fact, I remember one time in 1993 that we got a game going, and for some reason they decided to make me center. Me, the scrawny little 6th grader. Against the high school kids on the other team. I think they were mad at me because I accidentally tripped over one of their tent stakes when I had to take a leak, and never put it back. As a result, their tent collapsed in the rain, and everything they had got soaked. I slept through the whole thing while remaining bone dry. You know, we never did have much of a relationship after that.

Anyway, it's the first play, and there's this fat kid on the other team. I hike the ball, and BLITZ! The fat kid and half the other team trampled all over my scrawny butt. I think I decided to go roast some marshmallows after that first play.

So those are my Boy Scout football memories. Actually, I had more fun during that one play than I had playing this game because it's really not all that good. They don't have an NFL license, but I was pleasantly surprised when the team from Philadelphia came out in Kelly green, while the team from Chicago came out in Navy blue. So you can at least pretend you're using your favorite team.

The gameplay is decent, though you move like a snail running east and west. Defense is tough to play. And honestly, I didn't have a whole lot of fun with this.

So along with Touchdown Fever, we can cross this one off the list!

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VideoGameCritic
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Re: ABC Monday Night Football (SNES)

Postby VideoGameCritic » October 19th, 2018, 8:08 pm

Great slice-of-life sports review!

Teddybear
Posts: 212
Joined: April 7th, 2015, 7:50 pm

Re: ABC Monday Night Football (SNES)

Postby Teddybear » October 20th, 2018, 12:31 pm

Alright....this game has been bothering me for the past two days. When your running back or receiver is approaching the goal line and is being pursued by a defender does this game prompt you to repeatedly tap the A or B button? (and the same for your opponent?) Basically the winner is the one who taps faster......?

If this is the same game I played at a buddy's house many a moon ago - it is a dog. It makes Troy Aikman Football look like Madden. And I would have chosen the marshmallows too.

On a sidenote....There is an ABC Monday Night Football for the Commodore 64. Much like the very first John Madden game for the C-64 it is ambitious in scope but just can't overcome the limitations of the system. But certainly these games were a small peek into the awesomeness that would be 1990's video game football on many systems.

Herschie
Posts: 1183
Joined: April 7th, 2015, 11:44 pm

Re: ABC Monday Night Football (SNES)

Postby Herschie » October 20th, 2018, 7:21 pm

Glad you guys like my reviews. As I always said, video games really tend to bring back memories. I looked up the game on C64 on Youtube, but couldn't find it. They did have the DOS version on there. And come to think of it, I remember I had that game, but gave it to my friend. We'd be on the phone making plans (usually to get weed or to pick up some babe that night), and all the sudden he'd start cursing. Well, he was playing that game, and the computer would always pull some bull at the end and win. Every time.

Actually, since I'm still in the Monday Night Football mood, I just put on some Madden 2004, set the gametime to 8:30, and listened to all the Monday Night Football theme songs on Youtube. Helps that Al Michaels is the announcer, since he used to do Monday Night Football. All in all, it was a much better experience and felt more like a Monday night game than the one on Super Nintendo.

Breaker
Posts: 605
Joined: May 13th, 2015, 7:40 pm

Re: ABC Monday Night Football (SNES)

Postby Breaker » October 21st, 2018, 6:17 pm

I had the DOS version, and played it quite a bit. It had a playbook editor that was pretty strong, actually. I would usually flip back and forth between this game and the original John Madden (also on DOS). If I was in the mood for a simulation, I'd choose Madden, but if I was in the mood for graphics, I'd choose MNF. I don't remember if you could create players or teams on MNF, but you definitely could on Madden. I created our 7th grade football team, complete with our playbook.

I remember buying MNF in early 1991 (probably February or March) and it came with a VHS tape of the 20th anniversary of Monday Night Football. I watched that over and over, even though it was pretty terrible.

djc
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Joined: September 24th, 2016, 3:42 pm

Re: ABC Monday Night Football (SNES)

Postby djc » October 22nd, 2018, 12:57 am

Yeah for sure a side-effect of Madden being a year or two delayed on the SNES meant that there were some pretty terrible stop-gap football games on the system.

I remember the launch title Super Play Action Football which was on a diagonal play-field. It included NFL, college, and some high school teams although the players were so small and undefined, you couldn't tell one from the other.

Next were the likes of MNF and NFL Football (the latter which I actually liked). NFL football used the mode 7 scaling to reasonably good effect but it was slow and choppy.

Ultimately Madden arrived but the first version was pretty rough. It was choppy and played poorly. I think Madden on the SNES finally got good around '95 or so.


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