What if: Madden's All-Nintendo team

by James Ransom-Wiley { Nov 3rd 2006 at 2:55PM }

Gridiron Junkies are playing a little make-believe, drawing up an All-Nintendo team in anticipation of Madden's Wii debut. The defense looks solid with Bowser on the line, DK rounding out the linebacker corps, and Link at strong safety. But Yoshi at QB -- can that dude even call plays? And what's this ... Toad shouldering the ground game? We're not sure mushroom-boy can take those kinda hits.

The All-Nintendo roster requires some re-shuffling, but it touches on a key point: why hasn't there been a Mario (American) football game?

Tags: EA, football, Madden

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

BlindsideDork @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:06PM

Want to know why?

They would have to do a Blitz like thing...but Football isn't popular in Japan. Baseball, Golf, Basketball, Soccer, and such ARE popular. Soccer is also more popular world wide so it has more public appeal. I mean does Madden sell alot in Japan?

Charron @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:10PM

why hasn't there been a Mario (American) football game?

Not enough characters, I'd say. They had to duplicate side characters just to fill up Strikers.

Track @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:11PM

How about hockey?

BlindsideDork @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:17PM

They could do hockey like Wayne Gretzky 3D hockey on 64!!!!

that would rule, get bowser or king kong as goalie...then 3 characters to push the puck around.

Nice

AlphaTwo @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:22PM

At one point Retro Studios was knee deep in working on a Mario Football game. It was canned after Nintendo wanted to pursuit more sim like Football game. Then that got canned when EA said they are bringing Madden over.

crono141 @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:25PM

American football is more popular in japan than it is in, say, Europe.

I would personally LOVE a Nintendo football game. Just put in goomba's, or koopa's. or mushroom dudes, or whatever for all the extra player's you'd need.

Basically, do it like strikers, only in gridiron.

get over it @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:30PM

yoshi as QB? he'd be a better wide receiver, as long as the ball was anywhere near him that sticky tongue of his would give him an advantage.

(for some reason typing that made me feel dirty)

NU 42 MU 7 @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:31PM

EA will never allow Madden to coexist with a Mario-themed football game on any console. Make Mario Football, lose Madden.

RaDd @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:31PM

that would be WAY too awesome.

White Rose Duelist @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:38PM

NU 42 MU 7 - Do you honestly think that EA would give up that many sales just because Nintendo is making a product that isn't truly competing with it?

And if they did, do you think Nintendo would care about the copies of Madden not selling when they are raking in the cash from their own football game?

MetaHuman @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:38PM

Mario Hockey and Mario Volleyball were in Mario Party 5. :P Those games RULED. I actually spent more time on those than the main games. MP5 is probably my favorite next to MP2.

Darc Requiem @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:44PM

QB: Mario
RB: Toad
WR: Luigi
WR: Pitt
TE: Samus
TE: Yoshi
C: Samurai Goroh
LT: Biggoron
RT: Deathborn
LG: Birdo
RG: Hector

LE: Wario
DT: Donkey Kong
DT: Bowser
RE: Ganondorf
OLB: Fox McCloud
OLB: Star Wolf
MLB: Dark Samus
CB: Metaknight
CB: Sheik/Princess Zelda
SS: Link
FS: Captain Falcon

Well there are enough characters for one team possibly two, depending on how obscure they would want to go.

crono141 @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:49PM

It'd be sweet if you could do that in Madden Wii.

Secret characters, and all that.

I'd definitely buy it for that!

docdude316 @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:51PM

#8 EA couldn't take Madden away from Nintendo even if they did produce Mario Football. Part of the exclusive license with the NFL states that Madden has to be available on all consoles or EA risks losing the license. Even if they wanted to they couldn't pull Madden off a console.

Dave @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:51PM

I would start Pit at WR sooner than I'd start Diddy. I mean...c'mon. Wings?

And no love for the O-line by the Junkies. What's up with that?

FmLuder @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:59PM

Yoshi is your tailback. That is a no brainer. And Mario is your quarterback - obviously. Kirby might make a great cornerback. And Luigi and Wideout.

Christapher @ Nov 3rd 2006 4:12PM

Well if nintendo has the rights to the games for the retro arcade on the wii, why not pull chars from old TG16... ie bonk, bomberman, or keith courage in the alpha zone? :)

SuperChuck @ Nov 3rd 2006 4:37PM

Mario definitely needs to be the QB.

And their DE are too heavy. A DE needs to be strong and fast, not really big. Most are built like TEs, large enough frame to hassle with a lineman, but primarily quick.

Zo� K. @ Nov 3rd 2006 5:04PM

Nice thought, Darc Requiem, but these Mario sports games don't have anyone in them that aren't part of the Mushroom Kingdom. It's not a Nintendo thing... it's a Mario thing.

Though, it's not a bad idea. They just haven't done it outside of the Super Smash Bros. games yet.

Psaakyrn @ Nov 3rd 2006 7:15PM

Or to make EA happy, they could just have a Mario all-stars team as a secret team selection. Mario in Madden game: EA wins because Mario makes any game much more valuable, and Nintendo gets to add more clout to Mario.

32_Footsteps @ Nov 3rd 2006 8:33PM

Toad has great strength despite his size (look at him run in Super Mario 2), but has no vertical leap and is a bit undersized. I'd have him around as a tight end, for under routes and pass blocking.

On the other hand, if Sonic is allowed to make the team, he's got a good leap and has the juke moves to fake anyone out - and who better than he to be a running back?

Also, line up Luigi at wideout. In football, it's a truism that you want to throw the football where only your wide receiver can grab it. Nobody can jump as high as Luigi - he's a sure choice.

Oh, and if Metaknight can make the team, Kirby has to be a cornerback. With his inhalation breath, he'd run away with the league interception record, and even failing that he could use a copy of Metaknight's sword (his Smash Bros. saving maneuver) to bat away the pass.

Also, because I'm good like that, I have five comers to play offensive line.

Center - you need someone large and smart for this role. Since he's freed up from the TE position (and because he'd make for one hell of a center sneak in short yardage situations), Ganondorf hikes the ball.

Left tackle - the blind spot for right-handed QBs, he's the key to making sure Yoshi isn't sacked. As much as I'd love to play Donkey Kong here in a bit of iron man football, that would just tire the monkey out. Chunky Kong would work well, though.

Left guard - in the event of a vicious DE, he often has to help the left tackle (although since the opponent is playing a 3-4, he might have to take the DE while the tackle takes a backer). Power with a bit of versatility is necessary, so King Dedede (who has a nasty mallet and can swallow/spit like Kirby) is a great choice here.

Right guard - while power is good here, the right guard finds more plays coming his way so he needs a bit more quickness. Given the surprising amount of hustle he shows, Wario works here.

Right tackle - here, you'll want to be able to hit the linebackers hard and possibly follow down the field for extra help. Since we've already opened the door for Super Mario RPG characters, Geno gets the nod.

Great Junkie @ Nov 4th 2006 1:06AM

The main purpose of this post is to thank you all for your support of the Junkies, and for having the passion to create a discussion out of this. This reaction is enough to warm a Junkie's heart. I'm saying this up top because I know that a lot of you won't actually read this entire comment.

I'll try to answer some questions here.

We used Toad as a RB because he was the fastest in Mario 2 even when he was carrying vegetables. This was actually my choice, and I had to defend it for a long time against the Lay Z Junkie.

Luigi was pitched as the second wide receiver, but that would have given us both Mario brothers on the team. Also Wa-Luigi is taller than Luigi, and he's an arrogant jackass (Mario Tennis). We figured we needed a Terrell Owens type figure on the team.

Yoshi is probably the most accurate thrower on the team, so we put him at QB. Whoever said he doesn't know how to call plays is probably right, we would expect him to be Brad Johnsonish. Those of you who are saying Mario should be QB, I'm not sure why you would put him there. Its probably he's the leader of Nintendo, but jumping isn't something that a QB needs to do very much. Also, he's not the brightest either, he always needs Toad to tell him what to do (Mario 64, Mario RPG, Mario Sunshine).

The DEs are heavy, but I wouldn't say Kong is slow. Darunia may be slow though, I'm not sure. But he got to Dodongo the Dragon's doorstep much faster than I ever could in the Fire Temple.

The O-Line hasn't been included in any Junkie team thus far. The reason was because we were originally putting the pictures on the field and it was too cluttered. This was the first time we actually used a flash presentation, and you guys are probably right; we need to rethink the absence of the O-Line now.

Having Sonic at RB just seemed somehow unfair. But remember, he is still a reverse threat.

32_Footsteps: Your post was by far the most gratifying. You showed vast knowledge for both Nintendo, and for the game of football. I don't think I could have added, or articulated the role of the O-line better myself.

Those of you who said that there aren't enough players for two teams: there are a ton of characters that weren't included on the team because we didn't have space. Nintendo has made a lot of characters over the years. Also, they wouldn't necessarily have to make it 11 on 11.

I don't think a Mario Football game would take any audience away from Madden, as long as EA kept making quality Madden games it would be fine. And it wouldn't be simulation style football either, there is always some kind of twist on Nintendo sports games. Think about the field possibilities, like piranha plants, goombas, thwamps, bullet bills, annoying keese who just flew threw fire, etc. They would just build on the chaos. Thats what would make the game so much fun.

I am emailing the team and a message to Nintendo, Camelot, Next Level, Namco and Squarsoft so that hopefully maybe one of them will get off their asses and make us a Mario Football game. Originally I was going to use a digg link to show that there is a demand for this type of game, however I am seeing a much more passionate response here.

So James: Can I have permission to submit a link to this thread to Nintendo to display support? Thanks (I'll probably email the request as well)

The Junkies thank you for your support.