Why I'm Excited For NCAA25 + The Best Football Games Of All Time
It’s been over ten years since the release of the prestigious NCAA Football game by EA sports. After a decade of disputes, college football realignment, the introduction of NIL, and much more — we FINALLY have a release date. On July 12 this year, we’ll once again have our hands on a new college football video game.
Now listen, I hear you. There’s justifiably serious concerns about what the quality of the game will look like, but let’s be honest here — we’re going to buy & play this game no matter what. Engine, graphics, & gameplay aside, once you hear that “E A Sports, it’s in the game” & the fight songs start playing, you’re going to be addicted immediately.
I’m as skeptical as anyone that the magic that once consumed us will be ridiculously hard to recreate, but we’re all nostalgia junkies. Anything remotely reminiscent of the classics will be just enough to keep us coming back for more. We all have fond memories attached to the game and most of them have very little to do with the function of the game itself.
I know for me personally, I vividly remember playing the game with my uncles Chris & Lawrence as a young kid. Chris was still playing at the University of Alabama & Lawrence was in beginning of his Hall of Fame career in the Arena Football League. Getting to play NCAA with them, and then getting so upset that I would cry when they beat me by 60 points (there were NEVER any freebies in the Samuels households) is something I’ll always remember.
In a lot of ways, playing football video games birthed my competitive spirit. I ALWAYS wanted to win from that point on, and that passion for competition was sustained through football games throughout my life. From being a kid at the boys and girls club where the winner stayed on until they lost, to playing games with my brother at home, to tournaments in high school with my teammates, and all the way through my college and professional career, holding that controller in my hands and competing was always a rush. I’m definitely excited to get a piece of those memories back.
Thinking about how excited I am for NCAA25 clearly had me going down memory lane, and I couldn’t help but think about all the other football games I played. It’s an impossible task, but I took a stab at ranking the best of the best.
Top Five Football Games Of All Time:
NFL 2k5
(This one might be a little unpopular, but I don’t care. This is the greatest football game ever created, bar none. UI, in-game features, gameplay, & even the graphics. Never again will we have such a perfect sports game.)
NCAA Football 2006
(Top to bottom masterpiece. From the intros, to De La Soul’s “Me, Myself, & I” home screen soundtrack, to Corso head gear, to the quirky pre/post game animations, this is what it’s all about. There was nothing like picking your school and hitting the dorms for the first time, then grinding for the glow up. Life was perfect and we didn’t even know it.)
Madden 2004
(This is, in my opinion, the best individual player experience in gaming history. There’s been better games, but never another feeling like playing with Mike Vick in Madden 2004. The Dante Culpepper and Donovan Mcnabb experience was incredible as well. Pure fun.)
NFL Blitz 2000
(Violence. Sheer Violence.)
NFL Street 2
(I mean come on. Backyard, pickup football meets NFL stars. Incredible gameplay, dope scenery, GAMEBREAKER, and celebrity characters. This was the peak of kids gaming. Just unadulterated joy.)
Honorable Mention:
Blitz (The League)
Arena Football
Techmo Bowl