Joe Montana Football was Sega's early shot at taking on Madden, and honestly, it’s kind of a time capsule now. You’ve got that classic 16-bit football feel—pixelated players, basic playbooks, and animations that look stiff by today’s standards but were pretty solid back then. The controls are straightforward, though running plays feels a little clunky compared to later football games.

What’s interesting is how this game kicked off the whole Sega vs. EA rivalry. It runs on a tweaked version of the Madden engine, which is funny because Sega would eventually push their own style with NFL 2K. If you’re into retro sports games, it’s neat to see where that competition started.

Don’t expect deep strategy or realism, but for a quick arcade-style football fix, it holds up okay. Just be ready for some vintage jank.