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It's got to be the most spectacular spectator sport in the world! There's nothing quite like it, and American loves it that way. It's American football, and this is the computer game! If you're the sad shambling wreck of a loser who doesn't know already, John Madden's was the game which took the Megadrive world by storm as the best ever implementation of the great game.

Battle against the computer or a mate for supremacy on the field - with big bucks for the winner and a long and lonely ride home for the runner-up. So how do the Famicom and Amiga conversions of the great John Madden's measure up? Read on and flippin' well find out!

One of the great strengths of John Madden's is the sheer number of offensive and defensive plays available throughout the game. Choose from a huge list of possibles, and if you're not happy with your choice when the teams reach the line of scrimmage then flippin' well call and audible and change the plan to mess up your opponent!

You'll quickly learn which plays work best in which situations, and which need to be avoided like the plague. When your runner keeps getting flattened before he can gain a yard you know you've got a wrong 'un!

John Madden's features three basic play options: Pre-season for practice and fine tuning of skills, regular reason and play-offs for the big boys. Plenty of practice is highly recommended, 'cos you can bet your bottom dollar the computer knows his stuff and will bust your butt if you don't know what you're doing!

The major graphical feature of John Madden's is the 3D viewpoint of the game, a sort of above-and-behind the play view which works extremely well to show off all the action.

There's also a fab action replay option which allows you to relive those moments of glory in sad slow-mo so you can gloat over your victories and then fast-forward over the cock-ups!

Megadrive owners will need no introduction to Maddens. C&VG went crazy when we first grabbed the game and the fever hasn't let go since. Now the fab JM2 is here on Megadrive, taking an original which nobody thought could be topped and actually improving it - hurrah!

"Football is a game of one-on-one matchups. Real guys going at it. Win the matchups, win the game. That's what my game is about." - John Madden

"Football is a game of serious beer drinking round the telly and a good ogle at the cheerleaders when those blokes don't get in the way." - Jon Billington

"It's not even bloody football!" - Paul Rand

After the appalling Super NES conversion, hopes were not high for Madden's on the Amiga, but we couldn't have been more wrong. What we have here is a spot-on copy of the Megadrive version, with a few more control options and no other differences.

The game itself is great fun, a finely balanced mix of strategic decision-making and great two-player arcade action. Graphically, Madden's is a top treat, it uses exactly the same scrolling technique as the Megadrive version and it looks slick and groovy.

The music is a little different, but it's just as good as the original. All of the speech has been retained and the overall effect is stunning. This game features some of the best presentation I've seen on any machine, it all hands together so well.

This is the best American Footie sim on the Amiga and probably the best sports game ever. If you don't buy this then you obviously already have it on the Megadrive, either that, or you're a shambling waste of life.