Features
The game was the first to feature the concept of covering the ball while running and the chop block and "clothesline" techniques which were later scrapped and moved to players simply tackling ball-carriers. Although players' heights now resemble their real life counterparts, all players share the same sized physiques. The game also had twelve historic teams including the 1978 Steelers and 1985 Bears and secret teams such as the Tiburon sports team and NFL All-Star teams from each decade. The Cleveland Browns, who were a year away from rejoining the league, can be accessed for exhibition games via the password "WELCOMEBACK".
This was the first Madden game to feature Franchise Mode, in which the user could control their team for 15 seasons, complete with realistic NFL type schedules consisting of alternating inter-conference divisional opponents. The user was able to trade, sign/release and draft players. There were a couple of drawbacks to this feature, the first being was that only one player/team owner was allowed to participate during the same franchised season, and the second prohibited any created players from being added to specific teams or to the free agent pool.
The game was one of the few PlayStation games to support two multi-taps allowing for up to eight players to play simultaneously.
Free agents
Created Players from NCAA Football '99 can be put in the game as free agents and put on other teams in Quick Game Mode.
Darnell Autry of Northwestern Wildcats football fame is in the game as a free agent.
Gary Zimmerman appears as a free agent despite being retired at the beginning of the season.
Pepper Johnson is listed incorrectly as a 24-year-old twelve-year veteran, which would mean he would have been a 12-year-old rookie.
Rankings
The Denver Broncos had the best team overall in the game with a score of 92. The worst teams in the game were the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins with a score of 70. The best offense in the game belongs to the Green Bay Packers with a score of 95. The best defense in the game belongs to the San Francisco 49ers with a score of 97. The best special teams in the game belongs to the New England Patriots with a perfect score of 100.