Earlier this year, I played my first Madden game in over five years – Madden 25 on PlayStation 5. I had a fine time getting back into my old ways of starting a franchise with my team — the Miami Dolphins. I hadn’t pictured myself jumping into this year’s Madden until EA Sports announced that Madden 26 would be fully-playable on the Nintendo Switch 2.

For many years, Madden and many of the AAA Sports Titles have steered clear of Nintendo consoles. In recent years, we’ve seen EA Sports FC (formerly EA Sports FIFA) and NBA 2K come to the original Nintendo Switch with missing features and lower quality gameplay. It’s been over ten years since the last Madden game (or some version of a Madden game) came to the Wii U.

Nintendo has always been a little bit behind the current console generation when it comes to power, but they more than make up for it with their highly-polished, first-party exclusives. The only place to party with Mario, Link, Kirby, the Splatoon squid kids, and the many beloved Nintendo characters has always been on a Nintendo console or handheld.

Year-to-Year

I’m happy to report that Madden 26 does function quite well on the Nintendo Switch 2. The game even features all of the game modes you’d expect. I did run into a few hiccups here and there.

When comparing gameplay from Madden 25 on PlayStation 5 to Madden 26 on the Nintendo Switch 2, I could really feel some jank on the Nintendo Switch 2. I have gotten used to the slightly slower gameplay. When playing on PS5, I click away on buttons to move the game along and skip past unnecessary cutscenes. On my Nintendo Switch 2, I’m more mindful about my clicking to skip, to not cause any problems. I have had to shut down the game a couple of times on Switch 2 when the game froze.

On the field, Madden 25 on PlayStation 5 performs better than Madden 26 on the Nintendo Switch 2. I feel a little less in-control of the ball carrier when juking, spinning, and trucking my opponents. 

Being able to play natively in handheld mode is a nice feature. I played a little Madden 25 on my PlayStation Portal handheld, but that requires internet connection. The Switch 2 version allows me to play Madden 26 anywhere. The larger screen and added power make playing Madden 26 in handheld mode very enjoyable.

Play Differently

As I said before, my normal go-to in any Madden game is Franchise mode with my Miami Dolphins. I wasn’t feeling it for the Nintendo Switch 2 version. Instead I opted for Superstar mode. A mode which I haven’t messed with in many years.

I created myself as a quarterback and was drafted to the New York Giants. I did not pull an Eli Manning, and whine about which team drafted me — “Do you know who my dad is? Do you know who my brother is?” He actually turned out to be a pretty funny dude, once football was over for him.

Superstar mode is a more selfish way to play Madden. In a Franchise where you control the entire team on both offense and defense, you are trying to win games and make it to the Big Game. In Superstar mode, as a backup QB my current goal is to show that I can start over Russell Wilson. It took eight weeks for me to get the start, with some two minute drills in a few games.

Superstar mode is all about stats and goals — throw three touchdowns, pass for 500 yards, win the game. These allow you to upgrade your “Superstar.” There are also off-field choices, like “Will you go on a date with a professional dancer, or hit the gym for some more reps?” Each choice will help and hurt you in different ways. Superstar mode is more of Madden plus reality TV.

I like only playing the moments that my QB is on the field in Superstar mode. I’m also only controlling my QB. Once I hand off the ball or toss it downfield, it’s up to the runner or receiver to figure it out. Opening a hole for my running back with a big block is so satisfying.

 *SIDE QUEST
Back in the day, I had a friend who loved playing my Madden season games in co-op mode. His one true goal was to block for me as the runner. We were an unstoppable running offense, because he would light up anyone in my way. Every other friend just wanted to beat my ass in Madden, and I am terrible against any human in Madden. I’m also terrible versus any CPU team that isn’t playing on Pro or All-Pro difficulty.
Shoutout to Alan!

For this slightly slower version of Madden — the Nintendo Switch 2 version — I’m fine playing bits and pieces of games. I may even finish a full season with my Superstar this time around. With all the Madden games I have played (since the Mid 90s), I have rarely ever made it through a full season in Franchise mode in any Madden game. They are only sixteen regular season games long, plus the playoffs.

What’s Next?

Overall, I am having a great time playing Madden 26 on the Nintendo Switch 2. If the save file weren’t so big (50+ GB) I might even keep it on there for longer — storage is a precious commodity on this console. It’s nice to find new ways to play an annualized game like Madden. I still plan on not getting sucked into Ultimate Team mode in any EA game.

Welcome back to Nintendo, John Madden football. I’m happy you’re here. If only John Madden were also here to witness the return of his great franchise to a Nintendo platform.