Since many of us are still staying inside due to fears regarding the coronavirus, we thought about making a list of the best sports games that can alleviate your nostalgia for outdoor fun.
So, to help out sports fans in these trying times when sporting events are barely coming back to life; regardless whether you prefer console vs pc, let’s take a look at some of the best sports video games that have ever hit the market:
1. FIFA 09
source: Gamespot.com
Up until this entry, the FIFA series from EA Sports was considered fairly repetitive and arcadeish. However, things have changed since 2008 when this gem launched, as it turned the series over to a more realistic approach.
Sure, there are many more titles that have appeared in the series since then, but we think FIFA 09 is the most important of them all for making this dramatic shift in direction. We probably wouldn’t have seen realistic ball physics, collision detection, and player injuries if it wasn’t for the sales and reviews success of this particular entry.
2. NBA Jam
source: Engadget.com
Coming from the same company that brought us Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam is quite a different beast from the now classic arcade fighter.
Ask any basketball fan who grew up during the 90s what their favorite B-Ball game is, and you’ll most likely hear a lot of them say it’s this one. It’s whacky, fun, and features a variety of superstars that have since become icons of this sport. If you ask us, this gem should be on any engaging iGaming platform.
3. Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out
source: mentalfloss.com
The Baddest Man on the Planet has made history for a lot of reasons, and this game is one of them. It’s an NES classic that has managed to find a spot in the hearts of all gamers who grew up during the heyday of the video game rebirth.
Even to this day, you can still find tournaments in which players compete for the highest score in the game. As you can imagine, the last boss battle is none other than Mike Tyson himself. And despite the relatively simple controls, it’s a game that’s easy to pick up but extremely hard to master.
4. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
source: gamespot.com
Tony Hawk has become somewhat of a meme recently, and in a good way. The famous skater made a huge boom with his first video game, and especially with its sequel.
Sure, the controls aren’t as intuitive as other, more modern skating games, but it set the standard by which every single one of them would be measured for years to come. And despite a few of the complaints regarding the outdated control scheme on the PC version, you’d be hard-pressed to find another, better skateboarding game on that platform.
5. WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain
source: whatculture.com
There were many wrestling games back in the day, especially during the Monday Night War between WWE RAW and WCW Nitro.
However, most of them featured janky controls, dubious physics, and just an overall lack of polish compared to other sports video games. It wasn’t until 2003 when we would finally receive a masterfully crafted wrestling title. Today, we have the WWE 2K series that does a fine job, but not a single entry from said series made such a major impact like Here Comes the Pain.
Conclusion
If you haven’t played these games in their heyday, chances are you won’t be so impressed by them. But you still can’t deny the impact they had.
What is your favorite sports video game of all time? Hit us up with a comment below and share your thoughts with our community.
