With the next generation of video game consoles hitting the shelves this month, many consumers tend to forget the glorious history of games which paved the way for the likes of Playstation 3 and X-Box 360 systems. As far as the best sports video games ever, most gamers fail to realize that the top ten list does not start and end with Madden ’06. In order to find the sports games that left the most blisters on our thumbs, we have to look back to systems past. These are the top ten sports video games of all time:10) NBA Jam (Super Nintendo) – Before the NBA Live series dominated the basketball scene, there was a game that gave players freedom from reality. With the voice of Dick Vitale ringing in your ear every time you slammed down, and the ability to play as characters ranging from the pope to the president, NBA Jam let you do anything you dreamed of on the court . except for goaltending.
9) FIFA Soccer ’94 (Super Nintendo) – The game that stared it all. The first version of the longest EA Sports series is arguably the best soccer game to reach US shores. FIFA, which was also the first sports game to include licensed music from real artists, provided non-stop action to an audience that thought you needed pads to play football.
8) Punch-Out (Nintendo) – Before Fight Night Boxing where gamers could play as their favorite brawlers, Punch-Out put players in the gloves of a skinny, blue-haired fighter pitting you against giants in the ring. With one of the first appearances of the first-person point-of-view within video games, Punch-Out allowed gamers to feel every hit and heartbreaking fall to the canvas.
7) Gran Turismo Racing (Playstation) – A series that will soon expand over three game consoles, Gran Turismo was the first racing game to compute the actual physics of over 150 licensed cars in the game; it was the first to realize that the Ford Pinto shouldn’t out-run the Ford Mustang.
6) Ken Griffey’s Winning Run (Super Nintendo) – Created during a time when baseball games consisted of nothing more than being the pitcher, Winning Run provided one of the first baseball games which captured the actual goings-on in the sport. With the ability to play any position of the field, expanded modes which included all-star games, home run derbies, and post-season play, Ken Griffey’s Winning Run gave baseball much-needed attention from the video game industry through endorsements from the then most popular player.
5) Brett Hull’s NHL Hockey (Super Nintendo) – The first hockey game that allowed gamers to play as stars like Mario Lemieux, Brett Hull, Mark Messier, and the great one, Wayne Gretzky. Brett Hull’s NHL Hockey was also the first game to include the greatest aspect of hockey, fighting; for what is hockey without the one-on-one rumbles?
4) NFL Blitz (Playstation) -The NBA Jams of football, NFL Blitz was a football game that lacked great graphics and sounds but made up all of its shortcomings with hard hits. body slams, clotheslines, and headlocks on every play, and with a system that allowed both offsides and pass interference, NFL Blitz was a needed change from the technical game of Madden.
3) Madden NFL Football (Super Nintendo) – In all honesty, what is a sports video game list without a Madden reference? This series revolutionized not only football games, but the gaming industry completely. Priding itself on the depth with which every game is made; Madden remains the closest video game adaptation to a sport. It has allowed gamers to play every position on the field as well as the coach, general manager, or owner. Reality is the name of the game for Madden, and consumers will never get enough of it.
2) Track and Field (Nintendo) -The ancestor of Dance Dance Revolution, Track and Field let gamers be the triathlete that lived inside. With the help of the running pad, players could race against each other or the game itself in Olympic events like the 100 meter dash, triple jump, and four-by-four relay race.
1) Tecmo Football (Nintendo) – Before Madden, before NFL Blitz, there was Tecmo Football. The side-scrolling sports game kept gamers at their NES until it overheated. It was the first football game to license NFL teams and players and undoubtedly paved the way for the Madden series. Thank Tecmo every time you find yourself beating your buddies down in Madden ’06.