As the UK faces another week in lockdown, a lot of us have been dusting down an old console or system and taking a trip down memory lane.
Because of this, we decided to take a look at the best 50 sports games of all time, according to Ranker.com.
50-31
50. Deer Hunter
49. 720 degrees
48. Jeremy McGrath Supercross World
47. Arena Football
46. Bases Loaded 3
45. Ken Griffey, Jr.’s Slugfest
44. MVP 06: NCAA Baseball
43. Bases Loaded 4
42. NCAA GameBreaker 2001
41. FIFA 08
40. FIFA 07
39. Madden NFL 16
38. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06
37. 2006 FIFA World Cup
36. NCAA March Madness 07
35. NHL Hitz 2002
34. NFL Blitz 20-02
33. Double Dribble
32. Def Jam Vendetta
31. NBA 2K16
50-31 Summary
Ranker.com‘s 50-31 consists of some of the very first games in their respective fields, and some games that are more recent. A lot of Electronic Arts (EA) games feature throughout the first 29 games in the list, and is this any surprise with the status they have in the gaming world, with some of the most successful games ever?
‘720 degrees’ is the oldest game so far on the list. It is amazing for a game made in 1986, which was traditionally found in an arcade, still to be competing against much newer games with amazing graphics and millions of pounds spent on them.
‘Bases Loaded’ 3 and 4 being on this list really does suggest how much of a legacy it left. These two games set the benchmark for newer baseball games such as ‘MVP 06’ and the MLB series.
A couple of early-ish FIFAs can also rightfully be found in the first 29. These editions were the first sort of FIFA games that really engaged the player and is also where the competitive side of FIFA was starting to emerge.
30-11
30. MLB 14: The Show
29. Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX
28. 1080 degrees Avalanche
27. WWF WrestleFest
26. Xcite bike
25. Madden NFL 09
24. Mario Strikers Charged
23. FIFA 06
22. Blitz: The League II
21. Tecmo Bowl
20. Madden NFL 2005
19. Wii Sports Resort
18. Fight Night Round 4
17. Mario Tennis
16. Blades of Steel
15. FIFA 13
14. NBA 2K13
13. NBA 2K14
12. Madden NFL 08
11. Fight Night Round 3
30-11 Summary
Early NBA 2k games are really what kickstarted basketball gaming. Anticipation was always high for them all over the world, and for there to be a breakthrough was massive. ‘2K13′ and ’14’ took the basketball gaming community by storm and there are still players to this day who will load up their old PS3’s and Xbox 360’s to play these two.
The original ‘Tecmo Bowl’ was a pioneering game in its field. Another arcade game, however, what a game it was. Before the release of ‘Tecmo Super Bowl’ (only a year later) it was regarded as the best NFL game the world had ever seen.
The first Wii Sports game to be featured on the list is ‘Wii Sports Resort’, and what a game it was. If Wii Sports Resort isn’t a reason to dust the old console down, we really do not know what is.
Two of the first Mario Sports games were featured in the list, and again what a couple of games they were. ‘Mario Tennis’, which was released in 2000, was truly one of a kind. Replacing tennis superstars for made up characters seems ridiculous. however, it was one of the best ideas next level games came up with.
‘Mario Strikers Charged’, which was released in 2007, was another game which seemed ridiculous, but took the gaming world by storm.
10-1
10. NFL Street
9. Madden NFL 2004
8. MVP Baseball 2005
7. NBA Street
6. ESPN NFL 2K5
5. Madden NFL 07
4. NHL ’94
3. Tecmo Super Bowl
2. Punch-out!!
1. Wii Sports
10-1 Summary
We don’t think anyone who has played a game of ‘Wii Sports’ can argue that this is the undisputed best sports game of all time. There isn’t a feeling in the world that can compare to hitting the ball ‘out of the park’ on Wii Sports baseball.
Nintendo, take a bow.
Other games in the top 10 seem to be dominated by NFL games, mainly EA NFL games. It can’t really be argued as EA are the best in the business when it comes to producing them.
‘Punch-out’ narrowly misses out from claiming the top spot, however, that isn’t to say it wasn’t a good game. ‘Punch out’, which was released in 1987, featured some of the best mechanics seen from any games company at that time. It was voted as the 65th out of 523 most addictive game of all time, according to Ranker.com fans.
‘NBA Street’ is the only other game that can rival ‘NBA 2K13′ and ’14’ in the eyes of most basketball game fans. Although the graphics weren’t there, what can you really expect from a game that was released back in 2001.
Overall
Overall the list seems to feature a wide range of sports from NHL to hunting. If one thing is to come from this list by Ranker.com, it is that EA Sports have, and continue, to dominate the sporting front in the world of games.
Nintendo chip in every so often, however, when one of their games come out, expect it to be very good, as shown with ‘Wii Sports’ and ‘Wii Sports Resort’.
With the lockdown of the UK seeming everlasting, what’s your excuse for not getting your old consoles down from the loft and hopping on one of these classics?
