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Top 5 sports video games

Posted on Jun 22, 2009 in Sports

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I, like many of you reading this right now, have a fond place in my heart for video games.

While many of you learned what a rivalry was through your parents’ love (or hate) for tigers and elephants, I established a definition of the term by observing the conflicts between a fat, Italian plumber and a adrenaline-filled hedgehog.

As I grew up, I also found that I had a special place in my heart for sports, so when the advent of sports video games allowed me to experience two things I love at once, it instantly became one of my favorite things in the world.

NCAA Football
The first game on our list should probably be higher up, but its hit-and-miss quality causes it to sink to the bottom. Where this series DOES shine, however, is in its ability to recreate the feeling of college football. What better way to get ready for the college football season than actually playing out an entire college football season? The game allows you to play as any NCAA college football team, most of which include authentic stadium designs complete with mascots, bands, and cheers.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
The skateboarding craze became insanely popular just as fast as it became incredibly redundant, but that short timeframe paved the way for one of the greatest sports video game franchises in history. Tony Hawk took his famous iconic self, got all his skateboarding buddies and rivals, and added in all his favorite boarding locations to make a trick-heavy, unrealistic skateboarding dreamscape. Sure, you could learn all the combos and tricks if you wanted to be an expert player…but just hitting the buttons randomly would suffice for the average fan.

NBA 2k
If you love the NBA, you have to play this game franchise. The game may not be as pretty looking as its EA rival, NBA Live, but it plays ten times smoother. Just last week I was playing a rematch of the NBA Finals with my friend Samuel, and although I hate the Lakers, it felt great to play as Kobe Bryant. Every person in the game has their own style and moves, and you can customize everything. NBA 2k offers the ability to shoot using a control stick which they call Shot Stick technology. This method is far more accurate than just timing a button push, but it does have a bit of a learning curve.

Tecmo Bowl
Okay, okay. So its not really a “franchise” as much as the others on this list, but what Tecmo Bowl brings to list is a time-tested gameplay that is still fun. This NES classic features tough-play football that includes fumbles, interceptions, and blocked kicks. If you are playing by yourself, then you have to choose Bo Jackson and the Raiders. You’ll see why once you utilize him. Most players consider the use of Bo Jackson a cheat, so for multiplayer games you may want to switch it up. All and all, this is a very fun game. There’s only eight plays in the entire game (four for offense, and four for defense) and its simple to play and understand, even for non-football watchers.

Madden Football
As much as it pains me to admit this, Madden Football is probably the greatest video game franchises in history. It’s been out on almost every gaming console since the early 90’s, it’s spawned a variety of reality television shows and celebrity tournaments, and its set the bar for modern sports games in terms of gameplay, graphics, and multiplayer competition. That having been said, it really sucks that EA has exclusive rights to the NFL franchise. NFL 2k was a great series that ended far before its prime due to EA snagging up the rights with their mass pools of corporate money. This wouldn’t be a problem if it was evident that any revenue created by Madden was actually used to improve the game…but it seems in recent years that, other than small graphical improvements, the only real changes have been to the roster. The game generally stays the same despite what year you get, although the newer the model, the better the online support will be. Pick and choose, but you really can’t go wrong with any of the Madden games if you are a football fan. Just be prepared to buy up if you get hooked. EA has already announced that the Madden series will continue for a long-time to come, even with the retirement of football personality John Madden.
 

Email: mitchm@uab.edu