| There have been hundreds of sports video | | | | 5. NFL Blitz (Arcade) - The football version |
| games throughout the years. In less than | | | | of NBA Jam. Fast scoring, late hits, and |
| forty years we've gone from Pong to MLB 2K6 | | | | crazy rules like being able to throw multiple |
| for the Xbox 360. But the evolution of games | | | | forward passes behind the line of scrimmage |
| hasn't always meant better games. Just | | | | make this game great. The arcade version was |
| because a game has flashier interfaces and | | | | waaaay better than the PS or N64 versions. |
| better graphics, it doesn't necessarily make | | | | |
| for good gameplay. That's the reason that | | | | 4. NBA Jam (Arcade) - Between the arcade |
| many PS2 and Xbox games are doomed to linger | | | | version and the console versions, I've played |
| in discount bins at your local game store, | | | | a ton of NBA Jam. It is one of the most |
| while classics like NHL '94 and Tecmo Super | | | | unique games ever. Who didn't enjoy beating |
| Bowl continued to be obsessed over by sports | | | | the crap out of people in mid-air or hitting |
| fans. Here's my Top 10 of all time: | | | | three after three when they were on fire? |
| | | | This game totally rocked. The best part was |
| 10. Jordan vs. Bird (NES) - Was the | | | | getting all of the codes and playing with |
| one-on-one gameplay that great? No, not | | | | mascots and Bill Clinton. |
| really. But the game was innovative with the | | | | |
| three point competition and slam dunk contest | | | | 3. Little League Baseball (NES) - I don't |
| long before it showed up anywhere else. For | | | | know why this game doesn't get more attention |
| that alone it deserves a spot in the Top 10. | | | | as one of the best NES sports games. The |
| | | | gameplay is the best of any NES baseball game |
| 9. Madden 2005 (PS2, Xbox, GC) - The jump | | | | - pitching, hitting, and fielding all are |
| from '04 to '05 was HUGE. '05 introduced the | | | | simple and feel relatively realistic. Plus |
| hit-stick control and defensive playmaker to | | | | there's just something fun and unique about |
| bring the defensive control on par with the | | | | playing with little leaguers. As far as I |
| offense. Franchise mode is pretty much the | | | | know this is the only little league game |
| same as '04, but that's not necessarily a bad | | | | ever, although I could be wrong. Adding to |
| thing. My favorite thing to do is build a | | | | the excitement, certain teams are |
| team from scratch. I love taking the worst | | | | significantly better than others. Want a |
| team in the league and building them into a | | | | challenge? Try winning a tournament with |
| powerhouse. You can move them to a new city | | | | Italy, the worst team in the game. The replay |
| and build a new stadium, then draft real | | | | value of LLB is unbelievable; I still play it |
| college players from NCAA '05. Overall, I | | | | to this day. |
| liked this game more than any other Madden. | | | | |
| 2006 just didn't improve upon this game | | | | 2. NHL '94 (Genesis, SNES) - I love modern |
| enough for me. | | | | NHL games as much as the next guy, but this |
| | | | game is the best ever. I still play it ALL |
| 8. Punch-Out (NES) - what kid born in the | | | | THE TIME. The quality of play is amazing. |
| late 70's or early 80's DIDN'T spend hours on | | | | Take away the easy wrap-around goals and the |
| end trying to beat Tyson with Little Mac? | | | | gameplay is amazingly real, especially |
| | | | considering how old this game is. Oh, and for |
| 7. Madden '94 (Genesis, SNES) - Based on | | | | the record, they are playing NHL '93 in |
| memory this game was awesome. I remember | | | | Swingers but talking about the removal of |
| being able to play with all the NFL teams and | | | | fighting in NHL '94. Weird huh? |
| a bunch of classic teams. It was one of my | | | | |
| favorite sports games growing up. That said, | | | | 1. Tecmo Super Bowl (NES) - This game was far |
| I played it recently and it sucks. It can't | | | | ahead of it's time - editable playbooks and |
| even come close to holding it's own against | | | | season long stat tracking were so cool back |
| Tecmo Super Bowl. The passing is unrealistic, | | | | then. The gameplay is far from realistic but |
| and the running consists of repeatedly | | | | amazingly equal. For that reason, the game is |
| hitting the spin button while tacklers bounce | | | | still popular and there are tons of people |
| off your runner. It's this high just because | | | | who still play in online leagues. The advent |
| of how much I remember enjoying it as a kid. | | | | of emulators has allowed for the editing of |
| | | | rosters - I've played versions of the game |
| 6. NBA Live '95 (Genesis, SNES) - This game | | | | with rosters from as recent as 2004. There |
| might not have been realistic at all, but it | | | | are also versions with college rosters and |
| was insanely fun to run up and down the court | | | | USFL rosters. The weird little gameplay |
| firing up threes and throwing up alley-oops. | | | | quirks like Bo Jackson being impossible to |
| The fact that it was the first NBA game by EA | | | | stop, fumbles bouncing all over the place, |
| with every team and every arena also scores | | | | choosing defensive plays by guessing the |
| it points. Not to mention, this was the first | | | | offensive play, 100 yard passes, etc make the |
| game with the 3/4 angle camera. | | | | game MORE fun. This game will never, ever get |
| | | | old. |