Sports Games - ranked by preference

Release Date: August 31, 1999 (NA)
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Neversoft
Genre: Sports - Extreme Sports - Skateboarding

I first played Tony Hawk's Pro Skater a year prior to its release on a demo disk. The game was extremely basic when compared to the final product, but it was still fun enough where a few friends and I lost hours playing the demo. Then, a year later Pizza Hut released a demo much more true to the original game...And I was sold. I went out of my way to purchase this game...And to this day, I can still pop it in and love every minute of my time with it. And I'm not a music guy by any stretch, but I enjoy every song on the soundtrack, which also adds a tad to the enjoyment. While the sequel might be a superior game overall, I'll always have a preference to the simplicity of the original.

Release Date: December 13, 1991 (JP)
Publisher: Tecmo
Developer: Tecmo
Genre: Sports - Football

Tecmo Bowl was absolutely awesome when it came out, but it lacked official NFL teams...Then Tecmo Super Bowl came out and changed that...And improved on the already great Tecmo Bowl in the process. With the NFL license, and several new modes, Tecmo Super Bowl created what I still consider to be the perfect football game. It may be an 8-bit game with 2D graphics, but I still haven't played a 3D football game that has given me as much enjoyment when I played as Tecmo Super Bowl has...And I say that as someone who really doesn't care about the sport as a whole.

Release Date: May 19, 1989 (JP)
Publisher: SNK
Developer: SNK
Genre: Sports - Baseball

Baseball Stars doesn't have an MLB license. It doesn't feature star baseball players of the time. What it lacks in name value, it makes up for in everything else that you could imagine. Baseball Stars was, by far, the deepest baseball game ever created when it came out in '89. Create a team if you want, hire and fire players, take a rookie and develop them into one of the star players of the league...Or if you're content just playing a game of baseball and don't want to worry about any of that stuff, Baseball Stars hit the gameplay and controls out of the park, too. For its time, Baseball Stars could not be touched. 25 years later, it still holds its own as a great baseball game.

Release Date: September 20, 2000 (NA)
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Neversoft
Genre: Sports - Extreme Sports - Skateboarding

Let's make things clear here - my lists on here are by preference...That said, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is definitely the best game in the series...but it's not my favorite, which is why it's below the original. Make no mistake about it, though, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is a masterpiece - possibly receiving more perfect reviews from magazines and websites at the time than any game before or since. If you haven't played it, give it a shot - you don't need to love skateboarding to love this game. It's magnificent. If it weren't for my fondness of the original, I may very well consider it the best sports game of all time.

Release Date: March 2, 2010 (NA)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment
Genre: Sports - Baseball

The previous games in the MLB: The Show franchise were slowly building steam towards providing a solid, enjoyable baseball experience. MLB 10 marks where the series hit its stride and really solidified itself as the best MLB game series currently available for consumers. Road to the Show mode is enough to whet the appetite of most MLB fans, but if you need more, there's also pretty much any other mode that you could want packed in to boot. Later games in the franchise are just as fun, but for its impact, MLB 10 places higher on the list than the others.

Release Date: September 10, 2013 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts
Genre: Sports - Hockey

My favorite part of hockey games is turning off the rules and just checking folks out of the way of me shooting a goal...But that can get boring when the computer doesn't fight back. In NHL 14, that's been solved. NHL 14 has an option for the most aggressive AI I've seen in a hockey game, and some new collision physics and a new fighting engine based off of the Fight Night franchise, ensuring that the carnage will always be at its most fun. Plus, with the ability to make the computer aggressive as well, it's just as fun watching your teammates get checked as it is doing the checking yourself. Of course, purists can still have more of a simulation for their game as well. There's also an option of playing a new mode based off of NHL '94, complete with player indicators, ice colors, etc. based off of the classic 16-bit hockey game...including the top-down camera view, if you so desire. Aside from the new physics, fight engine, and overall aggression, there's not much here that's different from NHL 13. So, unless you want an updated roster, or just love seeing carnage on the ice, like myself, there may not be enough here to make a purchase worthwhile for you if you already own the previous year's game.

Release Date: September 8, 2000 (EU)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Hitmaker
Genre: Sports - Tennis

In my opinion, Virtua Tennis is easily one of the greatest sports games ever made...And it's up there as one of the best Dreamcast games as well. Virtua Tennis brought back the simplistic joys of Pong, tweaking the tennis game formula to near perfection in the process. Not only is the action extremely fluid and easy to play, but World Tour mode and the mini games found within is a great addition as well, adding hours of gameplay to an already great game.

Release Date: September 9, 2008 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts
Genre: Sports - Hockey

Kind of how I talked about MLB 10 earlier, NHL 09 was the turning point of the NHL franchise to bring it back to being the undisputed number one hockey game on the market. With new features like the Be a Pro mode, NHL 09 turned the franchise from a struggling one, competing with the NHL 2K series, to what was probably the absolute best sports game released in 2008, and one that left 2K's hockey franchise in the dust.

Release Date: November 10, 1999 (NA)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Visual Concepts
Genre: Sports - Basketball

NBA 2K, along with NFL 2K, made it perfectly clear that Sega's Dreamcast didn't need EA Sports franchises like Madden of NBA Live. In fact, in my personal opinion, both NBA 2K and NFL 2K surpassed the EA Sports titles in just about every way. NBA 2K almost seems like a perfect game of basketball when compared to rival games of the time. It looked gorgeous, and it hasn't aged too terribly, either. It still plays great and has enough customization where you can make the game play the way you want it to play. If you're a basketball nut, you can even watch the computer battle it out, which is actually pretty dang fun to watch as well. Sega's sports brand made it clear that sports fans had plenty to get excited about on the Dreamcast, and NBA 2K was leading the charge, in my humble opinion.

Release Date: November 12, 2013 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Canada
Genre: Sports - Soccer

I'll be honest with you. I've never really been a huge fan of EA's soccer games. The FIFA franchise just never seemed as good as Konami's soccer offerings to me. That said, I think FIFA 14 may be the best soccer game that I've ever played. If anyone out there can point me in the direction of a better one from the past or present, let me know 'cause I'd love to play it. The controls in FIFA 14 feel tight, the game modes are plentiful and well done, and it's just plain fun to play. If you like soccer (or football, if you're from pretty much anywhere outside of the United States...I got you guys covered) then this is a must-buy launch title for the PS4. It's very, very good.

Release Date: December 1992 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Park Place Productions
Genre: Sports - Hockey

I've always enjoyed hockey games, dating back to Hat Trick on the Commodore 64, but NHLPA Hockey '93 was different. Not only was it a fantastic game to play, but it kept track of statistics should you pursue to play a season. Oh, and you could fight, too. Nothing made this game seem more cool than when two hockey players hurled their gloves to the ice and engaged in fisticuffs while their teammates gathered 'round to cheer on in approval.

Release Date: February 1989 (NA)
Publisher: Tecmo
Developer: Tecmo
Genre: Sports - Football

Tecmo Bowl, even after all these years, may be the ultimate football game. The simplicity in the gameplay and controls made it easy for anyone to pick up and play, but it's also extremely fun...So once you do start playing, it's hard to stop. I'm not a football fan in the slightest, but I adore Tecmo Bowl. Give me this over a Madden title any time.

Release Date: March 1993 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: High Score Productions
Genre: Sports - Hockey

I probably played this game more than any sports game ever released. My friends owned it and I remember we'd make trades to borrow each other's games for extended periods of time, and this was usually my selection. Later games in the series refined a lot and added speed, but NHL '94 was still great for its time and still a blast to play today - there's a reason that NHL '14 has a mode called NHL '94 Mode, you know.

Release Date: September 9, 1999 (NA)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Visual Concepts
Genre: Sports - Football

NFL 2K was a Dreamcast launch title that immediately made it clear to football fanatic Sega fans that Madden wasn't needed on this system. In fact, NFL 2K, in my opinion, was a Madden killer of sorts. I've never been a big football guy, but I was genuinely hooked on NFL 2K, something that I can't say about any Madden title after the series went 3D. NFL 2K let every Dreamcast owner know that while they weren't going to get any Madden games, Sega was going to do their best to make sure that they got something better instead. They definitely did with this release.

Release Date: March 1988 (NA)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Pax Softonica
Genre: Sports - Hockey

Make a team of four players - choosing either the skinny guy, normal-sized guy, or the fat guy (my favorite being four fat guys - they hit the hardest) and have at it with friends or the computer. Regardless of who you're playing against, Ice Hockey is a blast. The little touch of you also controlling the goalie as you play adds just enough strategy to always keep things interesting. Will you focus on your skaters and try to get the puck, or will you focus on the goalie to make sure you're ready for a potential scoring attempt? Ice Hockey is proof that despite all of the neat new features in many modern sports games, keeping things simple can still be a ton of fun, like in the case of Ice Hockey where nearly 30 years after its release, it's still a blast to play.

Release Date: July 29, 1999 (JP)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Clap Hanz
Genre: Sports - Golf

Hot Shots Golf 2 adds a bit upon the enjoyable, original formula of Hot Shots Golf, but at the same time doesn't stray far from what made the original successful. Getting in on the mascot fun that a similar golf game, Mario Golf has, Hot Shots Golf 2 has three unlockable characters - Sweet Tooth from Twisted Metal, Sir Daniel Fortesque from MediEvil, and Gex from...well, Gex. Also added is a much welcome "gimme" during putts - if your ball is right next to the whole, the computer just putts it in for you as a "gimme" shot. It's simple, yet a wonderful addition. Overall, if you enjoyed Hot Shots Golf, the sequel has more to love. If you didn't, some of the minor additions might make you happy, but it's the same game at its core, so it may not convert you.

Release Date: November 4, 2010 (NA)
Publisher: Gamevil
Developer: Gamevil
Genre: Sports - Baseball

The first time I played Baseball Superstars 2011, I hated it...And then I played it some more...And then some more...And then I just couldn't stop. The game had me hooked. In Baseball Superstars 2011, there are several modes, but My League mode is what sucked away all of my time. Similar to 'Road to the Show' mode in the Playstation MLB series, My League has you control a single player in an attempt to make them ultimately retire as the greatest baseball player you can...While picking up a girlfriend or five along the way. I love the Power Pros series of baseball games, but Baseball Superstars 2011 is just so addicting, I can't help but place it higher on the list.

Release Date: December 17, 2011 (JP)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Clap Hanz
Genre: Sports - Golf

Golf on the original Game Boy proved that golf was a great sport for portable systems...Mario Golf on Game Boy Color drove that point home even further. Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational isn't quite as good as the GBC Mario Golf was, but it's an extremely well-done golf game that anyone can enjoy, sports fan or not. If you want a really well done game that even casual gamers can enjoy, you can't really go wrong with Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational.

Release Date: March 1994 (NA)
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: Iguana Entertainment
Genre: Sports - Basketball

When I was younger, I didn't know anyone from basketball, aside from maybe Michael Jordan...But after plugging NBA Jam into my Super NES, I was hooked and I knew the names of this roster to go along with Mr. Jordan from playing this game so much...Which isn't much, but hey, it's a start, right? For me, every game always broke down into me hogging the ball so I could get myself on fire and constantly slam dunking the ball in hopes for getting that ever-so-splendid backboard shatter.

Release Date: December 18, 2003 (JP)
Publisher: Bandai
Developer: Infinity
Genre: Sports - Golf

Ribbit King is a unique take on golf involving mallets instead of golf clubs and frogs instead of balls...It's called frolf, for those keeping track at home. Known as Kero King in Japan, this is the first entry of the franchise in North America, and unfortunately, the only entry as well. It's good, comedic fun and the story mode has some nice gags in the cut scenes as well. If you like golf, but would enjoy a comedic, unique take on the sport, then Ribbit King is a great game to play. It's not perfect, but its still very good. I highly recommend it.

Release Date: November 29, 1972 (NA)
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Atari
Genre: Sports - Table Tennis

There's a legend linked to the first Pong arcade machine: The prototype was installed at Andy Capp's Tavern in Sunnyvale, CA and shortly afterward, Atari received a phone call from the bar's owner, complaining that the machine had broken. Al Alcorn, the man who had built the game, drove to the pub and discovered that everything was working perfectly fine...The problem was that patrons had fed so many quarters into the machine that the coin slot couldn't take any more. Eventually, Pong took over bars, arcades, and living rooms all over the world. With its simple "don't miss the ball" premise, Pong is simple fun that anyone could understand and enjoy...And it's just as fun today as it was when it was released...So long as you've got a friend to trade trash talks with while you play.

Release Date: March 9, 2004 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts
Genre: Sports - Baseball

Without having played MVP Baseball 2005 yet, I can honestly say that up until I played MLB 10: The Show on Playstation 3, MVP Baseball 2004 was the best baseball game that I had ever played. Working my way up to the big leagues from the minors was an absolute blast, and other little aspects like alternate uniforms and the like created the most fun I had with a baseball game since World Series Baseball '98 hit the Saturn. I've heard that MVP Baseball 2005 is even better than 2004, but until I get the opportunity to confirm that, I'll make the claim that this is the best baseball game that I've played on the Xbox.

Release Date: September 12, 1998 (NA)
Publisher: Midway
Developer: Midway
Genre: Sports - Football

A lot of folks growing up in the mid-90's remember a certain sports game called NBA Jam and how enjoyable that over-the-top, arcade-style basketball game was. Midway's goal with NFL Blitz was to re-create that fun but on the gridiron. While the end result wasn't quite as good as NBA Jam, it still resulted in one of the best football games that I've personally ever played. Some rules are thrown out the window, the need to move 10 yards forward is replaced with the need to move 20 yards forward, and, of course, it isn't an over-the-top Midway sports game if there isn't a flaming ball of some sort during the game. While not quite as universally appealing and simplistic as NBA Jam was, this is still a game that people who don't like football (like myself) can still sit down and enjoy playing, but football purists may not appreciate it nearly as much.

Release Date: October 1993 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Canada
Genre: Sports - Hockey

I probably played this game more than any sports game ever released. My friends owned it and I remember we'd make trades to borrow each other's games for extended periods of time, and this was usually my selection. Later games in the series refined a lot and added speed, but NHL '94 was still great for its time and still a blast to play today - there's a reason that NHL '14 has a mode called NHL '94 Mode, you know.

Release Date: November 28, 1989 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Sports - Golf

Before Mario Golf provided us with one of the best golf games of all-time on the Game Boy Color, this title, simply called "Golf," was the game that caused people to sit on their toilets well after they were done going potty, simply because they wanted to finish "just one more hole." If you don't like how most modern golf games automatically choose the best golf club to use and want a more strategic game of golf, this little handheld gem is for you.

Release Date: 1980 (NA)
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Activision
Genre: Sports - Fishing

I really like this game. The concept has you battling against either the computer or a friend in an effort to catch the most fish. Fish deeper down in the water net you more points than shallow fish, but the catch is that there's a shark swimming near the surface that'll eat your fish before you can get the points. So what's your strategy? Spend the time going for the big points knowing that the shark might have made your effort a waste of time or go for the little points and hope that the small numbers eventually add up for the win? This is quite the fantastic game, and one that I feel gets overlooked far too often when people list off quality Atari 2600 games.

Release Date: July 17, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Camelot Software Planning
Genre: Sports - Golf

While golf games were usually fun, Hot Shots Golf added an arcade-like element to the genre along with some personality through its various characters. While later games in the franchise improved upon the formula of the original, Hot Shots Golf is still very enjoyable and well worth a play if you're looking for a timeless sports game on your original Playstation.

Release Date: May 30, 2001 (NA)
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Genre: Sports - Extreme Sports - Skateboarding

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 really was amazing when it first came out. It successfully transferred the fun of the console versions of the game to a 16-bit handheld, and managed to squeeze in that it was 3D as well. It really is amazing how much is crammed into this cartridge and how well it captures the fun of its console siblings. The controls are slightly changed due to the lack of buttons on the GBA, but after a few minutes of playing, you'll be hitting just about all of the moves you'd expect from a Tony Hawk game. The best part? It still plays just as smoothly and is just as fun today as it was when it was released at the Game Boy Advance's North American launch.

Release Date: July 24, 2011 (NA)
Publisher: Gamevil
Developer: Gamevil
Genre: Sports - Soccer

I love the Baseball Superstars series, so I decided to give Soccer Superstars the ol' college try, curious how they'd translate everything to the sport of soccer. They do so almost flawlessly, to be honest. Much like Baseball Superstars, you control a character trying to make their way up the ranks in the sport they love. Along the way, you'll interact with coaches, decide when to train, when to practice, when to go out and meet people, etc. It's not a serious game, which is exactly why I adore it. If you've played any of the Baseball Superstars games and enjoyed them, give Soccer Superstars a chance. You'll probably be very glad that you did.

Release Date: September 26, 2000 (NA)
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: Z-Axis
Genre: Sports - Extreme Sports

With the wild success of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Acclaim looked to capitalize by introducing its own version of that style of game, but with BMX bikes instead of skateboards. The end result, while not near the quality of the Tony Hawk games, was still very solid and fun to play in its own right. It's also worth noting that bailing from your bike and trying to take the worst possible fall was a favorite pastime of my friends and I for years. When you can spend hours doing nothing that you're supposed to be doing and still have fun, that's the sign of a quality game in my book.

Release Date: September 11, 2012 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts
Genre: Sports - Hockey

While not as innovative as some of the past entries in the history of the franchise, NHL 13 is still fun and still offers at least a few new features like the "True Performance" skating and new modes like GM Connected and NHL Moments Live. Like other recent games in the franchise, NHL 13 also allows you to play in various other leagues besides the NHL, like the "minor league" AHL, or various other leagues around the globe, meaning that I could play a season as the Colorado Avalanche, Milwaukee Admirals, Calgary Hitmen, Team Norway, or a plethora of others. It's not the most innovate hockey game in recent memory, but it's still plenty fun.

Release Date: March 6, 2012 (NA)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: San Diego Studios
Genre: Sports - Baseball

MLB 12: The Show on the Vita is fun, but not quite as enjoyable as its console big brother. But, considering the console version is in a console and this version is packed into a tiny cartridge that you can take on the go, many of its shortcomings can be forgiven and are, to a point, to be expected. The game is also rather buggy, with inaccurate stats showing up on screen at times (though the announcers usually get the info right) and training occasionally caused the game to crash...But for the most part, MLB 12: The Show is an awesome addition to the library of any sports-fan Vita owner.

Release Date: September 10, 1993 (JP)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts
Genre: Sports - Football

I was a fan of the Mutant League animated series that aired here in the 'States when I was a kid. When I found out that the series was based off of the Mutant League game franchise, I had to go out and get one of the games. Mutant League Football was the first one that I played and it was pretty much everything I wanted. Taking control of Bones Jackson (or any other player) to kill the referee that made a bad call is a blast...As is winning a game because to many people on the opposite team are pushing up daisies. Football purists probably want to stay away from this title, but if you want an absurd football game loaded with violence and comical comments from coaches and players, Mutant League Football may wind up being one of your favorite sports games that you've ever played.

Release Date: 1987 (NA)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Pacific Dataworks
Genre: Sports - Hockey

Hat Trick was probably the first sports game that I fell in love with. It has a Pong-like simplicity that's easy to pick up and fun to play. In Hat Trick, you control two hockey players at once. You control the main hockey player, who you move around the ice to grab and shoot the puck, but at the same time, you're also controlling your own goalie. This can lead to some decision making, like do you go after the puck when it's near your goal or do you forget the puck and focus on the goalie's defense to prevent your opponent from scoring? It's fun by yourself and an absolute blast if you can play it with a friend.

Release Date: May 6, 2014 (NA)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: SCEA San Diego Studios
Genre: Sports - Baseball

The Show has consistently been one of the best sports games released each year. MLB 14 is no different. Unfortunately, these games haven't really improved on themselves much over the past few years. The end result is that MLB 14 is still a great game, but if you still have your PS3 and one of the past few MLB: The Show games, then you don't really have a reason to want to go out and get this game unless you're a baseball nut that absolutely must have updated rosters when you play. MLB 14 is a good game - it's just lacking in anything really innovative.

Release Date: March 4, 2008 (NA)
Publisher: Sony CEA
Developer: SCEA San Diego Studios
Genre: Sports - Baseball

MLB 08: The Show is a solid baseball experience for on the go. When compared to Major League Baseball 2K8, The Show is easily the better overall game. From controls, to game options...Even the load times...The Show was easily the best baseball game available on the PSP in 2008. The game also improves upon the fantastic Road to the Show mode introduced in MLB 07, making this a quality baseball game more than worthy of any praise it receives.

Release Date: April 1, 2010 (NA)
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Activision
Genre: Sports - Extreme Sports - Skateboarding

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 was, honestly, a near perfect game for what it was at its time. It received perfect scores from publications that had never given a perfect score out before. So, it's no surprise that the highly successful title was ported to the iPhone. This port of the game is okay, but the touch controls take a while to get used to...And even when you're used to them, they still feel a tad awkward. They're fine for pulling off basic tricks and specials...But if you're aiming for some fancy combos to get a high score...You'll be needing some practice. I'll also mention the music...I'm not a music guy by any means, but I enjoyed a majority of the songs in the original releases of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2...The songs Activision selected for this port are not my cup of tea at all. I'm not a fan of a single song found here. That said, the game is as solid as it always was...But a few porting issues hold this back from its previous glory.

Release Date: July 10, 2009 (NA)
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Genre: Sports - Baseball

Power Pros Touch was my favorite sports game on the iPhone for quite a while, until Baseball Superstars 2011 stole the title away. There's not much here in the way of modes, aside from playing an exhibition or season, you can create your own team and modify their outfits and the like...But the gameplay itself is kind of neat. You basically use your finger as the bat when you swing, and depending on if and where you drag your finger as your bat hits the ball, you could be dictating where the ball will be going - left, right, a pop-up, or a ground ball. It's a fun game of baseball, but unfortunately, there's not much to keep you sticking around after a while.

Release Date: May 6, 2010 (NA)
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Genre: Sports - Baseball

Power Pros Touch was fun, but the main complaint that one would see when reading reviews was that it only had generic teams. Konami responded by releasing a MLB-based version of Power Pros Touch for the 2010 baseball season. It's good, but it really just felt like the original Power Pros Touch with a new coat of paint slapped on. As a result, I docked it a little on the list as it's more of the same...But quite frankly, if you haven't played the original Power Pros Touch, you'd probably enjoy this game as much as I did its prequel.

Release Date: January 1992 (NA)
Publisher: Bandai
Developer: TOSE
Genre: Sports - Baseball

Legends of the Diamond is a baseball game that I absolutely adored as a kid. The gameplay is solid, but as a baseball fanatic as a young'un, the ability to play as all-time greats like Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Cy Young just added to the fun. Legends of the Diamond is also the game that had me go out of my way to bean the batters when pitching, just so I could watch the batter rush the mound and the dugouts clear as a giant brawl erupts. Games like Baseball Stars and RBI Baseball may be better overall games, but Legends of the Diamond is still a solid baseball game with plenty of novelty fun.

Release Date: November 17, 2001 (NA)
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: Z-Axis
Genre: Extreme Sports - BMX

Dave Mirra Freetsyle BMX on the Dreamcast and Playstation was a decent alternative to the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise. Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 improves on just about everything from the first game and adds in a few extra touches to make sure that fans of extreme sports that were Tony Hawked out had another game they could go to that provided almost as much fun. The ability to bail off of your bike and watch the rider go limp in mid-air before slamming into a tree or pole or whatever else you aimed him at was a fun little game in itself, and it made sure that I lost hours just wandering around the game's levels looking for places that would be amusing to bail into or off of. The Gamecube version has two extra levels in it, making it the version that I'd recommend getting.

Release Date: March 17, 1999 (NA)
Publisher: Tecmo
Developer: Tecmo
Genre: Sports - Horse Racing

If you're into horse racing and own a Playstation, this should be a game that you seek out. In Gallop Racer, you pretty much do everything involving the sport - buy horses, compete in races...the only thing missing is a gambling system of some sort. That said, I like Gallop Racer because it's something completely different from what Western audiences had been used to - very slow-paced and relaxing...and while more horse racing games have come out since, I still enjoy this one for bringing the genre to North America...plus it helps that it's still fun today.

Release Date: 1987 (NA)
Publisher: Epyx
Developer: Epyx
Genre: Sports - Olympics

Epyx brought its popular Winter Games to the Atari 2600 when Atari made the attempt to resurrect its dead system. The end result actually wasn't bad - a variety of winter olympic events like skiing and bobsledding help make the game have more replay value. It's one of the better sports games on the Atari VCS.

Release Date: April 22, 1989 (NA)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Genre: Sports - Baseball

I'll be honest - I was not expecting much here, and I was very pleasantly surprised. Tommy Lasorda Baseball has smooth gameplay and nice visuals...unfortunately, it lacks licensing, so no real teams...But hey, the Milwaukee Brewers pretty much had their logo unchanged in here, so being from there, that's pretty sweet. Anyway, if you're just looking for a solid, old-school baseball game without all the bells and whistles of games from the sport today, then Tommy Lasorda Baseball is a very solid option.

Release Date: 1995 (NA)
Publisher: Incredible Technologies
Developer: Incredible Technologies
Genre: Sports - Golf

I've never been big into the bar scene, but whenever I'm at one, it seems like there's a Golden Tee arcade machine in the corner. Golden Tee 3D Golf was so popular that as recent as 2005-ish, bars out here would hold Golden Tee tournaments in order to lure folks in to drink. It worked because this trackball-based golf game is quite fun. The trackball controls gave the player more precision in their shots, but also left more room open for errors, making this a game that was fun and easy to pick up and play, but difficult to master. The key was that it was fun enough where you'd want to master it...Which kept those quarters rolling in.

Release Date: 1977 (NA)
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Atari
Genre: Sports - Olympics

Video Olympics was basically the way for Atari VCS owners to get a copy of Pong...Except Video Olympics also has crude versions of soccer, basketball, volleyball, hockey, etc. to play. But really, nobody got this to play those other modes, though some aren't too shabby. This was all about Pong, and this compilation is worth getting for that video game version of ping pong by itself. Toss in the other modes and you've got a nice little launch title for a debuting video game console like the VCS.

Release Date: 1991 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Park Place Productions
Genre: Sports - Football

John Madden Football '92 does everything good that the original John Madden Football did, and moderately improves upon it. The AI, in particular, has been improved, so you can't just go to the same plays over and over again unless you feel like having the computer catching on to your patterns and making you pay for your repetition. While this isn't an extreme improvement upon the original, the second Madden game still does enough to make it worthwhile to play.

Release Date: October 27, 1989 (JP)
Publisher: Culture Brain
Developer: Culture Brain
Genre: Sports - Baseball

Baseball Simulator 1.000 isn't exactly the best name choice for a game that allows players to play in an outer-space stadium, but the name aside, Baseball Simulator 1.000 is a solid baseball game. It plays smoothly and has plenty of teams, stadiums, and game modes to keep most baseball fans occupied for quite a while. While there are some better options for baseball games on the NES, Baseball Simulator 1.000 can still hold its own as a solid ball game that most fans of the sport will enjoy.

Release Date: July 21, 2005 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Now Production
Genre: Sports - Baseball

Mario Superstar Baseball is a very arcadey game of baseball with plenty of power-ups and wackiness to both amuse and frustrate you. Playing a game of baseball and filling out your team's roster with a variety of characters from the Mario universe is quite fun. Being able to go to bat as a goomba was a highlight for me. I also really liked how, goofy aspects aside, it played like the baseball games of the 8-bit days - simplistic, but fun. Aside from regular, ol' baseball games, there's also a variety of mini-games and such to keep you busy should the normal ball game begin to wear thin on you. It's not great, but Mario Superstar Baseball is a decent rookie effort for Mario in a new sport.

Release Date: 1992 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Looking Glass Studios
Genre: Sports - Football

John Madden Football '93 is basically the same game as '92, but with updated rosters and 8 of the greatest all-time teams up to that point in history. This is the football game that I grew up with, so there's a little nostalgia there, but since there's not a ton of innovation here from Madden '92, I can't really rank it any higher than here.