If you love sports-themed video games, it is highly likely that you will have a handful of favourite titles that you play regularly.
As highlighted by a recent Betway Insider study, sports video games such as the FIFA series have the power to get your heart racing like a vigorous workout.
All of the most popular sports on the planet have been covered in video games, providing players with a digital recreation of the actual sporting event.
However, developers have often shone when they have been allowed a little more freedom with their game creations.
With that in mind, we take a closer look at five hugely underrated sports-themed video games you simply must play.
FIFA Street
One of the newer features in the FIFA series – Volta Football mode – has its roots in the hugely popular 2005 release FIFA Street.
Taking legends of the game such as Brazilian star Ronaldinho and placing them in the culture of freestyle street football was an inspired move by EA Sports.
FIFA Street focuses on flair, style and trickery rather than they tactical nature of the sport, thus providing gamers with a rewarding gameplay experience.
Mario Golf
Take one of the most iconic gaming characters ever created and stick a gold club in his hand – what could possibly go wrong? As it turns out, absolutely nothing!
There are several different Mario Golf titles available, with the pick of the bunch undoubtedly Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour for the Nintendo GameCube.
With fabulous three-dimensional backgrounds and a vast array of game characters, this magnificent creation fires the normal mundane sport of golf into another stratosphere.
MLB: Slugfest 2004
MLB The Show is Major League Baseball’s flagship video game and it does a great job in recreating America’s favourite pastime.
However, the series pales into insignificance when compared to the greatest baseball game ever created – MLB: Slugfest 2004.
It involves street-style rules were normal baseball behaviour goes out of the window. In short, it is miles more entertaining than traditional baseball.
Blood Bowl
If you are one of the many American Football fans left underwhelmed by recent NFL Madden releases, Blood Bowl will be right up your street.
The 2009 game takes traditional gridiron and places it in a fantasy world full of characters possessing different strengths and weaknesses.
The fluid nature of the gameplay and fantastic visuals combine to provide players with an extremely addictive American Football-themed game.
Crash Nitro Kart
When most people think of kart racing games their minds are immediately drawn to Mario Kart and it is unquestionably a great series.
However, one of the most criminally underrated games of the PlayStation 2 era is Crash Nitro Kart – a title featuring playable characters from the iconic Crash Bandicoot series.
Crash Nitro Kart is an action-packed game where you can use various weapons and power-ups to slow down your opponents and win the race.