Sports games have come a long way from the early days of Pong and arcade games. These days, gamers are treated to realistic graphics, innovative concepts and incredible gameplay. Not all have hit the mark on release though – these six games from the last 20 years sit at opposite ends of the spectrum, ranked from best to worst.
Best:
FIFA ‘07
It’s a global phenomenon for good reason so it’s fair to say that any of the FIFA games could have made this list. But, fans are often particularly fond of the ’07 edition what saw the graphics bump up a notch and the controls tighten up considerably. In this game, you could feel like a really skilled player compared to previous iterations where controlling the ball felt unnecessarily challenging.
Gallop Racer
Created by Tecmo, Gallop Racer is a game that’s often overlooked in the world of sports video games, but it’s become a cult classic in its own right, creating a great approximation of the Grand National. Originally made for arcades, Gallop Racer was later made available for PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PCs. There have been eight editions of this delightful horse racing game since 2001 and it’s a much-loved game that is still entertaining today.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
Released in 1999, Pro Skater is still one of the most addictive games every created. Gaming fans will remember spending hours on this game, designing parks and skating, and at the time it was an innovative idea that paved the way for linear gameplay. The goal was for players to successfully perform tricks like flips and grinds, adding to their score by how well they executed the move and how long they managed to maintain it for.
Worst:
NFL Head Coach
The ‘Franchise Mode’ was an exciting shift for players that wanted to not only win the championship but also build an empire, creating a game within a game. But with NFL Head Coach, things went awry. The football part was removed, leaving just the management aspect. So, you could call plays but not watch them pan out. Needless to say, it appealed to a very select group of game players.
Michael Phelps’ Push the Limit
Xbox’s Kinect and motion capture in video games brought about a great deal of excitement for the possibilities it would provide for sports games, from hitting curveballs to dodging punches in a boxing ring. Olympic swimming wasn’t top of the list of those dreams though. Push the Limit was a barely-playable game that certainly didn’t resemble swimming and quickly dropped off the radar.
Ashes Cricket 2013
Ashes Cricket 2013 is widely considered to be one of the worst games ever created. While the premise was sound, the execution was dreadful – the game was half-broken and riddled with bugs that made it unplayable half the time, and when you could play it you were subjected to outdated graphics. It lasted four days before being pulled from release and those who bought it were given a refund.