Video game history is closely tied to sports. Pong, one of the first video games that helped launch interest in the industry, was a basic simulator that emulated tennis. The two-dimensional game was simple enough, but quickly became a hit for creating a new virtual space for competition.
Over the next decades, sports simulations slowly developed and diversified. The earliest projects, some of which predate Pong (1972) by years, including Crown Soccer Special (1967) and MotoPolo (1968), looked to directly copy the action, format, and technique of live sports.
Early ball-and-paddle inputs transformed into trendy trackpads that looked to encourage new gaming features and gameplay experiences, yet throughout the main focus remained the same: recreate a popular sports league in a digital format. Two primary types emerged: sports simulations like Madden and strategy titles like Football Manager.
Today, video game titles covering sports continue to change and evolve. The latest trends include eSports leagues, including some co-sponsored by actual leagues. There’s the ePremier League for England’s topflight of association soccer, along with the NFL’s Madden Championship Series.
More recently, DFS (daily fantasy sports) from brands like DraftKings have once again altered this landscape. DFS cover smaller contests that are concluded in a day, or another shorter period of time, rather than season-long fantasy leagues. Though there’s no gameplay, the simulation has proved popular.
Additionally, the availability of deals like the FanDuel promo code has added to the hype in recent years. Looking ahead, future versions of DFS may be just as unrecognizable to users as early Atari and Sega sports simulations are to gamers today. While some releases from the 70s, 80s, and 90s remain cult hits, others have flown under the radar—and rightfully so.
Certified Slam Dunks
Not every video game that covered sports got it right, but the titles that delighted gamers remain popular today despite coming from the pre-32-bit era. Here are three of the best titles that still hold up.
- NBA Jam: As one of the last quality vestiges of the arcade era, NBA Jam substituted realism for an absolutely riveting gameplay experience. Players soared into the air with a simple jump, exploded the backboards with regularity, and found an unmatched balance between live NBA basketball and Mortal Kombat-like moves.
- Madden ’92: All of the Madden releases from the 90s deserve credit for their elevated playbooks and gameplay modes, but few can match the hype of Madden ’92. Aside from balance features, the ambulance drove onto the field after major hits—running over players in the process.
- NHL ’94: Though developers nixed fighting on the ice, their licensing agreement with the NHL Players’ Association meant gamers got an added dose of realism. Add to that regulation rules and techniques, along with serious liberties while checking other players, and the game has a winning formula. In fact, tournaments are still hosted for the game annually.
Absolute Shanks
Not every project will be a winner, no matter how much time and resources are invested by developers. Still, there’s a difference between a few slipups and an absolute shank. Here are three projects that failed on multiple levels.
- Shaq Fu: At the height of the basketball player’s career, Shaq Fu should’ve been a slam dunk. Instead, it was bashed by critics and players for its cheesy dialogue, nonexistent story modes, and a series of issues with slow controller feedback. Even worse, there was a failed re-launch in 2018, Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn.
- Peter Shilton’s Handball Maradona: In 1986, Argentinian soccer star Diego Maradona scored an illegal handball goal to defeat England in the 1986 World Cup. Depending on where you lived at the time, this either made Maradona a hero or a villain. Regardless, there should have never been a simulation built on playing as a goalie—especially one who can only make up to six saves a game.
- Michael Jordan Chaos in the Windy City: First, the title’s too long and editorialized. Second, it’s one-part basketball and a three-parts combat game. Third, the controls and graphics looked cheap enough to make Shaq Fu look like a work of art.
