No matter the console, no matter the year, there have always been sports games to keep us entertained. Some of the best games that have existed are sports games so here is some information on some of the sports and the games they have inspired.
Basketball
Basketball has been a popular sport around the world since it was invented in the late 1800s so it makes sense that it was going to be made into a video game. There were some very basic games released on long-defunct consoles in the 1970s such as the accurately named Basketball in 1973 on the Magnavox Odyssey and the similarly named Basketball on the Atari in 1978. It wasn’t until 1993’s NBA Jam that really got the ball going and set the benchmark for basketball video games. Over the years there has been a remarkable improvement in the dynamics of the games which has brought a level of realism never seen before.
Horseracing
Although horseracing is one of the most popular spectator sports in the world, it is comparatively unknown in the video game arena. There have been a few arcade games in Japan that have made a dent in some people’s pockets due to their popularity with games such as Derby Owners and Stakes Winner. Sadly, most of these games don’t include Australian tracks so any Randwick tips would be unhelpful. The good thing though is that the people who create these games genuinely seem to have a passion for the sport and try to make the experience as real as possible.
Soccer
Soccer is one of the biggest sports in the world so video game adaptations of the sport were inevitable. The FIFA series is one of the major sports video game franchises that began in 1993 and has sold over 325 million copies. Other successful franchises include Championship Manager, Pro Evolution Soccer, Football Manager, Sensible Soccer, and Virtua Striker. The arcade game simply called Soccer was developed by video game pioneer Tomohiro Nishikado and was released in late 1973. It was similar to Pong but had a green background which simulated a playing field. Exciting Soccer, which was also released on arcades in 1983, is another notable input of the sport. Since then, there have been soccer games on almost all consoles, with one of the latest being FIFA 22 on the newest generation systems.
Car Racing
Car racing video games have been around since the dawn of the gaming era, with literally hundreds to choose from across all platforms. There are many different types of car racing games including rally driving, stock car racing, street racing, and Formula 1. The Need for Speed series is one of the most successful car racing franchises since it was first released in 1994 and there have been over 20 entries in the series, each to critical acclaim. Arcade games such as Daytona USA and Sega Rally have also enjoyed much success and remain popular to this day. Game developer Namco is one of the biggest creators of racing games that include favorites like Pole Position and the Ridge Racer series, while Sony has also had a lot of success with its Grand Turismo series. As gaming technology has progressed, the games have gotten a lot more realistic with the new games having pristine graphics and boasting excellent and realistic car handling.
You can always trust a retro sporting game to give you a great gaming experience.