10 classic sports game series that must make a comeback

As competitive as real life sports are, sports-based video games are just as popular as the sports they are based on. From games like Madden to compilation games like Wii Sports, if there is a sport there is a good chance there has been a video game based on it at some point in the past.

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While the likes of NBA 2K and MLB: the show have gone well, there is a plethora of sports game franchises that always have fans eagerly awaiting news of a possible new release. Certain dormant franchises with a confirmed sequel and / or a development reboot, such as with Skate and NCAA Football, and as such are not included.

ten Backyard sports series

If you were a kid and owned a computer in the late 90s and early 2000s, chances are you’ve played at least one of the Backyard Sports games. The games featured children, each with their own unique attributes and strengths, competing in different sports in different locations. It was fun and there was a lot of charm that made it a solid series.

The series has been MIA, however, but perhaps due to publishers’ stranglehold on sports licensing that the latest games have relied heavily on. It’s a shame too because kids these days will never know the greatness of Pablo Sanchez, arguably the best character to choose for a team.

9 The street series

The Street series was an arcade type sports game series that reimagined players from different sports leagues namely NFL, NBA and even FIFA, which reimagined these players as guys playing a game on a street of all of them. days.

Posted by EA Sports Big, the series was fun, full of weird guest appearances, like rapper Xzibit in NFL Street 2, and appealed even to those who weren’t interested in sports games. With a lack of dumber, wackier sports games these days, this would be a good time to bring this back.

8 NFL Blitz Series

Speaking of extravagant sports games, when it comes to extravagant soccer games, people will often think of the NFL Blitz series. Unlike Madden, Blitz has made things a lot simpler and even lets you do just about anything you want on a soccer field – brace yourself for some over-the-top moves.

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With Madden drawing in strategists and still in need of a few fixes, there’s an untapped market for those who just want to let go and not overthink it. A new NFL Blitz could do just that.

seven MLB 2K Series

Before MLB: The Show became the dominant game in MLB, which once competed with the MLB 2K series. Think about what 2K did with the NBA, but that’s exactly what it did for the MLB. While it might not have been as good as the show, it showed signs of greatness, including an in-depth franchise mode and fun game modes to play with friends.

The series was discontinued after the release of MLB 2K13, but over time it may be time to give this series a revival.

6 Fight Night Series

Previously known as Knockout Kings, Fight Night was truly the only boxing game based on real sports and did a solid job of describing not only what makes the sport so popular, but also its brutality. It also appeals to older and newer boxing fans by having some of the best playable boxers of all time, as well as some of the best today.

The most recent entry, Fight Night Champion, was also almost universally acclaimed, with its darker tone and sensational story called Champion Mode – which makes it all the more surprising since we haven’t seen a new one. entered since.

5 NFL 2K Series

Remember when Madden wasn’t the only mainstream soccer game? Nearly two decades ago, 2K gave Madden a run for its money with the NFL 2K series and arguably did a better job than Madden at representing football realistically.

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The players move and have a weight that doesn’t seem too far removed from reality, but what makes the games really special are the different play modes. You can build your own dream squad and compete against the squads of other celebrities. , and it even lets you recreate classic NFL moments like the Ice Bowl.

4 College Hoops Series 2K

Have you ever imagined what NBA 2k would look like if it was all the time in the intensity of college football? Well, College Hoops 2k was just that, and a whole lot more. The last game in the series, College Hoops 2k8, showed us what 2k could do with the license, if it had continued.

It featured over 300 NCAA Division I teams, a customizable roster, and a Legacy mode that lets you build lower-ranking teams in a varsity hoop powerhouse and recruit players from high schools and colleges. A lot could be done with the game and a new entry would surely blow people away.

3 SSX Series

Lots of snowboarding games have made solid video games, but the undisputed king of snowboarding games is, without a doubt, the SSX series. With its arcade-like gameplay, unique and quirky characters, great soundtracks, and great tips, few games have been able to garner as much appeal as SSX.

With Ubisoft having Steep and the upcoming Riders Republic under its belt, EA is expected to relaunch the series to compete with it. After all, we saw what a modern SSX game would look like with the 2012 release, which showed that the series can still be great while turning things around.

2 NBA Jam Series

In terms of true arcade-type sports, few have managed to achieve the level of popularity of NBA Jam. NBA Jam pitted your choice of two players from one of the NBA teams against another duo as you faced off on the field.

Not afraid to have a little fun at the expense of realism, the game lets you hit gravity-defying dunks and play as some really weird special characters while doing so. Did you know you can play as Bill and Hillary Clinton in any of the games? With modern graphics and NBA players continuing to change the game, it would be fun to see how they fare in an NBA Jam-like environment.

1 Punch-Out Series

A boxing game and a sports game like no other. Even decades after Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out released on NES, it remains one of the best sports games of all time. In Punch-Out, you play as underdog boxer Little Mac as he tries to become the world champion of the fictional World Video Boxing Association (WVBA).

Mac faces a number of different opponents who seemingly get more wacky than the previous one. Finding the tricks to take out each boxer added an element of strategy to the game that really makes you think of fighting. Despite Little Mac’s appearance in Super Smash Bros., there hasn’t been a new game since 2009. Punch-Out was definitely long overdue for a sequel and revival.

Next: The Best Arcade Sports Games Ever Ranked

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