There have been hundreds of sports video games throughout the years. In less than forty years weve gone from Pong to MLB 2K6 for the Xbox 360. But the evolution of games hasnt always meant better games. Just because a game has flashier interfaces and better graphics, it doesnt necessarily make for good gameplay. Thats the reason that many PS2 and Xbox games are doomed to linger in discount bins at your local game store, while classics like NHL 94 and Tecmo Super Bowl continued to be obsessed over by sports fans. Heres my Top 10 of all time:
10. Jordan vs. Bird (NES) – Was the one-on-one gameplay that great? No, not really. But the game was innovative with the three point competition and slam dunk contest long before it showed up anywhere else. For that alone it deserves a spot in the Top 10.
9. Madden 2005 (PS2, Xbox, GC) – The jump from ’04 to ’05 was HUGE. ’05 introduced the hit-stick control and defensive playmaker to bring the defensive control on par with the offense. Franchise mode is pretty much the same as ’04, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. My favorite thing to do is build a team from scratch. I love...