To be fair, we should go back in time and look at big hits like Virtua Tennis or the beginnings of FIFA. In the following list, we remember classic games that took off in the 90s and more recently the Forza Horizon series that has established itself as one of the best driving games. With the possibility of playing online, sports games have grown a lot to connect with players from all over the world and compete on equal terms. Below you can also find free games like Rocket League.
Top 10 best sports games of all time
These are the 10 best sports games of all time, including classic arcade games and more modern titles. Sports games have evolved a lot to become more realistic and thus include many options for players to enjoy together.
The best sports games by platform
Here are the best sports games ranked by platforms such as PS4, Xbox One, Switch, or PC. You can get the latter in digital stores such as Steam or Epic Games Store, from where you can download them.
Virtua Tennis
Also known as Power Smash, it is a tennis video game developed by Sega AM3 and Sumo Digital, distributed by Sega. It consists of selecting one of the 18 available players from various parts of the world to be able to compete with other players in the World Circuit mode. It also has an Exhibition mode, Arcade and more. All players have special attributes such as more serving power, speed or placement to make a more balanced game. The ball also behaves differently depending on the surface of the court on which it is played and it has 10 different stadiums with clay, hard or grass courts .
Tennis games reached their peak with the launch of this series known as Virtua Tennis. The game has three-dimensional graphics that give the matches a very realistic look, as the players had different animations, and celebrations and wanted to look like the professional tennis players of the time. This title has online multiplayer to play doubles matches with 4 players.
FIFA: On the road to the 98 World Cup
Also known as FIFA: Road to World Cup 98, it is a football video game developed and distributed by Electronic Arts. The game features a total of 173 teams , all of which were in the 1997 FIFA, and also includes 11 different leagues, 17 stadiums and much more.
Taking advantage of the World Cup in France, EA launched one of the most important installments of its simulator. For the first time, decisive aspects of the game were added, such as tactics and other elements such as official stadiums, soundtrack, and new leagues. This game included new dribbles, and offside and improved the fluidity of movements with a new graphics engine.
Pro Evolution Soccer
Also known in Japan as World Soccer: Winning Eleven, it is a soccer video game developed and distributed by Konami. The cover worldwide is represented by Cristiano Ronaldo and in Latin America by Neymar Jr. Unlike the previous installments, this one is based on the -season and incorporates graphic and gameplay improvements.
Football fans have had plenty of options throughout history, and Pro Evolution Soccer has to be acknowledged for its longevity. This installment introduced many new features to make player movements and expressions more realistic. The artificial intelligence was also improved to create more organic chances, looking for space and runs.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 is a skateboarding video game developed by Neversoft and is the second installment in the series. The player controls a professional or fictional skater in third-person view to perform tricks and stunts while completing level objectives in exchange for rewards. It has a character progression system to improve their stats and get better equipment. There is a lot of freedom of movement to move around the stages, pick up speed and slide to do incredible jumps. It has 5 game modes with different conditions or objectives: career mode, free skate, single session, multiplayer and level editor.
The Tony Hawk series had to be on this list, as it was a true phenomenon. That was thanks to addictive gameplay and increasingly realistic graphics for stunts and jumps in urban environments. The game smoothed out polygons and contains many levels, pro skaters, and other unlockable content. Plus, you can create new skaters and design their skills.
NBA Jam
It is an arcade basketball video game developed and published by Midway Games. It is based on the 92-93 NBA season and features many real-life players from that time, such as Dominique Wilkins, Brad Daugherty and many more. Basketball matches are made up of teams of 2 players , where the player can select the characters they want to participate in their team.
It’s hard to find a basketball game with such a polished style as NBA Jam. Its arcade mechanics are far from realistic, but it managed to create very fun and spectacular gameplay. Players can do incredible jumps and it eliminates some of the game’s rules. Even so, it was a huge success in arcades and soon reached home consoles such as the Super Nintendo or Mega Drive.
Punch-Out!!
It is a boxing video game developed and distributed by Nintendo. It is a classic title that is very popular worldwide where you take on the role of Little Mac, a boxer who at first is not up to par because of his size. However, with the help of his trainer, Doc Louis, you have to reach the top in the world of boxing.
An arcade game whose main characters were designed by Miyamoto. Unlike other games of the time, Punch-out was shown in a vertical format and the boxer protagonist could throw punches and dodge to defeat his opponent. The objective is to achieve a KO within the set time and after defeating all the boxers, the difficulty of each fight increases.
Wii Sports
It is a sports video game developed and distributed by Nintendo. This title has different sports where players can compete against each other using the Mii created on the consoles that would be the avatars. The games in which you can participate are tennis, baseball, bowling, golf and boxing .
Nintendo has always managed to innovate in its offerings, as it did with the Wii and this sports game. It used the console’s wireless controller to play tennis, boxing and even bowling physically. It is a perfect game for get-togethers with friends or to share time with the family in a fun way, as scores and statistics are recorded.
Windjammers
It is an arcade video game that was originally released for Neo Geo in 199 and developed and distributed by Data East. In this title,e we can enjoy short and intense 1 vs 1 game where we have to throw a disc and score points until we win. As for playable characters, there are six. The graphics maintain the characteristic retro style.
This arcade game that was so popular in the 90s has received a remaster, but it’s still as addictive as it was back in the day. With a gameplay style reminiscent of Pong, Windjammers introduced more speed and spin to make for a more competitive game. You can now play with friends with online multiplayer, in addition to 2-player local mode.
grand tourism
Also known as GT1, it is a racing video game developed by Polyphony Digital and Cyberhead and distributed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is a PlayStation-exclusive title, featuring over 80 officially licensed vehicles, such as Dodge, Chevrolet, Nissan, Aston Martin, and others.
Although it’s been a few years since its release, Gran Turismo remains a benchmark in the racing genre. As well as being a fluid sports game, it stood out above all for its gameplay and highly rewarding controls. Thus, it paved the way for subsequent modern racing games that sought more realism in driving.
PC Football 6.0
It is a sports simulation video game focused on football developed and distributed by Dinamic Multimedia. It is the direct sequel to PC Fútbol 5.0 and consists of managing a football club from its players to training, as well as viewing and focusing on a match by watching how the footballers play. The game mode can be played in 4 ways: Result, Summary, Interactive and Simulation.
A pioneer among football simulators, PC Fútbol is one of the most successful games developed in Spain. This allowed many subsequent versions to be released, where sports management is the most important element. Although in this version you can only manage Spanish teams from the top categories, the game has a very complete database of other clubs from Europe and South America.
Colin McRae Rally
Colin McRae Rally is a racing video game developed by Codemasters and the first game in the series. It is a rally simulation game that features 8 official cars alongside their drivers from the 1998 World Rally Championship, although it includes other additional vehicles. There are three difficulty modes in the game that offer different cars: Novice mode has FWD F2 class cars such as the SEAT Ibiza F2 Kit Car ; Intermediate mode offers 4WD World Rally Car class cars such as the Subaru Impreza WRC; and Expert mode allows you to unlock cars such as the Ford Escort MKII , Lancia Delta Integrale, Audi Quattro S1 and Ford RS200.
Among the top sports games are soccer, tennis, basketball and even skateboarding simulators to enjoy alone or with friends. Many of these games have local and online multiplayer modes to play quick games with other players. Others, however, emphasize management above other elements so that players can lead a team and lead them to victory. Which is your favorite?