It’s the middle of the Summer and some may argue that this time of the year is best to be spent outdoors, at the beach and catching up with friends – we beg to differ.
This time is best suited to staying inside with our old friend Play Station/Xbox or Nintendo.
Our team at Neds HQ has tirelessly slaved away at the helm of various gaming consoles, risking early onset arthritis and carpal tunnel whilst being subjected to online bullying in order to bring you this extensive list of top-notch sporting video games.
10. NBA Jam (1993)
NBA Jam was a Sega Genesis hit adapted from a hugely popular arcade game of the same title. Jam gave kids the ability to control their favourite NBA heroes, sending them barreling towards the rim in spectacular fashion, pulling off various aerial stunts before eventually throwing down the hammer!
Honourable mention to 2k11 which allowed gamers to play as Michael Jordan in modern Basketball.
9. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004
Tiger Woods PGA Tour gave everyday hackers like myself a fighting chance to produce a respectable round of 18 on a world class course.
The 2004 edition gave further assistance to those void of any sort of gaming talent by allowing players to alter the spin of the ball in the air, while providing slope grids, and offering shot advice while putting.
All and all this game has saved me thousands in golfing equipment, lost balls, and anger management bills.
Honourable mention to Microsoft Golf 98, Cheers Bill.
8. Madden 06
Much like FIFA, Madden NFL has a reputation for cashing in on its loyal customers, churning out game after game, year after year, without introducing any significant gameplay changes.
Madden 06 bucked this trend by adding Superstar Mode, which allowed gamers to take control of an NFL player from their rookie season through to their eventual retirement, basically gifting couch potatoes a chance to live out their NFL dreams from the comfort of their Mother’s basement.
7. Aussie Rules Footy
G’Day Boomer!
We’re taking a trip back to a bygone era of gaming, 1991 gave birth to the AFL’s first and greatest ever video game in the form of Aussie Rules Footy on nes (Nintendo Entertainment System).
This rudimentary game allowed players to execute the most basic skills of, tackling, kicking and hand-passing, which is more than can be said of the current North Melbourne squad.
Although I can’t see myself losing hours of my life sitting in front of Aussie Rules Footy, it’s nostalgic value alone has ensured its position in our Top 10 Sporting video games.
6. Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2
Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 was a right of passage for any child born in the early 90’s, and the most innocent form of grinding pre the 2009 dating app revolution.
The game allowed you to play as Tony himself or a raft of other famous pro skaters, such as….
… Bob Burnquist!
Gamers were able to link trick after trick by grinding, wall riding and manualing their way around the map before fanging it up a ramp and launching into full blow button mashing mode looking to pull off something like a kickflip McTwist into a 900 Japan air.
More often than not most of these eccentric manoeuvres finished with your character eating the pavement.
5. G1 Jockey
G1 Jockey has made the cut due to two reasons;
- Thoroughbred Racing has been around since the beginning of recorded history and still, nothing beats the feeling of jagging a quaddie at Flemington any given Saturday!
- Secondly, my boss would give me the old Freo heave-ho if i didn’t smuggle G1 into the top 10.
How many times have we had a quaddie fall over because a Jockey butchered the ride?
G1 Jockey gives the working-class punter the chance to slip into a jockey’s silks without dropping 50 kegs.
Challenge your racing knowledge with various track types and your horses specific racing characteristics.
4. Jonah Lomu Rugby
List of NZ’s achievements:
1. The All Blacks
2. Jonah Lomu Rugby
Jonah Lomu Rugby is a gaming masterstroke well beyond its years, it managed to turn what is regarded as an extremely complex code of rugby into a simple yet addictive video game.
Fortunately for Australians, JLR was released in 1997 and is centred around the ’95 World Cup, a respectable era for the Wallabies who contained far more household names than that of the current squad.
Regardless of how good the Aussie national side once was, there was no stopping Jonah Lomu, both on and off the computer screen, he was a living and breathing cheat code and a huge reason why rugby grew so rapidly in the ’90s.
3. FIFA 98 World Cup
As stated in the Madden 06 review, EA Sports churns out more games than Adam Sandler does C-grade comedies.
Over the years FIFA has introduced life-like graphics, various managers modes and online gameplay, all of which making EA Sports hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
With such a frequent turnover in games, FIFA has started to mold into one gaming title with nothing distinguishing new games year from year.
Not FIFA 98, FIFA 98 had real personality, from the moment you turned on your console and Tubthumper by Chumbawamba began to serenade your ears you knew you were in for a bloody riveting time!
Select your game mode (Full Wold Cup, obviously), select your national side (Brazil every time), then strap yourself in for an afternoon of pure joy.
Bask in the crowds’ roars and soak in the commentary of John Motson “Over The Top, Over The Bar, And He Knows He Should Have Done Better!”.
Simple times, simple pleasures, FIFA done right.
2. Shane Warne ’99
Missing Test Cricket?
Big Bash not doing it for you?
Then pick up a copy of Shane Warne Cricket ’99!
With your choice of “World Cup”, “Test series” and “Test season”, you’re likely to spend more time at the crease than Steve Smith did during the 2019 Ashes Series.
Like the late, great man himself (RIP), Shane Warne ’99 was a case of full-blown entertainment, fancy rolling your arm over on a dust bowl in Mumbai? seam in a few looping in-swingers on a green top at lords? Or even bump the life out of some Pommies at the Wacca? It was all at your fingertips in this magical game.
Graphics so far beyond its time that it had you questioning the constructs of our own reality, with more pixels than you could through a kookaburra at.
This game allowed you to revel in the nostalgia of Australia’s Golden era, where losing a Test Match was about as rare as a successful Shane Watson LBW review.
Special mention to Ricky Ponting Cricket 2005.
Although not of the standard that Warne ’99 had, the team lineups forever remain a standout.
1. Mario Kart 64
Yes I know, Go Karting is barely a sport, but a list of top 10 video games would be redundant without the inclusion of Mario Kart 64!
Relegating Shane Warne ’99 to Stuart MacGill status is no easy feat, yet it’s impossible to argue against Mario Kart claiming the chocolates on this occasion.
I personally, along with many other 90’s kids grew up on the streets of Toad’s Turnpike, living life one lap at a time and always looking over my shoulder in the fear of incoming shells.
Mario Kart possessed the beautiful power of bringing people together, yet would then shortly proceed to tear them apart, leaving slim to no chance of reconciliation.
With ridiculous catchup settings on, even the most gaming inept family members had a chance to battle their way to a podium finish.
With technology evolving at an exponential rate, a video game’s self-life can be comparable to that of an anti-vaxxer’s in today’s current climate. With that being, said 24 years on Mario Kart 64 still holds its own against any modern day Sporting game!