I’ll tell you right off the bat: I’m not a sports guy. I’m a video game guy.
I love games and playing all sorts of games, but I never got the appeal of sports games. I wanted to lose myself in the fantasy of being Link in the land of Hyrule, or even Mario exploring dungeons and sewers to rescue the princess. That is how I am wired. However, I’m stepping outside my comfort zone and into the end zone. (That’s a sports reference, right?)
The very first video game, Pong, was based on the game of ping pong, which is a pretty huge sport in many places. The game of pong has evolved into hyper realistic sports games such as FIFA19, Madden19, NBA Live19, NHL19 and UFC3, all developed by EA Sports, a company dominating the sports video games market.
Sports Video Games
Sports games and fantasy games are not that different when you get down to it. Both have the option to play quick hit games or you can start a tournament or a season or something akin to a huge quest. While you may be searching for the princess in Zelda, in NHL19, you are on the quest to win the Stanley Cup. It is really no different. It’s just a different way to achieve a goal through a game.
Back when I was a kid, the sports games that I played were Pro Wrestling on the NES, baseball, or Tecmo Bowl. I loved Super Spike V-Ball and also Mike Tyson’s Punch Out, where everyone was playing and trying to become the next champ. I spent hours and hours playing that game.
Sports Game Evolution
There is a HUGE difference between the old school Pro Wrestling game that I used to play where each character maybe had three special moves. Now, we have WWE 2K where you can start a career with a character and attempt to rise to the top. There is a complete storyline around your character and the detail of the game is amazing. Actual WWE wrestlers voice their characters and the game has their signature moves — way more than three. Absolutely incredible!
Sport Video Games Get You Moving
Sports games were made interesting to me again when the Nintendo Wii game out and everyone in the family was bowling in the living room. We had parties where we had people over just to play games, and we considered making it a league sort of thing. Wii Sports not only had Bowling, but it also had Boxing, Golf, and Baseball as well. I enjoyed Boxing the most. When I recently started Krav Maga they said I had a natural punch — which I attribute that to Wii Boxing.
Sports Games for Every Interest
Whatever your sport, there is a game for it. Fishing? Check! Hunting? Check! MMA Fighting? Yep! Curling? You got it! There is even Cricket. There are many games out there for you to try out and enjoy. Yet, if you ever want to go rounds in the ring with me, I’ll be waiting to play on Pro Wrestling my Nintendo Switch Online!
