From scoring goals in FIFA to beating your friends in bowling in Wii Sports, the sports genre of video games has evolved in to many a different variety of games to choose from. In this article, we will be reviewing different popular or unpopular sports themed video games and ranking them based on various qualities so that you can choose which game you might spend countless hours playing both at home and at school.

1. Retro Bowl/Retro Bowl College

Two years ago, Retro Bowl became a short but popular mobile game amongst the boys of Magnet. The simple yet surprisingly entertaining game allows you to take over a football team as a professional football coach and manage your organization while guiding your team to the Retro Pro Bowl in an amazing 8 bit retro gaming style. New Star Games, the creators of Retro Bowl, released a new version of the game in September of 2023: Retro Bowl College. Similar to the original version, the new game follows a similar format except for playing at the college level while also adding a new management factor for players: GPA. While the game is really not much different from the original Retro Bowl, both versions are still very enjoyable to play. Overall, we give the game a solid 8/10. While the game is enjoyable, some changes to the game could make it better. The gameplay could be slightly better and the persistent emphasis to buy the unlimited version makes the game a little too simple to stick to for too long. Eventually the game does get a little boring but if you enjoy the game and switch teams when possible then you will find yourself absorbed in your phone for many hours on end.

Connor:

I am personally in year 67 of my main franchise, I thoroughly recommend this game. I paid two dollars for the full game and it was incredibly worth it. Bored in class? Play Retro Bowl. Bored at home? Play Retro Bowl. In the bathroom? Play Retro Bowl. I have been playing this game since 2020, which is wayyy before the hype started. Give this game a try if you have not already. No mobile football game has been this fun since Madden Mobile 16.

Ford:

I am in year 18 of Retro Bowl College, which I decided to pick up when it was released on the App Store. While I have not played it much recently, I still find the game very enjoyable to play whether it be at home or in class. It’s simple style makes it so memorable but also so easy to stop playing, which is one of the reasons I give it a slightly imperfect score.

2. MLB The Show (Connor)

Playing baseball my entire life and being an avid baseball fan, the MLB The Show series is quite possibly my favorite video game series of all time. The Diamond Dynasty game mode is far superior to Madden’s Ultimate Team and NBA2K’s MyTeam. The “my career” mode, Road to the Show, was commonly the most played mode and the fact you can earn upgrades to your player that can be used on your diamond dynasty makes it so much fun. The grind from getting drafted, to going through the minors, and eventually getting called up to the MLB makes the game mode so much fun. My only complaint about it is the fact its the same story line every year at this point. The biggest difference between MLB the Show and all the other sports games is the fact you can be competitive at the game without spending a single penny. Moments, which are basically single player challenges you have to complete, along with the programs give out free players and more often than not, completing the program gives you one or multiple 99 overall players. This game gets a 9.3/10 with the 0.7 being for the random freezes that can happen in online play. SDS gets asked to produce a great game every year and every year they deliver.

3. PGA Tour 2K23 (Ford)

Released on October 11, 2022, PGA Tour 2K23 was the latest version in the game series, featuring improvements in technology that made the game so much more realistic for the everyday gamer or golf fan. I decided to try the game when I saw it was on sale (somewhat of a warning sign at first) and realized that it is a much more complex game than would be expected when compared to some of the other golf games that have been released. The game includes factors such as wind speed, ball curve, and even break in the ground. The extremely detailed and realistic game play means you might take a while to gain skill and truly start to enjoy the game. You can also play with friends and have competitions when you might not be able to actually go out and golf. I would give the game a 6/10 because it is a great game but I just did not enjoy it because of how difficult it turned out to be. That being said, the game is still pretty enjoyable. If you are an avid golfer and want to try a game that is almost as frustrating as the real thing, then pick up PGA Tour 2K23. If you have the patience and  the time then the game will be worth it.

4. Madden (Connor)

It is the same game every year. EA needs to make some changes soon or Madden may be overtaken by another company in the football video games industry. Madden Ultimate team is fun but EA, per usual, makes it to where you have to spend money to have a competitive enough team to play the game. Only good thing about this year’s game is the updated franchise mode and the addition of cross play. Game gets a solid 2.7/10, I’d like to say I will not be purchasing the game next year, but we all know I’m not telling the truth. Avid Madden player Harrison Crites was even disappointed with the game, going on to say, “Its a horrible game.” Once I stopped having time to play in online madden leagues, I lost all motivation to play the game. Shout out Sports World for hosting those leagues.

5. NBA 2K (Connor)

Once again I get this game every year and don’t play it after the first week. MyTeam is the worst out of the major online team building games. The only redeeming factor is MyCareer sometimes and Blacktop. I used to love doing rebuilds on MyLeague but after a while it gets repetitive. The game just has not been the same since lockdown in 2020 where me and my boys CJ and Samson would stay up to 3 AM trying to rep up. The game gets a 5.2 out of 10. SELL THE GAME RONNIE.

6.True Surf (Ford)

A somewhat simple mobile game, True Surf is another highly interactive game. Released back in 2019, the game allows surfing fans to travel to different virtual locations and surf big waves while performing tricks for in game currency. This currency allows them to travel to other places, influence the weather for bigger waves for a short time, and customize their surfing avatars for a unique experience. A friend introduced me to the game and I enjoyed playing it, although a drawback is that if you run out of the in-game currency then you have to wait for a long time to travel to better surfing locations. Travel time means you can not play the game for a while as a typical trip to a new spot takes almost eight hours. This means less play time which means a greater chance of deleting the game due to lack of play. Overall, I give the game a 7/10. It’s very detailed and fun to play but it can be hard to enjoy the game if you are stuck in one spot for some time.

7. Wii Sports (Connor)

This game was an absolute STAPLE of my childhood. Eight year old me wanted to do nothing but get on my Wii and play Wii Sports as soon as I got home. Finally winning a boxing match against the legendary Matt Wuhu is such a surreal feeling and was most definitely the biggest accomplishment at eight years old. Golf was too hard I did not enjoy but my dad loved it so I always played against him. The fact he would play with me was crazy because to him, our Wii was an “idiot box.” Tennis was my 4th favorite of the bunch but playing the mini games were so much fun. Bowling was always fun and I was able to knock down all 100 pins one time! But for those who know me, this may come as a surprise, but Wii Sports Baseball was the highlight of my childhood. I was so competitive, I will not lie, Wii Sports Baseball made me break multiple Wii remotes (Sorry mom). This game is an immediate 10/10.

8. NCAA14 (Connor)

Another staple of my childhood. NCAA14 is everything Madden wants to be and then some more. Unfortunately due to NCAA rules this game had to be discontinued but thankfully for the recent NIL addition, we will be getting the series back in July of this year!! Road to Glory and Dynasty are two of my favorite game modes of all time. Building smaller teams and winning national championships were my favorite thing to do outside of winning titles with Clemson. I have a jailbroken PS3 so I have updated rosters and graphics which make NCAA14 still as playable or ever. The game can go for 100 dollars on EBay showing how rare it is to find a copy today. While it does not have the same influence that Wii Sports had,  the game is once again a staple of my childhood and gets a 10/10.

9. FIFA (Ford)

A staple of sports video games, FIFA has always rivaled that of Madden and NBA2K for it’s similar format. With the ability to play soccer matches with your friends, the game provides countless hours upon hours of play time for as many people as you want. Many people have memories of coming home from school and playing FIFA with their friends on the weekends. I give the game a solid 9/10 as it is a classic sports game and will always be nostalgic to play. The only reason it stays from a perfect score is just because I do not enjoy the game as much as Madden or some other big sports games out there. However, the game is still amazing and I would highly recommend picking it up if you are an avid soccer fan.

10. Rocket League (Ford)

While it has arguably dropped off since it was popular, Rocket League has long since cemented itself as an iconic game. The creative game is a hybrid between racing/driving and soccer, where you and two people play a three on three soccer match against a random trio. The 3D graphics allow an immersive experience and the ability to drive on walls and glide with the cars using boosts located around the arena allow for a very interactive game where a mix of skill and teamwork is involved to win matches. Overall, I enjoyed the game but found that it was similar to PGA 2K23 in that you need to get better at the game to really enjoy it. If you do not put the time in and just play occasionally then you will find yourself not enjoying the game as much. Overall, I give the game a solid 7/10.

Final Rankings:

1. Wii Sports- 10/10

2. NCAA14- 10/10

3. MLB The Show- 9.3/10

4. FIFA- 9/10

5. Retro Bowl/Retro Bowl College- 8/10

6. Rocket League- 7/10

7. True Surf- 7/10

8. PGA2K23- 6/10

9. NBA 2K- 5.2/10

10. Madden- 2.7/10

Connor’s parting words:

Sports nonetheless sports video games have been a staple of both of our childhoods, and we still play them today. I am not proud of the money I shell out to buy these games every year especially with how disappointed I get every year with Madden and NBA2K. As the consoles get newer, the more advanced the games get and hopefully much is to come from all these big video game companies. Add me on PSN to run a game of MLB the Show, I bet none of y’all want the smoke… @whozsawall I haven’t updated my roster in 2 months and I still probably will run rule y’all.