Readers Share Their Favorite Sports Video Games (Boomshakalaka!)

When we asked readers to share their memories of their favorite sports video games, the responses included 8-bit classics from the 1990s and cooperative brawls played with gesture-controlled joysticks some two decades later. Many of these were played with close friends or family, huddled around the TV.

For many readers, these games were an outlet for sports dreams that were otherwise inaccessible. Frustrated by the Kansas City Royals’ shortcomings? Throwing a perfect game with Zack Greinke in MVP Baseball 2005 was the ultimate catharsis for one reader. Skate 3 comprises an entire city full of skate spots that carry no risks of getting bullied or reprimanded.

They also found plenty to love beyond the on-field action, from customizing their apparel and environments (Tony Hawk’s Underground) to managing coaching staff contracts (Football Manager). Many deem their favorite game’s soundtrack “iconic.”

Here are some of the sports video games our readers love, listed with the platforms they primarily played them on:

Arcade Style

There was an especially prevalent love for “arcade-style” games that prioritized ease of play, approachability for non-sports fans and stylistic flash.