Best Sports Video Games Ever Made

Everything we love about sports is in these games.

Best Sports Video Games Ever Made

Nostalgia and video games go hand-in-hand. We remember the video games we loved from years past the same way we remember movies. They have a special place in our hearts.

With sports video games, it's easy to look at the best-selling games and see their influence in dollars and cents. But they have influenced pop culture in amazing ways. From blowing into a cartridge on the original Nintendo to get it to work to polishing up PlayStation CDs to waiting for the latest Xbox game to download at midnight, anyone who's ever picked up a joystick has memories.

These are the games that have given us the best memories — the greatest sports video games of all time.

50. Bulls vs. Blazers and the NBA Playoffs

Release date: Dec. 1, 1992

Sport: Basketball

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Consoles: Sega Genesis, SNES

Critics take: "Of course the games would get much better for the SNES system later on with the NBA Live series but a lot of the games biggest stars had retired or moved on to different teams. That is why this game holds so much nostalgia and replay value." —Amazon.com

Bottom Line: Bulls vs. Blazers and the NBA Playoffs

Bulls vs. Blazers in the NBA Playoffs — Bulls vs. Blazers featured some of the NBA's greatest players in their final years.

We all know that gameplay is what gets you on this list, and it's the most important thing, but let's not forget the crappy, awful, what-were-they-thinking title they smacked on this game. It's really bad.

The thing that made this game so great was the specialty moves for the best players in the game. You could only use teams from the 1992 NBA playoffs.

And when you unlocked Magic Johnson's fake no-look pass layup or Tim Hardaway's UTEP two-step or Michael Jordan's dunk from the free-throw line, you were in the zone.

49. EA Sports UFC 3

Release date: Feb. 2, 2018

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: Playstation 4, Xbox One

Critics take: "tense, exciting, and dynamic recreation of the stand and bang aspect of mixed martial arts. The grappling still needs plenty of work, and one would hope this is something EA Canada addresses in the next iteration; yet these shortcomings become easier to overlook because of the accomplishment of its redefined striking. When it comes to the art of combat, few sports titles do it better." —GameSpot

Bottom Line: EA Sports UFC 3

By the time "EA Sports UFC 3", was released it had been several years since a high-profile mixed martial arts game hit the market, which is only notable because of the massive growth of the sport in that time.

EA Sports gets credit for making sure one aspect of the game blew gamers away — the punching and striking mechanisms. Critics were hard on the game for the grappling imperfections, but the ability to destroy the face of your opponent was all that really mattered in the end.

That and having Conor McGregor on the cover.

48. Madden NFL 99

John Madden was on the cover of "Madden 99."

Release date: July 31, 1998

Sport: Football

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation, Nintendo 64

Critics take: "The control is great, the AI is great, and of course, the graphics are well done. The game gives you everything you could ever want on the features side, plus the ability to change them. And with the addition of franchise mode, which allows you to play season after season, football gamers can and will play Madden 99 for a long, long time." —GameStop

Bottom Line: Madden NFL 99

Madden and the GameDay series were battling for sales headed into the release of this version of the game, after GameDay blew Madden out of the water with the '98 version when it came to graphics and gameplay.

So "Madden '99" really needed to deliver, and that competition fostered a pretty great game for the Madden series. One wonders how two big losses in a row would've impacted the franchise overall.

The '99 Madden version blew gamers away with the tackling and running features. Now we could see the players bending and moving instead of the blocky nature of movements in years past.

47. Bases Loaded

Release date: July 1, 1988

Sport: Baseball

Publisher: Jaleco

Consoles: NES

Critics take: "Coming from then unheard of developers Jaleco, Bases Loaded was the console's first attempt at a realistic baseball simulation, and it remains one of the most fun depictions of the sport as long as you've got the patience to play it." —Retro Reviews

Bottom Line: Bases Loaded

Patience was definitely the key to this game, but that wasn't the reason we played it.

The reason we wanted to play it was because some genius at Jaleco, which no one had ever heard of, put an incredible amount of effort into making a function on the game where a batter could rush a pitcher after he got hit by a pitch.

As a kid, that meant you were willing to plug away on those "A" and "B" buttons until you got to that moment. Chaos ensued.

46. Wii Sports

Release date: Nov. 19, 2006

Sports: Tennis, baseball, bowling, golf, boxing

Publisher: Nintendo

Consoles: Wii

Critics' take: "The way this game is played is revolutionary. The play is intuitive and the perfect representation of Nintendo's new direction." —IGN

Bottom Line: Wii Sports

With almost 100 million copies sold, Wii Sports is the best-selling single-platform game of all time.

The social aspect of Wii Sports was really something to behold. Within a year, it seemed like everybody you knew was hanging out in their living room, jumping around like crazy people with Wii controllers in their hands.

And here's the thing. It's still a fun hang if you want to dust off the Wii, break out those old controllers, and make sure the DVD isn't too scratched up.

45. NCAA Basketball 10

Release date: Nov. 18, 2009

Sport: Basketball

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Critics take: "As soon as you enter into a game you're instantly transported into the world of either broadcasting experience. You'll see identical logos, the same graphics transitions, pretty much everything right down to the commentators is identical to what's on TV." —IGN

Bottom Line: NCAA Basketball 10

The troubled history of NCAA basketball video games started with inconsistent, year-to-year versions and ended with a legal battle that changed the landscape of sports and brought NCAA licensed video games to an end. But there were a few notable exceptions — most famously "NCAA Basketball 10."

The ability to recruit high school players to your program, then play with them through their careers added a previously unseen level to the series. And the fact you could play with 325 of the 353 NCAA Division I programs (and NCAA Division II Chaminade in the Maui Invitational Tournament) let you go way, way down the hoops rabbit hole.

44. Fight Night Round 4

Release date: June 23, 2009

Sport: Boxing

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Critics' take: "The incredibly accurate physics system doesn’t just set a new bar for boxing games, but for all games across all genres." —Game Revolution

Bottom Line: Fight Night Round 4

It's between "Fight Night Round 4" and "Fight Night Champion" for best game in this series. "Fight Night 4" drew praise for boxers' stamina leveled up after complaints from the game's previous versions and a huge leap forward in punching accuracy and precision.

Unlike the four major pro sports leagues, there wasn't an official boxing game that came out every year, so the three-year gap between Fight Night versions amplified the anticipation.

Playing the game's signature fight — Muhammad Ali vs. Mike Tyson — and adding other classic fights to the mix like Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns just upped the ante.

43. NFL Street

Release date: Jan. 13, 2004

Sport: Football

Publisher: EA Sports BIG

Consoles: PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox

Critics' take: "NFL Street threw all the rules out the window, and it was far ahead of its time, as the read option was by far the most effective play in the game." —ESPN.com

Bottom Line: NFL Street

Do you love the "hit stick" feature on the Madden franchise games? Well, that originated with the "power tackle" option in "NFL Street."

What can we say about how crazy fun this game was to play? The funnest part about playing "NFL Street" was, by far, the "Pick-Up Game" option where you could pick your team from NFL greats, not unlike "NBA Street," but you had to use all of your guys on both sides of the ball in a seven-on-seven matchup.

42. Golf

Release date: Oct. 18, 1985

Sport: Golf

Publisher: Nintendo

Consoles: NES

Critics take: "The swing meter is not unlike those found in modern golf games … the overhead view of the course is fantastic and the course is challenging and interesting in design." —videogamecritic.com

Bottom Line: Golf

Before Satoru Iwata became Nintendo CEO, one of his first projects for the company was this game, and he did almost 100 percent of the programming for it before its release.

Satoru's creation became the bedrock for every golf game with the addition of power and accuracy bars for your swing.

In a heart-wrenching tip of the cap, the game was hidden as an Easter Egg in the Nintendo Switch when the system clock was set to July 11, the day of Satoru's death, and both controllers are in the "Direct" spot on the home menu.

41. Blades of Steel

Release date: Dec. 1, 1988

Sport: Hockey

Publisher: Konami

Consoles: NES

Critics take: "The game is loved with a cult following because of the arcade style, the fast paced action and fighting. While this game may not feature graphics of the EA series, it is an amazing game that brings back a lot of memories." —Bleacher Report

Bottom Line: Blades of Steel

What "Double Dribble" was to the NBA as far as opening its eyes to what video games could be, "Blades of Steel" was the same thing to the NHL.

Featuring teams in cities that had the same colored jerseys as their real-life NHL counterparts, gameplay in "Blades of Steel" was incredibly satisfying because of the smooth gameplay (for the time) and the awesome fighting feature that jumped you to another screen, Mortal Kombat-style, to duke it out with your opponent.

40. FIFA 12

Release date: Sept. 27, 2011

Sport: Soccer

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii

Critics take: "FIFA Soccer 12 brings a new physics engine into the soccer gameplay." —Metacritic

Bottom Line: FIFA 12

"FIFA 12" represented another huge leap forward for the series, mainly in the mode of gameplay — how the players moved on the field and specifically with collisions. It also represented a huge leap forward with sales, with 3.2 million units flying off shelves in the first week.

So many big details with gameplay improved that some of the smaller improvements were overlooked, but they still were nice, such as the cut-away scenes discarded for throw-ins and corner kicks.

It helped the way the game moved immensely.

39. NBA Street Vol. 2

Release date: April 29, 2003

Sport: Basketball

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Consoles: PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube

Critics' take: "Even if you aren't a hoops fan, there's plenty of unintentional humor to appreciate: Seeing Yao Ming dunk on Bill Walton alone is worth the price of admission." —Maxim

Bottom Line: NBA Street Vol. 2

My goodness, this was a fun game to play. Basketball games got really serious once "NBA Live 95" came out — seriously better but the funkiness that permeated "NBA Jam" was largely gone from basketball video games. Until "NBA Street Vol. 2" came out.

The crazy, playground-style games between NBA legends were punctuated by insane dunks that seemed pulled from the pixelated ones we'd grown to love on "NBA Jam." Now, one decade on, we could just see them a lot better.

And the Portland TrailBlazers-era version of Bill Walton, replete with headband, really was something to behold.

38. Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey

Release date: Nov. 11, 1996

Sport: Hockey

Publisher: Atari Games, Midway Games

Consoles: Nintendo 64

Critics take: "No more slower frame rates, small players, and limited perspectives: 64-bit action is here and boy what fun it is." —GameSpot

Bottom Line: Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey

"Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey" was to hockey video games what "NBA Jam" was to basketball video games — a fresh, fun look at the sport in the gaming world that blew us away.

Gameplay was fast-paced and had cool extras, great graphics and remember the nets lighting on fire whenever you scored a goal? The glowing puck may have been the precursor to the NHL's failed experiment at using a glowing puck in actual games, which was a disaster.

One thing that was taken out of the game at the last second was player fatalities on the ice. Which was probably a good idea.

37. NCAA Football 2008

Release date: July 17, 2007

Sport: Football

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, XBox, Xbox 360

Critics take: "Recruiting features were improved and there were brand new animations such as gang tackling which made the game look and feel legitimate. New offensive hot routes, audibles and defensive options changed the game from being clunky into feeling like college football." —SaturdayBlitz.com

Bottom Line: NCAA Football 2008

The immersive gaming experience we look for in fantasy and sci-fi games started to reveal itself in this version of "NCAA Football."

You could play as a top-level high school football recruit through the state playoffs before you picked a college, and in that version, you only controlled your player on the field.

In a way, this game wasn't just unique for sports video games but for any video game released on the PlayStation 3.

36. SSX

"SSX" might be the greatest snowboarding game of all time.

Release date: Feb. 28, 2012

Sport: Snowboarding

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Critics take: "Few series have enjoyed such an assured and enjoyable update in the current generation of consoles." —EuroGamer

Bottom Line: SSX

"SSX" players could snowboard through an avalanche.

The fans of this game must have been wondering what they were looking at when they unwrapped this version and saw the huge leaps forward.

It's pretty breathtaking the first time you're flying down the side of the mountain as you're trying to beat an avalanche before you drop a couple of hundred feet to try and save your life. How'd they do it? They used NASA satellite imagery to recreate some of the most epic mountains in the world.

Check out Mount Kilimanjaro and get back to us.

35. NHL 11

Release date: Sept. 7, 2010

Sport: Hockey

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Critics take: "Play is noticeably ramped up with smarter AI teammates and players who seem to actually know what they're doing … the jump in realism is significant." —GameStop

Bottom Line: NHL 11

Gamers don't expect the year-to-year leaps like the one experienced from "NHL 10" to "NHL 11." Common sense tells us that it's usually just a way for the companies that produce games to squeeze another $100 out of us around the holidays. But the leap for the NHL game franchise in this stretch was extraordinary.

Gameplay seemed like developers built a whole new rule of physics for what players could do inside the game. Older graphics were thrown aside after years of use, and gamers were wowed by the detail, most notably that you could now break your stick while trying to block shots on defense or even on slap shots or wrist shots.

34. NCAA Football 2002

Release date: July 24, 2001

Sport: Football

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 2

Critics take: "Undoubtedly the best college football game made available for any system, ever." —Next Generation

Bottom Line: NCAA Football 2002

This was the first game that made the leap solely to PlayStation 2, and while it had fewer features than the previous games, it kept the all-important Dynasty Mode so you could recruit and build your own college football powerhouse.

What we traded in game features was made up for with next-level graphics, and the creators of the game were quick to recognize the greatness of the 2001 Miami Hurricanes team that won the national championship that year.

33. Madden NFL 10

"Madden 10" was the first version to feature two players on the cover.

Release date: Aug. 14, 2009

Sport: Football

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360

Critics' take: "The most immersive broadcast presentation and online innovation to date, and Madden NFL 10 captures the authenticity and emotion of the NFL like never before." -Metacritic

Bottom Line: Madden NFL 10

This was the first game in the Madden series to feature two players on the cover — Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu and Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald.

While critics got hacked off about the game's horrendous commentary (too much Cris Collinsworth), they couldn't deny the easy-to-see progression made on graphics and gameplay features that left the previous year's version in the dust.

Possibly the most-praised new aspect was a "fight for the fumble" feature that gave users some actual control over recovering fumbles.

32. NBA 2K17

Release date: Sept. 20, 2016

Sport: Basketball

Publisher: 2K Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360

Critics take: "NBA 2K17 delivered on a promise to take the game to new heights and continue to blur the lines between video game and reality." —Metacritic

Bottom Line: NBA 2K17

Anytime a video game company can score reviews intimating a game they've created blurs the lines between video games and reality, well, you might be onto something. That's what happened with the release of "NBA 2K17," which sold 7 million copies in its first five months of release.

The game also received praise for its expanded commentary roles, the return of MyCareer mode and the ability to play as several different Olympic teams, including the famed 1992 U.S. Olympic "Dream Team" and the 2016 U.S. Olympic team.

31. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14

Release date: March 26, 2013

Sport: Golf

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 3, XBox 360

Critics take: "This year builds on the game's quiet evolution but also brings a wealth of new and exciting additions, with its Legends of the Majors mode alone making it a worthwhile purchase." —The Guardian

Bottom Line: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14

What an amazing game. Specifically, the historical edition of the game wowed players with its ability to recreate Augusta National in 1934 and brought in several other legendary courses.

They didn't stop there. We could now play all four majors in career mode, and the cherry on the top was bringing in formerly unlockable legends, so we could now play as Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino and Sam Snead.

And you could play them at different times in their career. The last version of "Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf" may have been the best.

30. NCAA Football 2004

Carson Palmer was featured on the cover of "NCAA Football 2004."

Release date: July 16, 2003

Sport: Football

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube

Critics take: "This game is so real it's unreal how they made it. The only thing this game is missing is the create your own plays. Other than that, so far this game is god in football games." —Metacritic

Bottom Line: NCAA Football 2004

The buzz around the 2004 version was built generally around two things — the better play-action pass mechanics and the ability to play classic college football games.

Complaints against the older versions were that play-action passing was basically nonexistent, but you didn't hear that after this game came out.

While they were difficult to execute, playing Boston College-Miami 1984 and throwing Doug Flutie's legendary Hail Mary pass to win the game or playing as Cal vs. Stanford 1982 and the band actually coming on the field as you run for the game-winning touchdown was something to behold.

29. NBA Live 2003

Release date: Oct. 8, 2002

Sport: Basketball

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube

Critics take: "Unprecedented control over both hands lets you make lightning-quick steals, monster shot blocks, and crossover dribbles. NBA Speed, NBA Power: Hundreds of new animations, including new signature moves. "D Up": Amazing control and new shot blocking animations bring defense to life." —Metacritic

Bottom Line: NBA Live 2003

Much like "FIFA 2003," "NBA Live 2003" earned its spot among the all-time greats by making a revolutionary leap forward in gameplay. For FIFA, it was the ability to be touch-specific on passing. With "NBA Live 2003," it was the ability to be move-specific on both ends of the floor — the hesitation that comes with a crossover or the poking and prodding that leads to more steals on the other end.

This is the era where players began to gain more specific control over what they did inside the game opposed to rote, pre-set actions that were starting to become generic.

It also became the first video game with a platinum-selling soundtrack.

28. Fight Night: Champion

Release date: March 1, 2011

Sport: Boxing

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Critics take: "Fight Night Champion blends stunning presentation and story with boxing action in a way no game has before." —Eurogamer

Bottom Line: Fight Night: Champion

Most of the games that made this list are centered around the gameplay itself. How well do the players box, shoot, pass or score?

"Fight Night Champion" isn't different in that regard, but what truly sets it apart is the emotional story told throughout the game's Champion Mode, which follows a wrongly convicted boxer, Andre Bishop, on his path to redemption and culminates in a fight against Ivan Drago stand-in Isaac Frost and Bishop clearing his name.

The exclusivity of these games is what kept them special. The series started in 1999, and by 2011, this version was just the fifth released.

27. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

Release date: Oct. 28, 2002

Sport: Skateboarding

Publisher: Activision O2

Consoles: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Nintendo 64

Critics take: "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 makes everything before it almost unplayable by comparison. Perfect game, 10 out of 10." —GameStop

Bottom Line: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

Activision, the developers of Tony Hawk's series of games, wasted no time doubling down on the mega-success of "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2," getting the next version out in just over a year of the original's release in order to get the popular game to PlayStation 2 users.

One of only 20 games in the history of GameStop reviews to earn a perfect 10/10 score on its review, "Pro Skater 3" won the Game Critics Award for "Best Sports Game" in 2001 and is the highest-rated PS2 game on Metacritic, tied with "Grand Theft Auto III."

26. NCAA Football 14

NCAA Football 2014 — Michigan quarterback Dennard Robinson was voted to be on the cover of "NCAA Football 14" by fans.

Release date: July 9, 2013

Sport: Football

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Critics take: "An epic success. The NCAA Ultimate Team feature was groundbreaking and made learning the new controls for the triple option and inside zone read that much more fun." —SaturdayBlitz.com

Bottom Line: NCAA Football 14

For reasons not having to do with the game being good or bad, this is where the "NCAA Football" franchise ended because of questions over, mainly, getting sued by anyone and everyone who ever played NCAA football. And that's understandable.

The 2014 version isn't that much of a step forward from the 2013 version, but the nostalgia surrounding this game seems to grow every year a new version doesn't come out, and since it's out of print, the game itself is incredibly valuable.

What would happen if a new edition of this game were announced? Can you imagine the buzz around something like that?

25. Double Dribble

Release date: July 24, 1987

Sport: Basketball

Publisher: Konami

Consoles: NES

Critics take: "This was the beginning of a new era for sports games in which presentation played an increasingly important role. Once you get a glimpse of the innovative, cinema-style dunk attempts, there's no denying its place in history." —AllGame

Bottom Line: Double Dribble

You can make an argument that "Double Dribble" was the foundation for modern basketball video games, since it was the first successful full-court version of five-on-five basketball we could get on a home console.

They also blatantly planted the idea of full-court games like this in the head of NBA powers-that-be because the four teams — Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles and New York — all had colors that matched up with NBA teams in those cities.

Like "NBA Jam," "Double Dribble" first gained popularity as an arcade game and is best remembered for its "dunk" feature — a straight screen cutaway to dunk animation. Which didn't always mean the dunk was going in.

24. NHL 2004

Release date: Sept. 22, 2003

Sport: Hockey

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube

Critics take: "EA came out swinging after two disappointing years of releases … bone-jarring manual checks and a rebuilt fighting system opened up play significantly and is much tighter as a whole." —Game Informer

Bottom Line: NHL 2004

The end of 2003 proved to be a turning point in sports video games — specifically with the precision gamers now had over gameplay.

For the NHL, that leap forward was most evident with puck control and checking and game makers renamed "franchise mode" as "dynasty mode," which was praised by users as well.

In an interesting aside, the game's enduring popularity didn't come on any of the gaming consoles available, but instead on the PC version, where online communities still play this version of the game and have made their own updates of the game.

23. FIFA Soccer 2003

Release date: Oct. 25, 2002

Sport: Soccer

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Xbox

Critics take: "You can use your feet and head to control the ball like never before, use free kicks and corner kicks to set up a shot or even score directly … game-changing AI adopts tactics based on real-game situations." —Metacritic

Bottom Line: FIFA Soccer 2003

One of the sports games that truly showed the original PlayStation was being left behind as far as gameplay, this is widely considered the "classic" version in the FIFA series for modern users.

The leap forward in gameplay that endeared this version to users was the "flick" method of passing the ball to teammates. In previous versions, a pass was just a pass without any nuance, but developers instituted precision passing with this version.

This marked the 10th anniversary of the FIFA series that began in 1993.

22. MLB The Show 18

Release date: March 27, 2018

Sport: Baseball

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Consoles: PlayStation 4

Critics take: "Sony's flagship baseball franchise has never been better. With its best-in-class controls and visuals, and impeccable attention to detail for the small stuff, MLB The Show 18 is worth catching for any baseball fan." —GameStop

Bottom Line: MLB The Show 18

The most realistic baseball game anyone had ever seen, it's kind of stunning to see the line being blurred between actual footage and gameplay when you played this game for the first time.

This game is especially notable for its "Road to The Show" option for players who want to move up to MLB and through the MLB ranks. In this mode, you legitimately feel like you're part of a team in that you control just what happens with your player during the game — fielding opportunities and at-bats — as the world plays out around you.

Who needs real life, anyway?

21. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12

Release date: March 29, 2011

Sport: Golf

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360

Critics take: "The first year of Augusta National and a 'Road to the Masters' career mode in a video game … With the introduction of Augusta also came the familiar voice of Jim Nantz, which no one complained about." —GolfDigest.com

Bottom Line: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12

Introducing the Masters at Augusta National to the game was a big-time moment, as was getting Jim Nantz's voice in on the game, as well as the return of David Feherty.

Another big thing about the '12 version was the introduction of an elite set of golfers who became household names with Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson, Zach Johnson and Bubba Watson.

Don't underestimate the draw of bringing in that new batch. Yes, the game made big leaps forward over the next two years, but this version was the one that seemed to stick.

20. NFL Blitz 2001

Release date: July 31, 2000

Sport: Football

Publisher: Midway

Consoles: PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast

Critics take: "Unless you are a hardcore statistics fanatic, Blitz 2000 is a 5-star title worthy of anyone's cash. I wait for the next installment with bated breath and a case of Budweiser." —Hyper

Bottom Line: NFL Blitz 2001

"NFL Blitz" was directly inspired by "NBA Jam" — an over-the-top version of football that was an arcade hit before making the leap to home consoles.

Also was created by the same company that made NBA Jam, "NFL Blitz" was notable because of the violence, as you were able to hit players as they spun in the air.

The NFL initially wanted to walk away from the game because there was too much violence, to begin with, but Midway reduced it by half.

19. PGA Tour Golf

Release date: 1990

Sport: Golf

Publisher: Electronic Arts, Tengen

Consoles: Sega Genesis, SNES, Game Gear

Critics take: "Electronic Arts managed to come closer than any other to simulating actual golf." —Amiga

Bottom Line: PGA Tour Golf

"PGA Tour Golf" represented a significant leap forward for golf games. Just compare it to its most popular predecessor, "Golf," released in 1985 and played solely on the original Nintendo.

You would have a hard time explaining to today's gamer what a trip it was the first time we saw the ball rolling across the green in 3D.

Perhaps the greatest influence of "PGA Tour Golf" can be seen in the Golden Tee arcade game series, a middling hit until the first 3D version of the game came out several years after the debut of "PGA Tour Golf" in 1990.

18. NBA 2K11

Release date: Oct. 5, 2010

Sport: Basketball

Publisher: 2K Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii

Critics take: "It's a loving study of the greatest player of his generation and his biggest rivals, played out with beautiful sights and sounds that remind us just how great the Air Jordan era was." -GamesRadar

Bottom Line: NBA 2K11

The pinnacle of basketball video games can credit a large part of its greatness to the pinnacle of actual basketball players — Michael Jordan.

Owning the rights to his own likeness, Jordan made a triumphant return to video game consoles for the first time in almost 20 years and let you actually play through the highlight moments of his career on the Jordan Challenge. Other legendary teams were also suddenly available, so it gave players something to continue checking back on.

The improvements in gameplay weren't totally extraordinary in comparison to the previous year's version. It was Jordan that cemented the game's status among the all-time greats and paved the way to 5.5 million units sold in the first 10 months.

17. Knockout Kings

Release date: Oct. 30, 2000

Sport: Boxing

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation, PlayStation 2

Critics take: "Honoring the strategy of boxing as much as the ferocity, this should enthrall fans of the sport." —Next Generation

Bottom Line: Knockout Kings

This version of "Knockout Kings" stood out more than the rest because of its role in helping gamers make the leap from the original PlayStation to PlayStation 2, which came out just after the game's release in late 2000.

What was so great about "Knockout Kings"? Imagine being that first group of gamers who fired up the game and the anticipation that came with getting to see digital versions of legendary boxers like Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson and Lennox Lewis for the first time.

Then, getting to see them square off with you behind the controls. What a time to be alive.

16. Bill Walsh College Football

Release date: Dec. 1, 1993

Sport: Football

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Consoles: Sega Genesis, Genesis CD, SNES

Critics take: "Bill Walsh College Football provides the best sports action yet to be seen in a cartridge product. The AI is head and shoulders above any other sports game. Walsh is a prime example of why purchasing a console is necessary." —Computer Gaming World

Bottom Line: Bill Walsh College Football

This was an awesome game with a pretty unseemly premise. Bill Walsh and Electronic Arts teamed up to make a college football game without any sort of licensure from the NCAA and ended up pushing football video games forward in a really powerful way.

Teams were named after cities and still used the exact same colors as the actual colleges. And if you knew a single thing about college football, it wasn't much of a stretch to pick "Tallahassee" and play with "QB 17" (aka Charlie Ward) who had a 100 rating.

15. Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball

Release date: March 1, 1994

Sport: Baseball

Publisher: Nintendo

Consoles: SNES

Critics take: "It's only fitting that the most iconic player of the last generation is also the namesake of its most iconic video game as well." —MLB.com

Bottom Line: Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball

What a game. What a freaking game.

Ken Griffey Jr. was the only MLB player actually on the game, although all of the teams were featured with themed rosters — classic movie stars (Angels and Indians), authors (Reds) and, most famously, the Boston Red Sox lineup was filled with the names of characters from the TV show "Cheers," including Cliff Claven, Norm Peterson and Sam Malone.

The gameplay was a huge leap forward for baseball video games, from the baseball to the specific stadiums, which was a first for baseball video games.

14. Madden NFL 2005

Release date: Aug. 9, 2004

Sport: Football

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, GameCube

Critics take: "The feature that seems to get the most attention, and is sure to fill the mind with some of the most devastating highlights ever seen in an NFL simulation, is the Hit Stick." —IGN

Bottom Line: Madden NFL 2005

"Madden 2004" meant a gigantic leap forward in offensive gameplay, and fans responded enthusiastically to the high-scoring affairs. But eventually, we wanted defense put back into the game, and the 2005 version, with Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis on the cover, fittingly introduced us to the "hit stick" feature.

It was such a big deal to make playing defense part of the game again that this version really endeared itself to fans. Put together, this two-year stretch for the game may have been the best back-to-back versions in franchise history.

13. R.B.I. Baseball

Release date: June 1, 1988

Sport: Baseball

Publisher: Tengen

Consoles: NES

Critics take: "Mixed with solid gameplay that was easy for a first-timer to grasp and some seriously Oompa Loompa-looking baseball weirdos … (R.B.I. Baseball) is one of the most beloved games ever made."— MLB.com

Bottom Line: R.B.I. Baseball

Few video games, regardless of genre, have been as endearing to the masses as "R.B.I. Baseball."

That bond came from being the first time gamers were able to actually play with MLB's biggest stars on the original Nintendo. In a weird twist, it was just the players, though, and not the teams as the deal with Tengen was with the Major League Baseball Players Association and not MLB itself.

The greatest player on "R.B.I." was, hands-down, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder and base-stealing wizard Vince Coleman, who was a cheat code in line with Tecmo Bowl Bo Jackson on the basepaths.

12. NBA Live 95

Release date: Oct. 1, 1994

Sport: Basketball

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: Super NES, Sega Genesis

Critics take: "It improves on last year's NBA Showdown with better graphics, more in-depth strategy, and more realistic gameplay." —GamePro

Bottom Line: NBA Live 95

One way to determine how great a sports video game is by judging its longevity. For "NBA Live 95," that was about a four-year window where it was still as good of a basketball game as you could find on any console, which is pretty impressive considering the stretch when PlayStation first began to take over the market.

Player-building modes and general manager modes let us get way more deeply involved with the game itself, and if you knew what was up, you played it mainly on the Sega Genesis because they had 1994-95 rosters opposed to SNES, which had the 1993-94 rosters.

Also, it was the first basketball game that didn't just have the side-to-side scrolling angle.

11. ESPN NFL 2K5

Release date: July 20, 2004

Sport: Football

Publisher: Sega

Consoles: PlayStation 2, Xbox

Critics take: "Each season, Sega's ESPN NFL series has been making steady progress in its quest for video-game football stardom. This year, the design guys at Visual Concepts have turned ESPN NFL 2K5 into the most entertaining show in video-game football." —Game Informer

Bottom Line: ESPN NFL 2K5

It's strange to think that just 15 years ago there were two officially licensed NFL games being released.

But this was the last (and best) version of Sega's NFL version before the rights converted to EA Sports exclusively — the source of an anti-trust lawsuit that ended with EA Sports having to fork over $27 million.

Game developers at Visual Concepts thrived off the competition with Madden for years and vice versa. Even though VC was traditionally outmanned, they were still able to go punch for punch.

10. WWF No Mercy

Release date: Nov. 17, 2000

Sport: Pro wrestling

Publisher: THQ

Consoles: Nintendo 64

Critics take: "'No Mercy' introduced backstage brawls that let The Rock smash jabronis with pool sticks … still hails as the greatest multiplayer wrestling game ever created." —ESPN.com

Bottom Line: WWF No Mercy

The developers of WWE games moving forward still lament a game that came out 20 years ago. That's because they're constantly asked why they can't make anything as unbelievably fun as playing "WWF No Mercy."

The reason this game was so beloved was that it not only let you build your own wrestler from scratch, but it also introduced several components to professional wrestling that were staples of the actual matches and hadn't been in previous games.

That would be backstage brawls and the ability to grab objects out of the audience and side of the ring to smash on your opponents' heads.

9. NHL '94

Release date: Oct. 1, 1993

Sport: Hockey

Publisher: EA Sports, Electronic Arts Victor

Consoles: Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo

Critics take: "Players will lose themselves in the simulation and feel they are in control of a televised NHL broadcast ... an experience well worth the price of admission" —Computer Gaming World

Bottom Line: NHL '94

Among video games that made the leap into pop culture, "NHL '94" stands tall. It is often cited as the hockey video game that appeared in the 1996 film "Swingers" for the famous game between Trent (Vince Vaughn) and Sue (Patrick Van Horn), with Trent's famous line: "I'm going to make Wayne Gretzky's head bleed."

There actually was no blood in "NHL '94" (because they took it out of the game), meaning the featured game in the movie was the "NHLPA '93" version. But that doesn't take anything away from "NHL '94," which still is the first game to have a license from both the NHL and the NHLPA. This allowed hockey fans to have their favorite players and favorite teams on their video game screens for the first time.

It's just one of many reasons why "NHL '94" is one of the more beloved sports video games in history.

8. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

Release date: Sept. 20, 2000

Sport: Skateboarding

Publisher: Activision

Consoles: PlayStation, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64

Critics take: "Eye-popping trick combinations, the addition of the manual, a park editor, create-a-skater, and a killer soundtrack are just some of the highlights of this near-flawless action sports game." —ESPN.com

Bottom Line: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

One of the most well-received video games of all time, "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2" was the tipping point where Tony Hawk went from being known as perhaps the greatest skateboarder in history to being the guy who made the awesome video games.

This game was as addictive as they come, and if you weren't playing it on the PlayStation, you were doing it wrong. Electronic Gaming Monthly named it "Video Game of the Year" for 2000, and as of 2020, it has sold approximately 6 million copies.

Nothing short of a phenomenon.

7. MVP Baseball 2005

Release date: Feb. 22, 2005

Sport: Baseball

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube

Critics take: "MVP's groundbreaking gameplay featured everything from polygonal hitters reading pitches to baserunners sliding to specific spots of the bag. Add to that an Owner mode that let you build your own ballpark and a full minor league system, and you have a game that remains revolutionary and influential to this day." —ESPN.com

Bottom Line: MVP Baseball 2005

The last game EA Sports made under official license from MLB was arguably its greatest — and perhaps the greatest sports video game created for the PlayStation 2.

Why was this game so unbelievably satisfying to play? Start with the long hours put in by the development team. The game took a dedicated group three years to finish, but the result was stunning.

For the first time, all Triple-A, Double-A and Single-A teams were included, which took franchise mode to another level. The game also added owner mode, a way to build your own stadium and control every single aspect of the game.

6. Madden NFL 2004

Madden 2004 — Michael Vick is one of the most dominant versions of a player on a video game in history.

Release date: Aug. 12, 2003

Sport: Football

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: GameCube, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox

Critics take: "Because of its tight game-play, depth and dizzying amount of features, Madden is still the one to beat." —Cincinnati Enquirer

Bottom Line: Madden NFL 2004

Truly a game for its era, "Madden NFL 2004" was best known for one dynamic player and what the game's developers allowed him to do — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.

EA Sports imbued Vick with powers in the game that made him unstoppable on an almost Tecmo Bowl Bo Jackson level, and Vick is arguably the greatest individual player in the history of the Madden franchise.

Don't get it twisted. If you were playing this version of the game, you absolutely had to play as the Falcons. Unless you're a Saints fan.

5. Tecmo Super Bowl

Release date: Dec. 13, 1991

Sport: Football

Publisher: Tecmo

Consoles: NES

Critics take: "It's more than nostalgia. The simplistic gameplay teamed with characters like Bo Jackson, Christian Okoye, Derrick Thomas, Lawrence Taylor and even the great QB Eagles (aka Randall Cunningham), making for what's still a brilliant sports gaming experience." —ESPN.com

Bottom Line: Tecmo Super Bowl

ESPN ranked Tecmo Super Bowl as the greatest sports video game of all time in 2013. It's an argument that's hard to counter because of the mythical status of the game amongst old-school gamers and modern gamers as well.

Simple, clean and beautifully made, this was the first game that had NFL and NFLPA rights given to it. Like many games on this list, "Tecmo Super Bowl" is just as famous for the dominance of one player.

Raiders running back Bo Jackson is simply unstoppable, and maybe the greatest video game version of an athlete of all time.

4. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004

Release date: Sept. 22. 2003

Sport: Golf

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Game Boy Advance

Critics take: "Everything about it] was perfect right from the 'Up In Here' opening montage. There were 20 courses, the most in a Tiger Woods game to that point, including new additions like Bethpage Black and Sahalee, as well six fantasy courses." —GolfDigest.com

Bottom Line: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004

Even 17 years after his release, "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004" still remains the de facto gold standard by which all other golf games are judged.

It had a couple of things going for it. Woods was at the peak of his popularity, and the analog stick on the PS2 controllers was just being perfected in games when this version of the game came out.

But the feature that really pushed this version over the top was the introduction of "Player Face" — you could really put yourself in the game.

3. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!

Release date: Oct. 18, 1987

Sport: Boxing

Publisher: Nintendo

Consoles: NES

Critics take: "Boxing hasn't had a champion as well-received as Tyson, and consoles haven't had a boxing game as beloved as Punch Out!!" —Game Informer

Bottom Line: Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!

Nintendo founder Minoru Arakaw saw Mike Tyson box in person before he became heavyweight champion of the world and was so blown away by Tyson's skill and athleticism that it inspired him to approach Tyson about being part of Nintendo's next version of Punch-Out!!

It was a gamble that paid off big. Nintendo paid Tyson $50,000 to use his likeness for three years and made millions off having him as the "Big Boss" in a game that became one of the most beloved in Nintendo history.

2. FIFA 10

"FIFA Soccer 10" is one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences ever.

Release date: Oct. 20, 2009

Sport: Soccer

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PlayStation 2, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Wii

Critics take: "This not only plays the best on-the-pitch football of any FIFA title, but it has an incredibly smart and compelling way of tying it all together, too. Brilliant, again." —Metacritic

Bottom Line: FIFA 10

"FIFA 10" received a rapturous welcome when it was released, and sales shot through the roof, with over 10 million units sold. You can credit this version as the one that sent the FIFA series, which started in 1993, straight through the roof.

Every type of game mode seemed polished to perfection, and critics of the FIFA game series say it's been watered down over the years since this seminal edition came out. How popular was FIFA? It was the biggest launch for any video game in the world since "Grand Theft Auto IV" in 2008.

The game is a giant among sports video games. Truly transcendent.

1. NBA Jam

Release date: March 4, 1994

Sport: Basketball

Publisher: Midway Acclaim Entertainment

Consoles: Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Game Gear, Game Boy, Sega CD, Sega Saturn

Critics take: "Great graphics, sounds and four-player mode. The gameplay is easy to pick up and incredibly fun even for people who don't like sports games." —Electric Gaming Monthly

Bottom Line: NBA Jam

"NBA Jam" is thought to be the most profitable arcade video game of all time, generating over $1 billion in revenue through quarters alone by the end of 1994. That success led to the game being put out on home consoles in 1994, where it was just as successful.

This was a gigantic leap forward for the NBA in terms of video games because, namely, it was the first time that teams and players OK'd overall licensing with the exception of two players — Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal, who deftly owned their own likenesses.

The two-on-two format, superhero-like soaring dunks and "on fire" mode won over players all over the world.