This article is going to cover what we think are the best sport video games ever. These are our five picks for the top five sport video games of all time.
Sports games are as old as the video gaming medium itself, with the first sport game "Tennis for Two" being created all the way back in 1958!
We're going to pick what we believe are the best sports games of all time and bring them to you in our article today. There are so many to choose from, but we're going to narrow it down to just five for you right here!
Best sport video games ever
We're going to determine that sports games are video games that are based on a real-life sport that is reflected in a real league or competition. So, for example, series such as FIFA, NBA 2K, and WWE are all eligible here.
Games that are based upon a sport but not a real-life league or competition aren't eligible here. So, for example, Need for Speed doesn't count as a motorsport game, but the official Formula 1 game does.
We're also going to limit the list to one entry per sport. So, only one football game, American Football game and one tennis game can be in the top five, not two or more of each sport.
We're also not counting games based around multiple sports. So, as good as Wii Sports was back in the day, you won't see it on here. With that out of the way, let's get into the top five!
#5 - NBA 2K11
Basketball games aren't what they used to be, but these used to be some of the best sports games around. They peaked with NBA 2K11, which saw huge improvements over NBA 2K10, especially with its AI, which was scarily realistic.
The controls, graphics and overall gameplay were also a step up. The Michael Jordan gameplay turned the nostalgia factor up to 11 and we enjoyed every second of it. Playing as the GOAT doesn't get better than this!
#4 - Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004
Golf is not a sport for everyone, and there certainly aren't many good golf games out there these days. However, this absolute classic turns 20 years old this year and those who enjoyed it back in the day couldn't put it down.
The gameplay was straightforward and the overall challenge was high when you turned the difficulty up. It was the best way to play as your favourite golfers in the virtual world, as well as some fictional legendary golfers that were unlockable.
This was the perfect mix of simulation for the fans of the real-life sport and arcade for those who were more casual fans or those who had never picked up a set of clubs before.
#3 - NFL 2K1
There are a lot of great NFL games from back in the day, and it's hard to pick one, but NFL 2K1 is without a doubt up there.
2K1 received universal acclaim from critics, as its gameplay was the most refined NFL title of the 3D era.
Even newbies could pick this one up and have fun with it, like Tiger Woods 2004, this was a great mix of arcade and simulation American Football gameplay.
Let's also not gloss over the fact this had online multiplayer in 2001, which was long before the medium became an industry standard.
#2 - FIFA 17
FIFA 12 and 13 can both stake a claim to be the best football game of all time, but we think that FIFA 17 is the best of the lot in our opinions. FIFA 17 was powered by the Frostbite engine, which made gameplay silky smooth on every system.
More than anything though, it was just fun. The gameplay was so addictive and easy to pick up and it's still the best football game to this day, nothing has topped it.
There was no "silver bullet" in FIFA 17, as those who preferred skill moves had as much of a chance of winning as teams that liked to cross.
#1 - F1 2020
The Formula 1 game series by Codemasters has been a consistent deliverer of quality racing games over the past decade and a bit. It's a tough call for which is better out of F1 2019 and 2020, but we're going with the latter.
F1 2020 had plenty of classic cars to celebrate F1's 70th anniversary, as well as Formula 2 cars and the fully-licenced F1 grid, with drivers and team included.
Like FIFA 17, F1 2020 was just so fun to play and is definitely where the series peaked for us. My Team was brought in as a new feature and this revolutionised Career Mode into a full-blown team management save.
This was also around the time that F1 Esports was becoming very popular, which made even the casual gamer want to pick up a racing wheel and pedals and take on the world's best.