The popularity of sports has always been associated with a variety of sports games that were developed and released on consoles over the decades. Some of the most beloved games weren't focused on being simulations of real sports, but were instead arcade sports titles that greatly exaggerated the concepts of physical sports. Games like NBA Jam and NFL Blitz dominated arcades with how quick they were to get into and incredibly fun they were to play. But in the wake of their success back in the 90s, other kinds of arcade sports titles were made for home consoles, and even focused on different sports that didn't always involve the biggest American sports back then. Unfortunately, many of the arcade sports games to come after were often forgotten and didn't garner the larger audiences of their predecessors. While most die-hard sports fans were always playing Madden NFL football or NBA 2K games that were released annually, these arcade sports games would become niche titles that still provided fun experiences to those who engaged with them. But these games shouldn't remain as forgotten media, and should be revisited by gamers who long for something different from the typical simulation-style sports game. Here are four completely forgotten arcade sports games that were interesting, and why everyone should go back and play them again.
RedCard 2003
Crazy soccer games
One of the few soccer games in the early 2000s that wasn't a simulation or had a manager-style of gameplay, RedCard 2003 is an anomaly from a very different time for sports video games. It was developed in 2002 for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox by Point of View, a studio which also worked on the boxing game Ready 2 Rumble Boxing with Electronic Arts. The publisher was Midway Games, which was known for a number of their arcade classics years prior. While soccer, or football as it's generally known outside the United States, is a fairly simple sport to play, it can have a lot of depth with the many rules that are enforced on the field. But like previous arcade sports titles before it, RedCard 2003 only uses the basics when it comes to the rules of soccer, with yellow and red card penalties being part of the gimmick that shifts focus to the over-the-top action. While the gameplay of RedCard 2003 looks similar to other FIFA titles that were released back then, one can quickly see how chaotic and fast-paced the game was in comparison. Running the ball down the field and shooting is always action-packed, with players hitting each other with ridiculous kicks and flagrant hits. Penalties can still be called and change the dynamics of a match, but rougher play is heavily encouraged, and can even be tweaked in the game's options for how easily penalties can be called. Unlike previous arcade titles like NBA Jam, which included no fouls during gameplay, the penalties that are called break up some of the action during games.
Credit: (YouTube) Not the Expert
RedCard 2003 does include some goofy aspects that other arcade sports games were known to have, including mascots as part of the roster of players on the field. Having a full lineup of knights playing against extraterrestrial aliens in a game of soccer is pretty funny. Its cheeky sense of humor looks ridiculous in motion, but was still fun to control and participate in. And as one of the few soccer games that has arcade style gameplay, it's one that soccer fans should definitely revisit more often.
MLB Slugfest
Baseball with an extra edge
Credit: (YouTube) LongPlayArchive
Like RedCard 2003, Midway Games also published the MLB Slugest series in the early 2000s, as part of their sports titles with an arcade twist. Popular baseball games of the time included MLB: The Show and EA Sports Triple Play as simulation-style baseball, which was big on consoles like the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox. But MLB Slugest took an exaggerated approach to the game of baseball, making it look and feel more hectic than a typical baseball game. Players could catch fire with their throws and times at bat, launch baseballs out of the park on a frequent basis. It was the formula for NBA Jam applied to a baseball setting, and it worked out pretty well, especially for baseball fans that wanted a change of pace. The controls for the MLB Slugest games were simple and easy to use either at bat or on the field, which follows in the footsteps of other sports games with a similar approach. One of the more interesting things about MLB Slugest was how some of the rules of real baseball were tinkered with to add a strategic element to games. Hitting a batter with the ball would cause them to take a base, but it would also give them a stat debuff that could affect how they run or hit at their next time at bat. Things like this could add up during each inning and open up more opportunities for big plays. There were a few MLB Slugest titles that would release in the early 2000s, before the series went away after the release of MLB Slugest 2006 by developer Blue Shift. Midway Games a few years later would close up, and the series never returned.
MLB SlugFest Loaded
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Released
June 21, 2004
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NBA Hangtime
The alternate NBA Jam
While some people may remember NBA Hangtime, it is frequently overshadowed by the more popular game, NBA Jam, that inspired it. NBA Hangtime is the equivilant of telling a child that they have NBA Jam at home, as it has many similarities to Midway's original arcade basketball game. This is because the original team that made NBA Jam also worked on NBA Hangtime as their third basketball title, after the license for NBA Jam was acquired by another company, Acclaim Entertainment. But many people, both back then and even now, consider this game to be the spiritual sequel to the series, because it looks and plays so much like the previous NBA Jam titles. What NBA Hangtime does add to the mix is a new custom character creator. You can have a custom player with stat points that change their effectiveness on the court, which can also be increased by winning games with them. At the same time, the home console version of the game has random quizzes that pop up in-between games, which can yield more stat points for custom characters if answered correctly. The arcade version had these quizzes too, but offered players a chance to win real prizes within arcades. For many players, this was a welcome addition to the core formula that NBA Jam established prior, and most likely would've been expanded upon if the series continued after.
Credit: Midway
NBA Hangtime has many of the same gameplay aspects as NBA Jam: Tournament Edition, but also includes more players to select from with each NBA team. Instead of having three players to cycle through for 3-on-3 basketball, each team now has five players to choose from. Some NBA players didn't appear in NBA Hangtime for licensing reasons, most notably Shaquille O' Neil, which was a situation comparable to what happened with Michael Jordan in NBA Jam years before. Anyone that loves the style of gameplay and the fast-paced nature of NBA Jam will find many of the same beats to love in NBA Hangtime, especially if you weren't a fan of what Activision had done with NBA Jam: Extreme that same year.
NBA Hangtime
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Released
April 16, 1996
ESRB
E for Everyone
Developer(s)
Midway Games, Funcom, High Voltage Software
Publisher(s)
Midway Games
Multiplayer
Local Co-Op, Local Multiplayer
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NFL Street
Football in the streets
Source: Electronic Arts
The series of games from Electronic Arts in the 2000s is always remembered by the release of the NBA Street games. But the other sports titles that were part of the same umbrella were still very interesting, especially for those who got to play NFL Street. Like its predecessor, NFL Street blends street culture with NFL football, allowing for the fun and flair of the game to take center stage. While the series had sequels that were released up to 2006, the first game in the series is often the most beloved and remembered the most. The game was often cited as one of the best alternative sports titles of the year, with the only other game beating it out for awards back then was Mario Power Tennis for the Nintendo GameCube. NFL Street doesn't focus too much on the intricacies of American-style football, but rather the hard hits and flashy moves when trying to get to the end zone. Making touchdowns, celebrating in style, and going for big plays that intimidate opponents is central to the overall experience, but the theme of street culture in the visual presentation is what made the game unique among other arcade sports games. NBA Street was the first to establish the street theme as a successful approach, while its sequel took things even further for the glamorous style of street basketball. But NFL Street was able to highlight more of the gritty attitude that was part of street culture, since the sport of football was seen as tougher and harder-edged than basketball. There's a more blunt and confrontational vibe in NFL Street, which felt very different from NBA Street, even though both games were very fun to play.
Credit: (YouTube) igcompany
After the release of NFL Street 3, the studio behind many of the street games was shut down in 2008. Priorities at Electronic Arts had shifted to put more energy into simulation sports series, such as their Madden NFL Football games. A lot of this was also the result of Electronic Arts securing exclusivity for the license to NFL teams and players, allowing them to have a hold on the market for football games. Even though the NFL Street series could have continued, everything happening at EA didn't allow for more games to be developed, since it was gearing towards further developing the Madden series annually.
NFL Street
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Released
January 13, 2004
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Gone but should not be forgotten
Arcade sports games are a fun alternative to the simulation experiences that we see so often on consoles. They allow fans to really go far with some of the crazier aspects of sports and flex the creativity of developers that have a deep love and appreciation for the sports themselves. But while some arcade sports games have become gaming classics, others were often left behind in their time, even when they were fun to play and provided something interesting for fans. These arcade sports games are worth rediscovering and playing again, even though they may never be released in the modern day. Players who were around at the time and dived into the wild experiences these forgotten sports games provided will vividly remember how exciting they were. They may be gone for various reasons, but should never be forgotten because of how much fun they were.