A game based on a sport. Simple, right?
Well, there are basically two types of Sports Games:
- Simulation, the game that tries to get as close as possible to the real thing. The Madden series is a prime example, as are most of the sports titles from EA Games.
- A subclass of these are management simulators, in which instead of taking control of the players you're in charge of the club itself with control over such things as transfers and tactics. The Football Manager series is currently the most popular example.
- Arcade-style, the game that puts the emphasis on fun (and breaking the rules). NFL Blitz and NBA Street fall into this category.
Sports games are older than grit. One of the first video games ever was a tennis sim.
Compare Exergaming, Racing Game
Notable games in this genre:[]
- Backyard Sports
- Basketball
- Blood Bowl
- EA Sports Street
- FIFA Soccer
- Football Manager
- Gamevil Pro Baseball
- Hattrick
- Inazuma Eleven
- Live Powerful Pro Baseball
- Madden NFL
- Mario and Sonic At The Olympic Games
- Mario Golf
- Mario Strikers
- Mario Tennis
- NBA 2 K
- NBA Jam
- NHL Hockey
- Nicktoons MLB
- Pong
- Punch Out
- Quadrapong
- Rebound
- Sega Superstars Tennis
- Shaun White Skateboarding
- Skate
- SSX
- Snowboard Kids
- Tecmo Bowl
- Tennis for Two
- Tony Hawks Pro Skater
- Tony Hawks Under Ground
- Track and Field
- Trials HD
- Video Olympics
- Wii Sports