Sports
Here we have all the games in the Sports Section.
Sega Saturn
Sports
Well crafted kick around with four player mode a scream, although as such unlikely to be contributing much to the Respect campaign. Utilises world teams and the game engine has a good balance of arcade feel with varied goal scoring.
Dreamcast
Sports
Sega Rally really captured the reason why fans spend their Sunday mornings avoiding careering vehicles in off-the-beaten-track forests: power sliding round hairpin bends with wheels spinning to kick out on the home straight. Sublime.
Sega Saturn
Sports
A tasty piece of programming making the PlayStation eat humble pie. Crisp graphics running a a high frame rate truly brought the arcade experience home. But gameplay is what counts – the developer’s extensive rally car physics research oozes from every powerslide.
Playstation
Sports
Similar to the Virtua wrestling title on the Saturn with the Playstation’s tell tale grasp of polygons and hopefully that’s all that will be grasped in this wrestle fest. Contestants have a wide roster of moves and the shift to polygons allows for more realistic representation of the famed, Saturday afternoon sport.
Dreamcast
Sports
Night time racing with blurry taillights, well illuminated road signs and realistic roadside scenery that adds much to the underground feel of illicit petrol head rallies. Includes the two player mode adding much longevity and excitement which was sadly shunned for the sequel.
Super Famicom
Sports
Released on many formats including the Saturn (as the saucy ‘Wangan’ series) and the Dreamcast and later platforms as the ‘Tokyo Highway Battle’ and variants, the roots of the series can be found here on the Super Famicom. Plenty of appearances of the Drift King who endorsed the series and looks slightly suspicious in his large sunglasses. Race against an opponent or solo in illegal highway showdowns through Tokyo Metropolis.
Playstation
Sports
Always endearing to its devoted fans as players sample the night time racing scene in Tokyo with big, looping tunnels and highways to put spaghetti junction to shame.
Playstation
Sports
Demo version of the popular Genki series of street racing that takes place once the sun goes down and the smell of unburnt hydrocarbons fill the air as the neon starts to flicker. Only released as a promotion, so not given a full release.
Super Famicom
Sports
Nothing too flash: the Willy Thorne of the pool genre. Not that it doesn’t dazzle at times and its not just the glare off the hot spot, but the fine ball mechanics and presentation. A very accomplished Super Famicom table game.
PS2
Sports
Sky diving on a snowboard to pull off tricks through sheer joypad dexterity. Sub game is a Pilot Wings style ‘Beat Balloon.’
Playstation
Sports
Tennis games have never needed over eloborate graphics as the cartoony, highly playable Smash Court remonstrates with panache. Some highly imaginative courts including inside a stately home, an ornamental garden complete with arcade machine and a beach!
Playstation
Sports
Delightful tennis from Namco given a neo Tokyo, super fly make over, but the zany courts are an ever present – be in the Great Barrier Reef, the Houses of Parliament or the Theme Park complete with Splatterhouse attraction. In fact the game is full of self references – Namco certainly appreciate their rich heritage. Plays like a dream without the need for flash polygons.
Playstation
Sports
Tennis games have never needed over eloborate graphics as the cartoony, highly playable Smash Court remonstrates with panache. Full of extras in the form of mini games for a bit of light relief if the four player rallies get too much.
PS2
Sports
Namco felt the need to ditch the adorable sprites of earlier versions of the series to adjust the series for the PS2 crew. As such the official players of the era and the proper stadiums have been used. Yet the gameplay thankfully remains very familiar and as such it plays like a dream. Henman for champ then.
Famicom Disk System
Sports
Cracking Nintendo take on table tennis with only animated hands and bats representing the player making for a fast flowing game. The crown lap up the action with plenty of applause on the corresponding side to the players and a certain cheeky monkey appearing in the crowd.
Nintendo 64
Sports
A rare title being a ski game as opposed to a more common snowboard sim. Players face cave off routes, cheeky short cuts with rope bridges, hazardous sheet ice and helicopters in a title reminiscent of a certain arcade game. Opponents spray powder in players faces in the ultimate insult giving greater determination to beat them down the slope.
Famicom Cart
Sports
Happy memories of plugging the cart into the back of the C64 come flooding back. (You couldn’t beat a game that was guaranteed to work on the Commodore 64.) Plenty of spit and polish being a Nintendo title with nice attention to detail such as the cheerleaders. Misty eyed Famicom nostalgia.
GameBoy Original
Sports
A three quarter perspective version of football with nice touches such as the teams bowing to each other (and the ref) before the game. The play mechanics are smooth and the world teams look good.
PS2
Sports
A football game which gets under the running of a club, not merely management. Dealing with flying boots can seem a lot easier than walking the tight rope of press conferences and hard to please Prima Donna strikers.
Playstation
Sports
Recreates the thrill of the seventies Rollerball cult classic where heavily armoured players allow little to stand in their way in a sort of futuristic ice hockey. Throw into the mix some SNK Soccer Brawl armour and this update of the immensely popular Amiga original and the stage is set for some serious brawling on a par with the Cleveland Bombers. Part of the Worlds Greatest Hits Series.
Sega Saturn
Sports
More arcade feel than other games of this stable. It’s hard to explain the feeling of nurturing a young foal into the derby winner. But it’s good!
Famicom Cart
Sports
Cheery chip-tunes accompany the slick, on-ice action with sound puck physics as it glides across the screen. The players are a good dimension to be able to enjoy a good game and try and avoid a dust up.
Playstation
Sports
Mario Kart tribute with the PlaySation’s hardware getting a good work out spinning the course around on screen. The levels are full of fun with sea and beach based sunshine level looking particularly good in Micro Machines style overhead view. Then there is also the battle mode. The use of fighting like Road Rash as player pass helps it dig its own niche.
Nintendo DS
Sports
Cast off a lakeside line and aim for a good spot on the map. The lure needs dragging along the water to tempt a passing bass into snaffling it up. Its there that the battle commences with the powerful bass to use technique and patience to land a battler. All without the whiff of groundbait and rollies.
GameBoy Color
Sports
Cast off a lakeside line and aim for a good spot on the map. The lure needs dragging along the water to tempt a passing bass into snaffling it up. Its there that the battle commences with the powerful bass to use technique and patience to land a battler. All without the whiff of ground bait and rollies. Known as TNN Fishing Champ in the West.
Super Famicom
Sports
Reminiscent of League Bowling on the Neo Geo, Super Bowling uses the comic expression of the players avatars and light humour to keep the mood uplifting. Players must choose a line, then the spin and power meters must be used with a steady hand.
Dreamcast
Sports
From the Rage stable, playing in a similar vein to the Striker series. A good, solid, professional effort – the Gareth Southgate of the Dreamcast football world.
Super Famicom
Sports
This overhead perspective racing game tests your reflexes to the max. Rev heads will relish this SFC updates fast paced gameplay.
Super Famicom
Sports
Four fine footballing games in the shape of J League Super Soccer, J League Excite Stage 95, J League Prime Goal and J League Prime Goal 2. Excite Stage is a side perspective football game with top tier teams and PK mode seen from both keepers and strikers perspective. Fabulous four player scraps are possible with a multitap and the game is also Barcode Battler II compatible, so get scanning those cans of Baked Beans. A great addition to a value package.
Super Famicom
Sports
Overhead Formula One racer that uses the Namcot flair for cartoony graphics to add plenty of colour and the all important emotion to the package. The attention to detail makes this feel far much more fun than the sum of the parts may suggest.