Sports
Here we have all the games in the Sports Section.
Nintendo 64
Sports
Utilises out of proportion players with giant heads in a similar style to Konami’s popular Power Pro Baseball series. Also features the major teams of the Japanese pro league so players can savour match ups such as the Yakult Swallows vs. Nippon Ham. The simultaneous four player mode is as enjoyable as the slick play mechanics. Known in Japan as ‘Chou Kuukan Night Pro Yakyuu King.’
PS3
Sports
Baseball game simulator that looks like watching a televised game with the switch of cameras and succinct commentary. Very slick.
Super Famicom
Sports
Fine example of EA’s early potential in covering all bases with its American Football knowledge. Released in Japan under the Imagineer banner, but this is firmly Madden for the Super Famicom territory.
Super Famicom
Sports
Japanese version of John Madden 93 and EA pull out all the locker room tricks to bring the sport home for the first time in great realism.
Famicom Disk System
Sports
A well established golf manga and a game make for a good combo in Genki’s humble opinion with the colour and intrigue of the manga source material adding fun and adventure as players challenge Grand Canton still ravines alongside the robotic, clean cut lines of the futuristic level.
Playstation
Sports
Ticks all the boxes for those who know their half nelsons from their clotheslines with an electric atmosphere to bouts as crowds lap up the action and a roster of moves that surely cant all be in the Grapple Fans Almanac. Knocks many of its rival titles to the mat for a standing count.
Playstation
Sports
Plenty for grapple fans to get to grips with including the special moves and good array of wrestlers to choose from. Subtitled Hyper Tag Match.
PS2
Sports
Wide, sweeping curves to savour as players put the pedal to the metal. Slick presentation as players swoop in from an aerial view to the finely tuned gaming engine. Plenty of visual treats too such as flags fluttering and balloons lazily drifting by.
Sega Saturn
Sports
3D take on driving with polygon based vehicles and tracks. Perhaps Time Warner spent much of Race Drivin’s development time perfecting Taromaru..? Still it was a very ambitious project with the original being entirely polygon based on a platform requiring programmer imagination to squeeze good 3D out of the hardware. Perhaps thats why there is also a sprite based mode..? Plenty of nostalgia for fans of the series and Atari. Fondly loved in the arcades.
PC Engine HU Card
Sports
Motorbike racing game with two player spilt screen challenges possible. Some well designed courses to choose from including Irem Osaka, Fuji, and the legendary Suzuka. You don’t just choose your racer but a whole team including mechanic and ‘campaign girl’ whose role has yet to be clarified. Known in Japan as Racing Damashii.
Playstation
Sports
Very impressive results with many a rev head having cut their racing teeth on this and Ridge Racer. Captures all that’s good about race games with a high pitch engine, sweeping courses, tight tunnels and some racing glamour. Still not much need to jam on the anchors, but few who love the series would anyway.
PS2
Sports
Enjoyable boxing blast with tongue firmly in cheek. Each pugilist enjoys their own entrance to the ring with some style kept going in bout throw the facial expressions of winks and blowing kisses right through to the final pose and toothless grin. The training mode is also enjoyable with a certain group of combos required to build up the boxers stats before the big one, with other training methods such as aerobics available in mini games to extend the longevity
Playstation
Sports
Utilising the guide of Pilotwings, pilots follow the trail of balls in this super fast plane racing game which would no doubt be sponsored by Red Bull if it was released now. The guide helps to avoid a wrong turn on the ravines and caves as shooter stable Xing dabbles in a bit of break neck speed.
Game Gear
Sports
Game Gear slug fest with focus on the pugilists from a side on perspective. A fine roster of boxers to select of different nationalities, if not perhaps a little stereotyped in the retro game way.
XBOX 360
Sports
Quite a stunning visual feast as bumps in the road, the distant cityscape, rival cars and the course itself all glide along like the smoothest of road surfaces. The beats to the soundtrack are relentless and encourage the pedal to the metal. Well worthy of the series name and as pretty as one of its race girls.
Playstation
Sports
Captures the baton from the original Ridge Racer and runs on fumes passing the race girl and plenty of other sleek cars even with time for a quick look in the rear view mirror (albeit probably just to check their hair.) Continues the excitement of a new generation of gaming felt at the time.
GameBoy Original
Sports
Does a spiffing job of bringing the arcade coin op, lycra-clad wrestlers to the small GB screen and even die-hard grapple fans will lap it up.
PS2
Sports
Fits into the under populated water sports genre featuring dinghy and kayak rides through Canada, France, New Zealand… The water physics are incredible and the unique control method of rotating the dual shocks works a treat. The translucent water effect looks amazing and the bird song and scenery mean all that’s missing is the spray in the face. Known in the West as Wild Water Adrenaline.
Famicom Cart
Sports
Zippy race game from Konami’s arcade roster with very impressive speeds. Sharp reflexes are required to avoid traffic, oil clicks, bikes that seem to target your car, whilst still trying to collect bonuses. Delays will prevent the players car getting to the check point in time.
PC Engine CD ROM
Sports
Baseball title from Masaya with cute, cartoony players and a sensible view on proceedings making it highly playable like the C64 title World Series. Four stadiums to slug for home and in game events to spice things up when least expected.
Nintendo 64
Sports
The oldest course in world golf gets a fitting tribute in this relaxing golf game with good putting set up to avoid nutter with the putter syndrome. Good use of the rich heritage of the course with the buildings and famous bridges well created using the 64s polygon power.
Sega Saturn
Sports
Very tidy fishing fest as players cast out for that elusive, fighting sea bass. Both the fisherman and the underwater action are well represented, even a recipe for the fish is provided for those up on their lingo. But no real language barrier stand between man and bass, just good tactics.
PS2
Sports
Puritans will head straight for the Arcade mode with its accurate and unforgiving top down conversion of the vintage coin op. Those less familiar with the original will find much fun and frolics wading around in the Grand Prix mode which features the ability to power up to a massive mobile, or to increase jump potential. Ambulances smash their way through the drivers to get to stricken drivers and there are more on screen calamities than Wacky Races. A fine claret that has matured to near arcade perfection.
Dreamcast
Sports
Cracking compilation of sports titles likely to feature in association with a fizzy caffeine drink. Sports include snow boarding, hang gliding, all terrain vehicle riding, mountain biking, sky surfing and bizarrely bungee jumping. Not too sure of the sport in the bungee, but far be it from us to knock a hobby we know little about. Shame certain newspaper editors don’t apply that rule to video gaming.
Dreamcast
Sports
Masses of Japanese, American and European cars to choose from each with unique handling as Sega steers away from its arcade rally races and gets realistic in this Gran Turismo style racing game. Good graphical attention to detail seen for example in the whirl of red light left behind when a car jams on the anchors at night.
Dreamcast
Sports
Masses of Japanese, American and European cars to choose from each with unique handling as Sega steers away from its arcade rally races and gets realistic in this Gran Turismo style racing game. Good graphical attention to detail seen for example in the whirl of red light left behind when a car jams on the anchors at night.
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.
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.