As a column that prides itself on answering questions no-one is asking, Outside The Box has stumbled upon an absolute doozey in recent times — just what is the greatest sporting video game of all-time?
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Some games immediately spring to mind — your FIFAs and NBA 2Ks — but sticking your neck out and naming the greats has required months of preparation, analysis and research, with today’s list the finished product.
As this is a matter of such importance, we have seeded the games one through 32 in a traditional bracket-style format that will be thrown out to the masses to decide our overall winner.
So if you disagree with the selection process, remember this is a democracy — the People’s Republic of OTB — and you will have a chance to have your say.
Importantly, we have limited the selections to one vintage per franchise — because at the end of the day, a bracket that just went FIFA 07, FIFA 08, FIFA 09 and so on would not be particularly interesting.
1. FIFA 12
When you think sporting video games you think FIFA — and for good reason.
My first taste of FIFA was FIFA Football 2005 and I’ve probably played every version since.
Single-player career mode is fun, but FIFA is clearly the best multi-player sporting game going around, with with one-on-one or two-on-two action something else.
My friends would describe me as one of the world’s worst FIFA players, the sort of person you dread being teamed with for some four-player action.
I have never been an Ultimate Team player, but I do see the appeal.
2. Football Manager 15
There is definitely a nerdy tinge to this, but that is what makes it the most addictive game in the world.
For those that don’t know, Football Manager sees you take control of a football club at essentially every level; hiring staff, scouting, buying and selling players, running training sessions, developing youth products and — most importantly — managing a team on game day to accumulate bulk trophies.
I have clocked this game like you wouldn’t believe; in nearly 2000 hours of play, I took fifth-tier English club Gateshead not only to the Premiership, but also to an incredible UEFA Champions League triumph that was probably the most emotional moment of my life.
I can’t talk you into playing FM — you either have the addiction or you don’t — but in terms of ability to immerse yourself in a game for it to become your real life, nothing comes close.
3. NBA 2k9
There was a point in time where people thought the EA Sports NBA Live series was better than 2k — this was the year where that argument was put to bed.
With Boston’s Kevin Garnett on the front cover, the game was never going to lack heart and, like FIFA, is a brilliant multi-player experience as well.
4. AFL Live 2004
Grab it out of the ruck, torpedo forward, speccy, goal, game over — the gaming sequence that defined many 2000s kids’ childhoods.
From the unbelievably horrific graphics, the brilliant by-play between commentators Dennis Cometti and Dermott Brereton and ability to take a screamer at any marking contest, it is fair to say this game had the absolute lot.
They have made plenty of AFL games since, but in terms of pure charm, none have come close.
5. Cricket 07
There aren’t many better ways to kill a few hours in summer on a day there’s no actual cricket on than slogging opposition bowlers to all parts of the park on your PS2.
You haven’t had fun until you bat first and make 2000, roll the other side for 10 and then don’t enforce the follow-on.
6. Madden 08
Genuinely great game, whether you’re taking it seriously or just having a laugh and throwing a Hail Mary on first down just to keep the opposition defence on its toes.
Multi-player was solid too, although being able to see which play your rival called probably wasn’t ideal.
7. Tiger Woods PGA
Grip it and rip it, this game is that much fun it tricks you into thinking the actual sport of golf is easy.
A good laugh and once you’ve got the hang of it you’ll be eating course records for lunch.
8. V8 Supercars 2
Career mode in this weaponry game was intense, with a Scottish driving coach/mentor who gives you tough love throughout your journey from go-karts to the V8 Supercars.
The hardest decision when doing a bit of free play is do you take Marcos Ambrose’s gorgeous Stone Brothers Racing Falcon or Mark Skaife’s Holden Racing Team Commodore as you do flying laps around the old-school Surfers Paradise track.
9. Stick Cricket
It is a gutsy call to have a game this basic this high, but Stick Cricket was bundles of enjoyment far beyond its time.
I enjoyed that to win the World Cup final you had to make about 30 runs an over, but once you got your eye in it was genuinely possible.
10. F1 2011
They finally rebooted a Formula One game after a bit of a hiatus with F1 2010, but the year after saw the introduction of KERS, DRS and the Pirelli tyres which took the game to the next level.
Even driving for a shocking team like Lotus, as long as you qualified 15th to 18th, you just dived down the inside on the first corner and if you defended well you were on for a podium.
11. Rugby 08
Rugby games aren’t the best, but this one did the trick.
Winning the World Cup as Canada or Japan was always a good laugh.
12. Need For Speed: Most Wanted
A bit lower than it should be as some of its major features aren’t exactly sports related — by that I mean having police chases — but this one was another winner.
Whether you were clocking the blacklist or racking up as many fines as you can, you can do it all on this game.
I once did a 30-minute-plus police chase in a maths class after convincing my teacher I was using my computer as a calculator, one of my greatest life achievements to date.
13. Gran Turismo 2
Probably the OG motor racing game and for that reason I’m treating it with the respect it deserves.
Jetting around the High Speed Ring at 300 clicks is what I call living.
14. Beijing 2008
Good for hours of fun you’re not sure why you’re having.
We used to LAN Party this at school during silent classes — it is fair to say the teachers knew what was going on as we repeatedly bashed keys through the 100m sprint.
The running events were most fun, but don’t sleep on the shooting, or the kayaking.
15. Virtua Tennis 3
The best tennis game of all-time, taking down Roger Federer with Andy Roddick’s machine-like serve was a clear highlight.
16. FIFA World Cup 2002
Being the World Cup franchise this is suitably different to normal FIFA, and one of the first games I really launched into.
Highlights here were the ball would turn into a fireball when struck sweetly from distance, and if you were losing badly you could just get a few red cards for tackling the goalkeeper to keep yourself entertained.
17. Tour De France 2013
A game so bad it is horrific — horrifically fun.
The idea of controlling a bike rider for 20 six-plus-hour stages sounds boring — and it sort of is — but the producers have done a good job speeding things up and making the game enjoyable.
I’ve clocked this one — you just break away in the first kilometre and conserve your energy and the peloton forgets to chase you.
Highlights include you get to choose what food you take on each stage (I always took one cake and one energy gel).
18. Wii Sports
There’s a certain novelty to a Wii I don’t love, but it’s possible to have a fun afternoon playing Wii Sports.
The best parts were intense net rallies in the tennis or laying down a cheeky perfect game in the bowling.
19. WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2008
Wrestling games are great and this one tops them all, especially with the presence of the ECW roster.
Good multiplayer content here, but you have to pick a cage match or hell in a cell every time.
20. G1 Jockey
Very, very unlucky to be this low.
I’ve both bred and ridden horses better than Winx on this game, but there isn’t any pressure as great as riding an undefeated starlet in a big Group One.
21. MotoGP 3
Generic motorsport game really, but motorbikes are fun to ride, and it is pretty easy to pass which makes for good action.
22. NBA Live 08
A fair way off the 2K series in my eyes, but I did enjoy that they had a Slam Dunk Contest mode.
23. NHL Live 02
A good quality game, ice hockey games aren’t the easiest, but it was a great touch that they included classic hockey fighting into the game play.
24. Ricky Ponting International Cricket 2007
This game will forever be remembered as the one that didn’t have the naming rights to the players, meaning Australia’s batting card featured such names as A. Gelchrast, D. Mehrten and M. Clock.
25. Slime Soccer
If you haven’t had a Slime Sports session with a mate for at least two hours in your life I feel sorry for you.
It is buckets of fun and, while you’re in the mood, feel free to try a little Slime Basketball or Slime Cricket.
26. Full Tilt Poker
A bit serious — gamble responsibly — for this list, but you can’t argue it isn’t engaging.
One time I grinded for about eight hours in a free tournament, won $6 and promptly burnt that in about three minutes.
27. Miniclip: Surf’s Up - Miniclip in general did a great service for kids of the 2000s and I’m not sure any game was as good as the surfing one.
Once you mastered how to do fast spins you could nail any trick you wanted to.
28. Ski Alpine Racer - A bit niche, but skiing down a mountain at pace is genuinely exciting.
Not entirely sure how this game found a place in my life, but I’m glad it did.
29. NBA Jam
Didn’t play as much of this as I would like to, but there will never be a better two-on-two basketball game.
30. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Three
A great game particularly for an unco-ordinated individual like me who would have to be considered the world’s worst skater.
31. Colin McRae Rally 2005
Just a brilliant driving game, but it was very hard, driving in snow was a nearly impossible task too.
32. Rugby League The game play was not ideal, but there was much fun to be had here, and I believe I am a Melbourne Storm premiership coach.
Honourable mentions: WRC 2 Extreme, FIFA Street, Pro Evolution Soccer, NCAA Football 14, Matt Hoffman Pro BMX, Hounded, Mario Andretti Racing, UFC Undisputed 3.