I SO miss the old days of video games—back when you only had to pay for a game once and you had access to all its features. Microtransactions didn’t exist, and developers were actually concerned about what their consumers thought about their games and weren’t trying to figure out the best way to con us out of our money.
I’m sure most gamers are aware of the situation, but just in case any of you reading aren’t, I’ll fill you in. Video games essentially now require you to spend real life money to unlock content or to even be able to compete with your opponents online. That is, unless you want to invest an unhealthy amount of time into a game. In other words, spending $10 can get you the same thing that playing for 100 hours will.
Developers today are unbelievably greedy. It’s a conversation that comes up regularly between myself and my gamer friends, and to be frank, we’re pissed off about it. We miss the way games used to be.
The worst part of it all is that now developers are prioritizing game modes that maximize revenue, and this comes at the expense of other game modes and the overall experience. On top of that, since profits are through the roof as a result of these microtransactions, it is much more difficult for us to hold developers accountable, as they no longer rely solely on the revenue they bring in from the initial purchase of their games. Unfortunately, as the younger generation is brought up in the “pay to play, and then pay again” culture that now exists (Fortnite, NBA 2K, Madden, FIFA, Call of Duty...the list goes on), games will never be the same.
Luckily for us, they can’t take away our old games. Here is a list of 5 classic sports titles that will remind you just how good video games used to be.
1. NCAA Football 2004
Consoles: PS2, GameCube, Xbox
NCAA Football 2004 feels exactly how a college football game should feel, and unless you’ve played it for yourself, it’s hard to understand exactly what I mean. One of the game modes that makes this game awesome is the College Classics mode, which allows the player to revisit some of the most epic moments in college football history. Dynasty mode, in which you take control of a college team of your choice, is a complete experience as well with great attention to detail. And who could forget about the mascot games? Beating your buddies with a team of Otto the Oranges (Syracuse’s mascot) just doesn’t get old.
2. NCAA March Madness 2006
Consoles: PS2, Xbox
All of the March Madness games from the early to mid 2000s are great, but I went with this one for one reason: the soundtrack. The Grambling State marching band provided tracks for the game and they absolutely KILLED IT. The music makes navigating through the menus fun, and I can recall times when my friends have told me to delay starting a game to finish a song. On top of the crazy good soundtrack, the game also includes a mode that is similar to NCAA Football’s College Classics mode in which you can complete challenges from iconic real life moments in college basketball history in order to unlock historic teams with historic players, which is a ton of fun. The dynasty mode on here is good as well. Considering we’re in the heat of the college basketball tournament, I’d try to get my hands on this one ASAP. You won’t regret it.
3. Super Tennis (1991)
Consoles: SNES
A little throwback action here. Super tennis is still one of the most fun and competitive sports games nearly 30 years later. The beauty of this one is in its simplicity; there aren’t many variables or fluky/lucky plays, which add to the game’s competitiveness. There are not many game modes, but the replay value is tremendous. I’ve spent countless hours playing “winner stays on” with a group of my friends, and the game just doesn’t get old. The mechanics are great, and the controls are intuitive and easy to learn, yet hard to master.
4. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005
Consoles: PS2, GameCube, Xbox, PC
I’m not a huge golf guy, but to enjoy this game you don’t have to be. The gameplay is excellent, but where the game stands out is in its customization and wide variety of courses and golfers. Having the ability to customize your own golfer and play in tournaments on famous courses around the world against the world’s best players (in 2005) as well as golf legends is incredible. This is a game that is packed full of features and game modes, and to this day many video golf gamers contend that this is one of the best titles ever made.
5. NBA Street Vol. 2 (2003)
Consoles: PS2, GameCube, Xbox
If you’ve played this game, you were probably expecting it to show up on the list at some point. This is another one with a great soundtrack. The music really puts you in the streetball mood with classic hip hop tracks from Nelly, Lords of the Underground, Nate Dogg, and Just Blaze. In addition to the memorable soundtrack, the game stands out as a result of its massive roster of playable NBA and streetball legends, as well as its many well-known real-life basketball courts, including the famous Rucker Park in New York City.
