OS Roundtable: Best 16-bit Sports Game

[Nature_Boy]

NHL 94 wins hands down in my book. I couldn't even begin to add up the hours i've spent playing this one game.

[lasthour]

This thread makes me so upset...can somebody, anybody, bring back these kind of competitive sports games?

The games today are just missing that long lasting, balanced and FUN appeal. I want classic gameplay with todays new technology.

I have not played THE SHOW, but I think NFL 2k5 and the NBA games was last of the old schoolish games. ( I think I just made a word up).

But even that was probably a little too complicated in certain areas.

I am saying it here first....arcadish/exaggerated gameplay with sim stats equal jackpot. Think Allpro on steriods with real team and individual stats.

[DW3]

for me live 95 hands down! i would trade cedric ceballos to the bulls and dominate! penny and shaq were beast also. those were the days, no pathces, no biased review sites, just gaming !

[stlstudios189]

Top 5 for myself
1. NHL 94
2. NBA live 95
3. Coach K BB
4. Madden 92
5. World Series baseball

[boxboy99]

stlstudios189, we are on the same pages. I was thinking all yours except Madden 92. I would throw Joe Montana 94 to replace it in my top 5.

[jyoung]

The fact that we can throw so many names around and all of them are legitimate contenders just goes to show how great we had it back in the 16-bit days. Every sport had at least 2 to 3 games from the 16-bit era that can be called classics.

Exclusive league licensees and higher development costs have really hurt sports gaming this generation.

[drae2]

Quote: Originally Posted by catcatch22

For me its a tie. Joe Montana NFL Football 94 is easily one of the best sports games in the 16 bit era. Every team had it's own playbook. Houston, Atlanta and Detroit had the Run and Shoot, 46 defense was in there, option pass tree routes where receivers ran routes based on the timing of the pass. Play by play announcer. Dynamic weather conditions. Best graphics by far. Complete stats for all the teams. Substitions, man in motion. A 3D filed allowing you to see 35-40 yards down the field when passing. The ability to pick a spot to throw to instead of just pressing a button to throw to a receiver. World Series Baseball 95. Even by today's standards, easily and I mean easily one of the best sports games made today. Different stadiums for each and every team. Graphics were outstanding. Cursor hitting for the first time in a baseball game. Classic Home Run Derby with Ruth, Mays and Aaron like the old black and white tv show. Without question those 2 were lighty years ahead of their time. And unlike the other games that have gotten better as the series moved on to other consoles these 2 were the pinnacle and have yet been equalled in many of their gameplay mechanics. World Series Baseball 95 Joe Montana NFL Football 94

NFL 94 and World Series Baseball 95.

[KillRoy]

I'm suprised so many are picking Joe Montana 93-94 (sports talk football) I was really diappointed with those game. I thought the original Joe Montana game (simply called- Joe Montana Football) for the Genesis was a much better engine for the game of football. Sports Talk was actually a new game and completely different, I thought the original game was more fun than the entirely "NEW" follow ups. All they had to do was improve a few things and "JM 2" would have been the best football game ever made, instead they completely changed the game. But I still like the original to this day. It just plays a great game of football. I wish the games of today would take some notes from it... if you ever get a chance to play it, play it. Just be sure to play the game mode "Sega Bowl" because the final round is actually pretty hard to win.

But here are my top 5...

1. Tony La Russa Baseball '95 (Sega Genesis)
2. Final Match Tennis (Turbo Grafx16)
3. Madden '98 (Genesis)
4. Joe Montana Football (original game on the Genesis)
5. tie between NBA Action '94 and Jennifer Capriati Tennis (both games on the Genesis)