We all know the big titles that dominate the video gaming industry – your FIFAs, your MADDENS, your NBAs.
But scattered deep within the virtual sporting landscape lie a select few ‘other’ sports games that you’ve probably never even played. This is Sporting Loft’s top 5 ‘other’ sports games!
Rugby League Live series – Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC
Unless you hail from Australia or have visited certain pockets of England – there’s high chance that you’ve never heard of this game before.
Rugby League Live is a game series that allows you to play as the top Rugby League teams from both England and Australia.
The first of the Live series was released in 2010 and left much to be desired. Despite being a XBOX 360 and PS3 release, the game offered poor graphics that wouldn’t go amiss in a PS1!
However, over the years the games improved and the most recent, Rugby League Live 4, offers a polished looking product that can give you hours of fun – even if that fun is from laughing at how bad you are at it!
Blitz: The League – Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Wii, PlayStation Portable
If I was to tell you American Football had games other than Madden, would you believe me?
Yes, that’s right – Blitz: The League offers quite a different experience to what a typical, fully licensed, Madden feature would.
For example, not only will you be making on field decisions, but off-field ones too. These often come in controversial fashion – whether it be using performing enhancers to better on field performances or using underhand tactics to be sure your opponents will be disadvantaged when you meet.
One thing is for sure – every brutal clash, every broken bone and every blood splatter will keep you coming back for more.
Fight Night Champion – PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Backward compatible with Xbox One, iOS
The reason this title makes the list is its new found availability on Xbox One. Many herald this fighting sim as the best boxing iteration we have ever had, ye many have never played it!
The game featured a brilliant champion mode that acted as its campaign/story. Here you follow an up and coming boxer on his journey to becoming, you guessed it – a champion.
The gameplay mechanics revolutionised fighting sims with an improved analog stick integrated punch system that gives the player an unprecedented control over fights – such a feature is now regularly used in combat games now.
Boxing fans like myself wait in anticipation for a new boxing game – but until then, this is the feature you need play.
Snow – PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows
Even the most uncultured of us will have heard of the classic SSX snowboarding video game series. The only issue is the last of this series was released in the early 2000’s, so our snow sports fix has been left untapped for some time now!
Snow does a brilliant job of simulating the alpine resorts of the world and offers players customisation that rivals any sports game available. Not to mention the mass array of real life authentic moves for players to attempt.
What’s different here is…its FREE to play! That’s right, no AAA price tag, just hours of expert snow sporting fun!
PES Series – Android, GameCube, iOS, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, Windows, Windows Phone 7, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One
There was once a day when a football fan was forced to pick a side in a never ending battle of video game attrition – are you FIFA or PES?
Over the years however, it’s no secret EA’s FIFA hit heights that Konami’s PES just couldn’t.
PES never went away though and in a gaming culture that seems to pray on the ‘over realistic’ simulations FIFA produces – this series could be the welcome break you are looking for!
Gameplay is colourful and sharp, allowing for free-flowing fun for players of all levels – whatever version you play, enjoyment is certainly to be had here.
