Top 15 Sports Arcade Games of All Time

By Jacob Kornhauser

Top 15 Sports Arcade Games of All Time

NFL Blitz Cover Pic — Young or old, every sports fan has a favorite sports arcade game. Whether that be a game on Nintendo 64, your PC or a table game, everybody has one. This list is inclusive to all types of sports arcade games and only includes the 15 best of all time.

15. Ninja Golf

Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship - Day Two

15. Ninja Golf

Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship - Day Two — This has to be one of the weirder sports video games of all time. Just when you thought you couldn't get any more golf, they make ninjas play it for you. Once you get past the weirdness of the concept, it's actually a pretty entertaining game.

14. Wayne Gretzky 3D Hockey

Wayne Gretzky 3D Hockey

14. Wayne Gretzky 3D Hockey

Wayne Gretzky 3D Hockey — This game is absolutely the most classic hockey arcade video game. It was truly before its time and it involved so many different mini games that it kept things fresh. Most hockey video game enthusiasts will rave all day about this game.

13. Super Baseball 2020

Super Baseball 2020

13. Super Baseball 2020

Super Baseball 2020 — What could possibly make a baseball video game any better? Making the players robots and futuristic humans is a good start. The arcade style of play is extremely fun, and it's kind of scary that in six years, this won't be a futuristic game any more.

12. NBA Street

NBA Street

12. NBA Street

NBA Street — Being able to play street ball without any real rules was appealing to many basketball gaming fans. That's what made NBA Street so popular. Being able to do whatever you want with high-flying dunks was the main appeal of this series.

11. Backyard Football

Backyard Football

11. Backyard Football

Backyard Football — To anyone born in the 90s, they are almost definitely in love with the Backyard Sports franchise. Every game of the series was fun, but football was especially entertaining. You could play with pros or made up characters like the one and only Pablo Sanchez.

10. NFL Street

NFL Street

10. NFL Street

NFL Street — Like NBA Street, the 'anything goes' mentality of NFL Street is what made it so popular. Unlike in traditional Madden video games, you could completely lay guys out in this game, and quite frankly, it was fun to do.

9. Air Hockey

Tennis Channel Open - Las Vegas-Day 3

9. Air Hockey

Tennis Channel Open - Las Vegas-Day 3 — This one isn't a video game, but that doesn't make it any less fun. Sometimes the most fun thing in an arcade can be the air hockey table. Perhaps you remember being involved in some intense games with friends once upon a time.

8. Backyard Baseball

Backyard Baseball

8. Backyard Baseball

Backyard Baseball — Of all the Backyard Sports games, Backyard Baseball was clearly the best. Being able to select your players from the bench and mix pro ballplayers with other made up ones was a unique experience. The simplicity of the game on the PC was also a key perk.

7. Bubble Hockey

Ron Duguay and Jeff Beukeboom Bubble Hockey Showdown

7. Bubble Hockey

Ron Duguay and Jeff Beukeboom Bubble Hockey Showdown — The hockey version of foosball is actually more fun than the other popular table game. It requires a lot of strategy and execution, and the players being in a bubble make it somehow seem more fun than an open-ended table.

6. Pole Position

Pole Position

6. Pole Position

Pole Position — There were plenty of classic racing games back in the day, but Pole Position was the first of its kind. Pretty much any game you've gotten racing thrills from recently can trace its lineage back to this ageless arcade game.

5. The Bigs

The Bigs

5. The Bigs

The Bigs — Baseball is usually a very disciplined sport, but not when it came to The Bigs. Pretty much anything goes in this game, which features more game modes than just playing single games. While it's not super realistic, it is super entertaining.

4. Golden Tee Golf

Golden Tee

4. Golden Tee Golf

Golden Tee — Go to pretty much any bar or arcade and you'll see this game somewhere around. Since its inception, it's become a favorite of golfers and gamers alike. The unique ability to use a rolling ball to swing the club makes it more interactive for players of all ages.

3. MLB Slugfest

MLB Slugfest

3. MLB Slugfest

MLB Slugfest — Who doesn't like a baseball game where you can get on fire (literally) if you start to heat up at the plate? On top of that, in MLB Slugfest, you can punch base runners and treat the diamond like it's the gridiron. Realistic or not, this arcade style game is a favorite of many.

2. NBA Jam

NBA Jam

2. NBA Jam

NBA Jam — In what other game can you work your way up to a seven-point mega dunk? There isn't a game like NBA Jam that combines gameplay with the arcade style that NBA Street employs. When your players make three shots in a row and get on fire, look out!

1. NFL Blitz

NFL Blitz 1

1. NFL Blitz

NFL Blitz 1 — There isn't another game out there as prevalent as a game in arcades and on the Nintendo 64. Since people were able to play it at arcades and at home, it steadily grew in popularity. The carnage that is featured in this game draws many to it, as do the many bizarre "power-ups" the game offers before each exhibition match.

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