RF Generation: Features

Generally within the collecting community, sports games receive very little attention or credit and are more often than not considered worthless. Also it's a genre that just about everyone has represented in their collection. Yet it rarely shows up on top lists and "best game" lists. So this weeks "List 'em", we send a little Channel 3 love to those games that are often overlooked, but loved nevertheless.

Here's mine in no particular order:

Links 2004 (Xbox) - I've played this series of golfing games since PC's still had Turbo buttons on them, but for some reason this one really sticks out. The ease of control with a dual-analog, the menus, graphics, sound, custom soundtracks and customization of your character's clothing and skills makes this a well rounded game. Playing this with friends can be both challenging and very fun and it has a very deep single player experience. Also of note is the amount of quality downloadable content this game has which can significantly increase it's playability.

NHL 2K2 (Dreamcast) - Besides it being the last North American Dreamcast game released which gives it a bit of status, it also raised the bar on how good a non-EA NHL game could be. This game just does everything right while looking good and sounding good when doing it. I love many hockey video games from many different systems, but this one stands out not only for the reasons I've stated, but also because it plays so well and has depth without complicated controls or a steep learning curve.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (Dreamcast) - There's been many of these games in the Tony Hawk series over the years but 2 is always the one I come back to. I think the levels that are specific to this game plus it's soundtrack are what puts it a bit higher on my list than say TH 3 or 4. Even though it was initially the Playstation version I played so much of, the Dreamcast one with it's better resolution and texturing is easier on the eyes and I like the DC pad a lot more.

NBA 2K (Dreamcast) - Surprise!! Another Dreamcast game! I think looking back, the Dreamcast was indeed the sports game successor to the Sega Genesis even though it had fewer titles to choose from. NBA Jam: TE comes really close but NBA 2K just has that special something about it that attracts a gamer like me who doesn't play, watch or otherwise have anything to do with the actual sport. Great game and can be had for cheap, also fun to play even if you don't know basketball's rules or court strategy.

Triple Play 2000 (Playstation) - Baseball to me is even less interesting than basketball, yet I play and even enjoy this game. I enjoy it enough for it to earn a place among my list above the other 9 hockey games I own from various systems. It's easy to play, has a simple interface and doesn't complicate me with all kinds of rules and terms I have no clue as to what they mean. Simply put, I can sit down and enjoy this game without being a fan of the sport.

Runner's up: A tie between NHL 2004 (PC) and NHL 2K6 (Xbox 360). For over 76 years the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation had broadcast a show every week called Hockey Night in Canada across the country, 55 of those years have been on television. The fun of PC games is that you can get your hands dirty and modify files and such. When NHL 2004 came out, I changed the theme to "The Hockey Theme " which has been the theme for Hockey Night In Canada since 1968. Wikipedia's section on that theme doesn't exaggerate, every Canadian born or living since 1968 has heard that song whether they like or watch hockey at all. So you can imagine how awesome it was to have that song on a NHL game for a Canadian.

NHL 2K6 also has a HNIC connection. The commentators in the game (Bob Cole and Harry Neale) have been the voice of HNIC broadcasts since I was a kid, and although their first time voice acting was a bit stiff, it still holds plenty of nostalgia and an atmosphere unlike any other hockey game I've played. To top it off, the Canadian cover of the game has Mats Sundin, my favorite current player and Captain of my favorite team the Toronto Maple Leafs. That alone would have assured it a place among my collection.

So now it's your turn my fellow RFGener's, post away!