What Are "The Ignored Sports?"

[Sniderman]

Was listening to the radio on the way home, and they were discussing a promotional cricket match being played at one of the local football fields - to show the Yanks how the game is played. I thought, "Has there ever been a cricket-themed videogame?"

Sure, there have been buttloads of football, basketball, and baseball games. Hell, even soccer and hockey are well-represented. But what sports would YOU like to see made into a videogame? Here are mny picks:

Cricket - Simply because I don't know a lot about this sport and I think - from the description on the radio - it sounds like fun.

Curling - Yes, the "sweep-in-front-of-the-sliding-stone-on-the-ice-what-the-f**k-is-this-Winter-Sport" sport. Everytime the Winter Olympics are on, I GOTTA watch curling. I find it strangely interesting.

Dodgeball - Wouldn't a dodgeball sim be cool? Imagine a FPS, only you can catch and throw the projectile. Get two 20-man teams and a jr. high gym setting, and it'd be bitchin'.

Kickball - As long as we're discussing jr. high games, how about this classic? Take a baseball sim, and replace the ball with one of those big bouncing red rubber deals. Plays like baseball too, except you can hurl the ball at the runner. Hit? He's out.

Pub darts - Sure, there are other "borderline sports" like bowling and billiards that have had a ton of games. But there isn't much videogame love for a good game of darts. I've seen half-assed Flash-Web games, but I'd like to see a fully realized darts sim with 301, 501, Baseball, and a zillion other games. Just uncertain on how to make the gameplay more interesting. It'd be a hunting sim with a stationary target. Pretty boring.

OK, I've rambled enough, without even touching on Rugby and Australian-Rules Football. What sport would YOU like to see in a videogame? (Think a Madden-type release with fully-realized gameplay and full team rosters...)

[Kroogah]

I think the reason there hasn't been a great Pub Darts videogame is because most people just buy their own dartboard. Or play darts at the pub.

As for the rest, I'm guessing Cricket videogames exist in Europe, but none have been exported to the States. Curling got its own Wario Ware minigame, that's probably the best you can hope for. LOL

Rugby got a release here, on the PS2 even. I know there's a game in existence named Aussie Rules Footy, but I can't even remember what platform it's on.

And if you don't own Super Dodge Ball for the NES or GBA, GO AND FIX THAT PROBLEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Not a sim, but so damn fun.

[Dahne]

All I know about cricket is that the bats are good for hitting zombies with.

...the next Resident Evil really needs to have that as a weapon.

[Griking]

Where's my Professional Bull Fighting and Water Polo games?

[mills]

mutant league curling.

[FantasiaWHT]

I used to curl in high school! It's great fun, especially when you get off the ice, go into the bar and have a few drinks with the other team!

[njiska]

Curling - Yes, the "sweep-in-front-of-the-sliding-stone-on-the-ice-what-the-f**k-is-this-Winter-Sport" sport. Everytime the Winter Olympics are on, I GOTTA watch curling. I find it strangely interesting.

Hey you live live in my country. We have several big televised curling tournaments every year. Truely a fun sport to watch.

There's a small development studio near me that makes 3D cricket and Rugby games for Europe. So those games are covered. They're affiliated with EA in some fashion but i'm not really sure how.

As odd as it sounds i'd kind of like to see a Murderball game. It's a sport that empowers the handicapped and it really is cool to watch. You could make a great game and win a humanitarian award at the same time.

I suggest that anyone who isn't familar with the sport check out the web site for the Murderball Documentary. http://www.murderballmovie.com/flash/

[jwl]

Just a few that haven't really had a game made
Badminton, Lacrosse, or how about CFL football LOL

[thegreatescape]

Theres a few AFL games.. EA had AFL '99 on playstation/PC, and recently Sony europe (Australia) published AFL Premiership 2005, which is the third ps2 AFL game i think, with the first being done by Acclaim. Not sure who had the 2nd.

http://au.playstation.com/ps2/games/a/aflprem2005.jhtml

For cricket you cant go past Super International Cricket on the SNES. Developed in Australia incidently (and better than the 16-bit British codemasters games).

What I really want to know is, wheres my rounders sim ? Or even gaelic football!

edit: Sniderman you are the bringer of bad news.. Adams will be missed :(

[hydr0x]

Cricket - Simply because I don't know a lot about this sport and I think - from the description on the radio - it sounds like fun.


Super International Cricket, SNES, Europe
Brian Lara Cricket, PS2
Shane Warne Cricket, Mega Drive



Curling - Yes, the "sweep-in-front-of-the-sliding-stone-on-the-ice-what-the-f**k-is-this-Winter-Sport" sport. Everytime the Winter Olympics are on, I GOTTA watch curling. I find it strangely interesting.


i think Nagano 98 for the Saturn features Curling, and there's a Curling game for PC too



Dodgeball - Wouldn't a dodgeball sim be cool? Imagine a FPS, only you can catch and throw the projectile. Get two 20-man teams and a jr. high gym setting, and it'd be bitchin'.


heck, there are a lot of Dogeball games for NES and SNES, they just didn't make it out of Japan



Kickball - As long as we're discussing jr. high games, how about this classic? Take a baseball sim, and replace the ball with one of those big bouncing red rubber deals. Plays like baseball too, except you can hurl the ball at the runner. Hit? He's out.

mhh yeah, don't know a game, not too interested either



Pub darts - Sure, there are other "borderline sports" like bowling and billiards that have had a ton of games. But there isn't much videogame love for a good game of darts. I've seen half-assed Flash-Web games, but I'd like to see a fully realized darts sim with 301, 501, Baseball, and a zillion other games. Just uncertain on how to make the gameplay more interesting. It'd be a hunting sim with a stationary target. Pretty boring.


most recent Pool/Snooker games feature Dart as a mini-game, pretty realistic actually



OK, I've rambled enough, without even touching on Rugby


World Class Rugby, SNES
can't remember name, PS2



and Australian-Rules Football.


Aussie Rules Football, NES



What sport would YOU like to see in a videogame? (Think a Madden-type release with fully-realized gameplay and full team rosters...)

well, the sport that's totally ignored all the time is Handball, one of the biggest team sports in Europe, and there never ever was a single game ;(

a Botcha/Jeux de Boule game would be nice too and then there are of course two other sports that get ignored

Badminton and Table Tennis

[KJN]

There are plenty of cricket games in europe. In the 8 and 16 bit days you will of course find most of them on home computers like the C64, Spectrum, Amiga, etc. Same goes for dart games (like John Lowe's Ultimate Darts, 180, Jocky Wilson's Darts Challenge, etc)

Success' SuperLite 1500 budget series for playstation had a curling game and I know of at least one Water Polo game on the C64.

[petewhitley]

Cockfighting. An in-depth sim would kick-ass.

[Rogmeister]

Sports there've been precious little console love for (if any at all)...

Figure skating--I do remember playing one Olympics game on an Atari computer that had a few figure skating events on, though.

Rodeo--All kinds of possibilities here from calf-roping to barrel racing to bronc riding and more.

Ping pong

Gymnastics--I think there were a few gymnastics events in one of othe Olympics games within the last few years.

Softball--Yeah, there was a horrible PS1 game with Sammy Sosa but we need a good one...maybe do it with colleges and both male and female teams...or just female teams.

WNBA Basketball

[Ascending Wordsmith]

Pretty much any women's sport hasn't been done. Even a sport as extremely popular like basketball will only be men's league games. A WNBA game from EA? Nah... not gonna happen.

No softball, no ringette, no women's soccer (except for one N64 game), no women's rugby, no women's hockey, and no women's football.

[Jumpman Jr.]

I think women's sports in general have been overlooked. You don't really see very many of them. As for the specific sports, the only reason they make the sports titles they do is because that is what's popular here in North America. If they were making a game exclusive to Pakistan, they'd probably make some sort of Cricket game or something.

[Griking]

I think women's sports in general have been overlooked.

I hate to say it but any womans sports game that ever comes out will most likely be along the lines of DOA Volleyball.

Can you see the kids buying a copy of WNBA Jam where you can't dunk the ball or talk smack?

On a serious note I can actually see a cheerleading game selling somewhat well alog the female population if it were done right. I'm talking about real cheerleading, not the kind you see in the beer commercials :D

[Rogmeister]

A friend of mine didn't like that the WNBA players' uniforms were llike the guys. He wanted them skin-tight and the shorts shorter...

[njiska]

A friend of mine didn't like that the WNBA players' uniforms were llike the guys. He wanted them skin-tight and the shorts shorter...

Shorts? No they should be playing in skirts. Short, short skirts.

[Raedon]

frisbie golf

[fishsandwich]

Water Sports. Definately.

:angel:

[Rogmeister]

Well, you already have frolf for the odd golf game. Hitting a frisbee with a golf club might be too tough anyway. But how about a game of dogs retrieving frisbees?

[hydr0x]

But how about a game of dogs retrieving frisbees?

there is a mini-game of that in Windjammers for the Neo Geo

[mcarocks2003]

Biggest sports titles are MADDEN and FIFA.

As everyone else has stated other sport titles are just swept away under the mat.

Water Sports are available on the game called Track and Field.

I agree there should be a Dodgeball game even if it does FLOP.

[fishsandwich]

Water Sports are available on the game called Track and Field.

Not quite what I had in mind. I do believe that there are quite a few Japanese PC games that contain water sports, though.

:?

[Rogmeister]

Is there a game featuring water skiing? How about a video game version of bocce ball? I know there's an air hockey game for the PS1...never got that one, though.

[orrimarrko]

OUTSTANDING TOPIC!!

Every year, I wait, and wait...

I know it's not going to happen, because I know that the market simply isn't there. However, if they can make some of these real shitty sports games, why not something good?!

There are two sports that I played in high school and college that would translate VERY well into video games. They're easily as fun to play in real life as basketball or football, and would translate just as well (I feel.)

The third sport isn't one I've played competatively, but I still think that EA could do it, and it would sell.

The first is Team Handball.

Come on - a game that combines basketball and soccer? Not only is it just as exciting as basketball, it's constant fast breaks! If you don't know the sport - look it up. It's probably my favorite of all time (except for hockey, of course.)
It wouldn't be hard to do - a basketball engine with different graphics and goals instead of baskets. Integrate the rules and it's there! For the love of GOD, please make this game EA!!!

The second is Water Polo.

It has all the elements of a fun game. Button mashing for the swimming, plus passing and strategy like basketball, and scoring goals like many other sports. They've done this years ago on an old pc game, surely they can do it now.

The third is Lacrosse.

I know there's Blast Lacrosse for the PSX, and it's okay I guess. But EA or Sega could do the player models. The field is as easy as a soccer pitch, and I think it would be great.

Just my two cents, but there are many games out there that have niche markets, but they make them anyway.

PLEASE make these!! :D

Peace.
Steve

[9c1lt1]

It would be a motorsport game.
Tractor Pulls

[lendelin]

The first is Team Handball.

Come on - a game that combines basketball and soccer? Not only is it just as exciting as basketball, it's constant fast breaks! If you don't know the sport - look it up. It's probably my favorite of all time (except for hockey, of course.)
It wouldn't be hard to do - a basketball engine with different graphics and goals instead of baskets.

I second that. I never understood why at least a European developer produced a team handball game since the sport is popular in Europe.

It might even fly in the US; the game is very fast paced, played on a small indoor field like basketball, you got the high scores of 25-25, would require fast refelexes, and like orrimarko said, the programming should be very similar to a basketball game.

...AH....great historic teams like Gummersbach with Hansi Schmidt and Deckarm or TUS Hofweier with Arnulf Meffle or Steaua Bukarest...would be nice.

[Daria]

But how about a game of dogs retrieving frisbees?

I can't tell if that's sarcasm or not... but Nintendogs? :P

Anyway I'd like to see some sort of backyard sports game that encompasses all the one on one sports kids make up. Like baseball with landmarks for bases, ghostmen, wiffle bats, and tennis balls.

[hydr0x]

The first is Team Handball.

Come on - a game that combines basketball and soccer? Not only is it just as exciting as basketball, it's constant fast breaks! If you don't know the sport - look it up. It's probably my favorite of all time (except for hockey, of course.)
It wouldn't be hard to do - a basketball engine with different graphics and goals instead of baskets.

I second that. I never understood why at least a European developer produced a team handball game since the sport is popular in Europe.

It might even fly in the US; the game is very fast paced, played on a small indoor field like basketball, you got the high scores of 25-25, would require fast refelexes, and like orrimarko said, the programming should be very similar to a basketball game.

...AH....great historic teams like Gummersbach with Hansi Schmidt and Deckarm or TUS Hofweier with Arnulf Meffle or Steaua Bukarest...would be nice.

you actually THIRDED it because i already mentioned it on the first page ;)

orrimarko you forgot they also would have to add a goalkeeper LOL of course i have to mention that, because i AM a handball goalkeeper 8-) . the high scores are more like 35-35 imho though, but yes, this sport COULD be succesfull in the US if they'd only try

[qbertandernie]

frisbee golf is actually a game, it is referred to more commonly as 'disc golf' and is played by throwing (essentially) engineered frisbees at a basket hundreds of feet away. its actually more fun than i thought itd be, but might make for a boring video game

also, i think my lloyd's pong system has handball on it! you guys are set, just track one down on ebay!

[Rogmeister]

No, my dogs & frisbees suggestion wasn't meant as sarcasm. That could be fun. I don't have Nintendogs so I don't know if you can do that in that game.

Has there ever been an archery game?

[devilman]

I think women's sports in general have been overlooked.

I hate to say it but any womans sports game that ever comes out will most likely be along the lines of DOA Volleyball.


There was Mia Hamm Soccer for the N64 but that played pretty poorly and I think was basically a re-branded Euro release.

Quite a few of the sports mentioned here have certainly be covered on 8-bit, like KJN mentioned. Nowadays, they'd just be thrown in as mini-games into other releases.

Personal favourites -

Cricket - International Cricket (Spectrum - by Grandslam), Graham Gooch World Class Cricket (Amiga - by Audiogenic and later became the Brian Lara/Shane Warne series of games)
Ping Pong - Konami's Ping Pong for the Spectrum
Archery - Hyper Sports covers this best for me
Darts - 180 and Wacky Darts (Both Spectrum)

[hydr0x]

No, my dogs & frisbees suggestion wasn't meant as sarcasm. That could be fun. I don't have Nintendogs so I don't know if you can do that in that game.

Has there ever been an archery game?

just play Summer Games for archery, and as i already said (or are my posts not coming though??) you can find a dog&frisbee game in Windjammers

[devilman]

Summer Games would also cover the mention for Gymnastics too and water sports (well ok, just diving).

[devilman]

California Games (preferably Master System) covers frisbee throwing pretty well. Ok, the woman who catches isn't a dog but she's no looker either. ;)

[Queen Of The Felines]

Water Sports. definitely.

:angel:

I'm sure Rockstar will get around to making one at the rate they're going. LOL


There's a ping pong game available for MAME, can't remember what it's called though.

How about:

Greyhound racing
Jai Lai
Street luge
Roller derby
Slamball :roll:
Field hockey

Kristine

[CYRiX]

I think the reason there hasn't been a great Pub Darts videogame is because most people just buy their own dartboard. Or play darts at the pub.
The exact same thing can be said with every other sport.
Sport games thrive on popularity, like the Poker games...

[k8track]

Here's my dream list:

Tetherball
Horseshoes
Hopscotch
Shuffleboard
Four-Square
Smear the Queer
Shirling

[snes_collector]

frisbee golf is actually a game, it is referred to more commonly as 'disc golf' and is played by throwing (essentially) engineered frisbees at a basket hundreds of feet away. its actually more fun than i thought itd be, but might make for a boring video game

also, i think my lloyd's pong system has handball on it! you guys are set, just track one down on ebay!

I LOVE frisbee golf, shame it's not more popular. If someone would make a frisbee golf game, I'd buy it.

And Horse Racing Sims are pretty popular, so why not make a PIG RACING Sim. Now that would be awesome.

[Queen Of The Felines]

Here's my dream list:

Tetherball
Horseshoes
Hopscotch
Shuffleboard
Four-Square
Smear the Queer
Shirling

And once again k8track shows why he's one of my favorite posters. LOL

Kristine

[k8track]

And once again k8track shows why he's one of my favorite posters. LOL

Kristine

"Poster" in the sense of being a color 8-1/2" x 11" photo carefully ripped from the pages of Tiger Beat magazine and lovingly affixed to the inside of one's locker with cellophane tape.

P.S. See you in about 2 more weeks, sugar cake!

[hydr0x]

Here's my dream list:
Shuffleboard


LOL didn't even know that sport before i saw that one King of Queens episode where Arthur wants to win a shuffleboard tournament and Doug just sucks at it so he goes with Spence LOL

@Kristine

i love you, i KNEW i had another game in mind i couldn't remember when posting, and of course it was Field Hockey, thx for mentioning it

so, yeah, my top5 would be

1) Handball
2) Badminton
3) Field Hockey
4) Curling
5) Table Tennis
with Lacrosse coming in as a close 6th

[Cryomancer]

Shenmue has dart machines in the bars if that counts.

Did someone mention Ping Pong? There's a simple 2000 game for that, it was released in PAL regions as Pink Pong.

[ty896]

I'm pretty sure that the NDS Air Hockey game set to be reseased soon in Japan will be the first for that game. Gonna import it for sure.

[stonecutter]

Id like handball, cricket, curling and more darts. There is a darts mini-game in NHL2K6, but I have yet to try it. I do like MAgic darts on the NES.

As mentioned by someone else, I go out to play real pub darts in my local Premier league as well as some tourneys and a couple of other leagues. It is much more phone to actually get out and play.

[k8track]

Some notes (in no particular order):

1. Darts: This is on Parlour Games for the SMS, and I can't recall offhand, but I think it might be on Indoor Sports for the C64 (I'll have to boot it up later and check).

2. Ping Pong: I've got Superstar Ping Pong for the C64.

3. Tetherball: I'm serious about this one! I want to see it!

4. Horseshoes: Isn't this on MAME?

5. Archery: There's an archery competition on Knight Games for the C64.

6. Frisbee Golf: Interesting. I'm not sure I'd want to play this one--I've become hooked on this sport in the past year and think I'd much rather do the real thing than sit down and play it in my living room. Maybe put some ninjas, beer, or powerups in it to spice it up a bit.

7. Racquetball: There's the much-maligned Apollo version for the 2600, but I'm one of the few people who actually kind of dig it. I agree there's room for improvement--I'd love to see someone hack this one and make it a bit more playable (make the ball shadow BLACK, for starters).

[petewhitley]

7. Racquetball: There's the much-maligned Apollo version for the 2600, but I'm one of the few people who actually kind of dig it. I agree there's room for improvement--I'd love to see someone hack this one and make it a bit more playable (make the ball shadow BLACK, for starters).

Street Racquetball on PS1. Completely unplayable, even for fans.

[hegyak]

how about speed ball? I second 4 square. How about 4 corners?

[scooterb23]

6. Frisbee Golf: Interesting. I'm not sure I'd want to play this one--I've become hooked on this sport in the past year and think I'd much rather do the real thing than sit down and play it in my living room. Maybe put some ninjas, beer, or powerups in it to spice it up a bit.

There actually was a pretty nice Disc Golf game for PC about 7-8 years ago. What I like about it now is that Innova sponsored the game, and they use their real discs in the game, and they react like their real life counterparts. So it is kind of nice to test out a new disc without spending $8-15 and then tossing it in the lake on your first round.

There was also a Disc Golf game made by Wham-o...it's wretched, avoid at all costs.

Also, fun way to kill time on a rainy day, or when you have three ligaments torn in your ankle...

For myself, I want an Australian Rules Football game. I love AFL, but I do not get it here in the US. I love the game though.

For Curling fans, a really nice PC game came out 3-4 years ago. It's called Take-Out Weight Curling, I think there is a 2nd version out now as well. Well worth digging for. There is also a competant Curling game on Nagano Olympics on the N64.

[Daria]

No, my dogs & frisbees suggestion wasn't meant as sarcasm. That could be fun. I don't have Nintendogs so I don't know if you can do that in that game.


Oh you can. I pretty much speand all my time in Nintendogs either going on walks or training for the disc competitions.

[rbudrick]

I'm still waiting for Hamster Shotputting, Gator Diving, and Hippo Pole Vaulting...or all three at once. With guns.

-Rob

[k8track]

I'm still waiting for Hamster Shotputting, Gator Diving, and Hippo Pole Vaulting...or all three at once. With guns.

-Rob

I believe there may be primitive "pong" versions of those on Video Olympics for the Atari 2600.

[Ruudos]

There's a Badminton game for the Famicom: Super Dynamix Badminton. There's also a table tennis game for Famicom.

I also remember a very nice darts game on the Commodore 64.


What I'm waiting for is a KORFBALL game

[hydr0x]

What I'm waiting for is a KORFBALL game

LOL i never got why that sport is actually popular in the netherlands, but yeah, a Sim would be nice ;)

[GameNinja]

I would love to see a Fencing game, but it would be rather hard to truly do it right.

[Ruudos]

What I'm waiting for is a KORFBALL game

LOL i never got why that sport is actually popular in the netherlands, but yeah, a Sim would be nice ;)

It would be difficult to make. The rules are quite complicated, but it's fun if you know the rules and how it's played.

[wberdan]

shuffleboard