Console By Genre Debate #4: Which is the Best Console for Playing Sports Games From the 5th Generation?

[SilverspoonGaming | 332]

5th Generation Consoles:

1. 3DO

2. Atari Jaguar incl. Jag CD

3. Sony Playstation

4. Sega Saturn

5. Nintendo 64

6. Apple Pippin

7. Sega 32X

Sports are video games that simulate sports. This opposing team(s) can be controlled by other real life people or artificial intelligence.

 

[SilverspoonGaming | 332]

The 5^th generation of gaming consoles had a ton of yearly sports titles, as well as the arcade style sports games across the board.

I spent most of my sports gaming time on either the PS1 or the N64, as they had more advanced controllers for a more realistic approach to a sports game.

On N64, I frequently played NFL QB Club 98 as the graphics were so realistic at the time that it was mind blowing, and I was also playing quite a bit of NBA In The Zone 98, while my brother played Ken Griffey Jr’s Slugfest to death.  As I look back now, I wasn’t playing EA Sports titles on the N64 for some reason, although I remember the Madden games being unplayable to me on the N64.

PS1 is definitely my pick from the bunch!  I started out with the 989 Sports Launch titles like Gameday, Face Off, and In The Zone, later moving on to NBA Shoot Out that year.  The next year, I played Madden 97 a lot, but also playing the shit out of NCAA Gamebreaker and Gameday 97, but I played a ton of Triple Play 97 as well which switched me back over the EA Sports games.

The next year I was big into NFL Gameday 98, and started playing a lot of NFL Blitz when it came to home consoles.  I had it on PS1, but all of my friends had it on N64 so that one is kind of a wash for this topic. 

By 1999-2001 I was only playing EA Sports titles, and as I mentioned before, I never really played any on the N64, so PS1 got the lions share of my sports gaming during the 5^th generation.

[DefaultGen | 5,414]

Interesting one. I'm probably not qualified to vote. I mostly played N64 sports games.

I would have to guess PS1 wins on sheer volume.

[Sumer | 221]

So, here is my surprising vote:

Atari Jaguar

I was a little surprised I picked this myself, but then realized, for that generation, the only sports game I cared about and played then was NBA Jam.  The Atari Jag, in my opinion, has the best version of NBA Jam Tournament Edition of all the consoles of that time period.

I didn't start getting into Madden until, probably, the early 2000s, and Tecmo was on the older consoles...so, yeah, I guess the Atari Jag for me for the ONE sports game I enjoy from that generation (to admit, though, I have not played many sports games between the Tecmo Bowls and the 2000s Maddens during that time frame).

Edited December 27, 2020 by Sumer

[Reed Rothchild | 9,552]

No idea. I had already started avoiding them at this point.  Probably PS1 for sheet numbers, or N64 for the 4 player and the Mario stuff.

[AstralSoul | 502]

N64 probably. Not a huge sports game fan but Nintendo actually made a good number of quality sports titles back then esoyif you include games like Wave Race and 1080.

[Webhead123 | 679]

I haven't played enough sports games or enough of the 5th gen to really offer anything of value. The NFL Blitz port to N64 was a decent time-waster and I know second-hand that there are a bunch of good sports titles on the PS. Outside of that, I have no clue.

The only sports games that ever appealed to me were on the NES, SNES and GEN.

[Sumez | 2,969]

What's a sport?

[SilverspoonGaming | 332]

3 hours ago, Sumez said:

What's a sport?

Sports are video games that simulate sports. This opposing team(s) can be controlled by other real life people or artificial intelligence.

[Webhead123 | 679]

9 hours ago, Sumez said:

What's a sport?

The Most Unusual, Convoluted RPG You'll Ever Play

[nrslam | 476]

I've played a ton of Mario Golf and Mario Kart on the N64, and they're both still fun so if those count the N64 is a clear winner.

If its just team sport stuff, then I have no idea since those games don't interest me much.

[Hammerfestus | 3,865]

I went with PSX. 

I played the NBA Shootout demo to death when I got it.  It’s just like playing basketball with LEGO Shaq in real life.  
NHL Faceoff was awesome too.  I was always a big fan of the Genesis NHL games.  And at the time to me this seemed like a logical progression.  
I also had a lot of fun with Gameday.  It seemed so realistic when it came out.  There was so much depth that it blew my little mind.
Can’t comment on any baseball games because baseball sucks.

Unfortunately,  I don’t know that most of these have much replay value today.  New sports games are basically these games with better graphics, physics, and modes of play.  Speaking of which I’ve got like a dump truck full of PlayStation sports games if anyone is looking for some.

N64 had some killer arcade type sports games with the Mario stuff too.  Mario Tennis is one of my all time favorites.  I also was a big fan of Mario golf.  If I had friends I would totally bust out a game of Mario Tennis right now. 
 

P.S. I’m a firm believer that no one has ever made a better hockey game than NHL 94.  

[RH | 4,924]

From a personal perspective, I'm going to have to think this one through. With the exception of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2, all sports games that caught my eye were on the N64. All of the wrestling games, 1080 Snowboarding, NBA Hangtime. There was even Virtual Pool as well as Gretzky Hockey because I picked it up new for something like $10, and though it wasn't an excellent game, I felt it was worth it at that price.

Oh, and I guess if we count racing games, there were the Cruis'n titles and Mario Kart. I think those are a stretch to call a sport but the racing genre is lumped into that group. On the PS1, the only "racing" games I owned was Twisted Metal 1, 2 & 3, but those definitely don't count.

I guess I have to go with the N64. It also has Blitz which though I never played, I heard so many non-sports people like myself say it was a great game, I've wanted to give it a try.

[Night Driver | 6]

My least favorite generation for sports games. I guess PS1 wins for quantity.

[Tanooki | 4,940]

I feel like this very question was already asked on this site recently wasn't it?  If not specifically the intent was all the same around what was being looked at as I know I responded and gave a why (N64.)

Maybe not in sheer quantity as year by year the PS1 got the most, but for variety of and in quality, the N64 nailed it as I also consider racing (from NASCAR to F1 to goofy karts) to "pro" Wrestling games (WWF, WWE, etc) part of the genre as well.  N64 had an overkill amount of sports titles that under my catch all was I believe around 30-40% of the total library which is kind of sad given it had 300~ games.

Mario has his sports of Kart, Tennis and the ever popular Golf, the latter two starting here (and on GBC at the same time.)  But then you had the more serious stuff like NASCAR, F1 racing, lots of solid Rally car racers, skateboarding with Tony Hawk, silly arcade junk like the Crusin games, the snowboarding kids duo, or MRC and Top Gear Overdrive.  Then all the EA and friends licensed stuff with baseball, football, golf, soccer(football), etc.  There never was a shortage of them, and they really didn't lack, if anything tended to be a bit nicer on the system considering it had the ability to push a little more than the PS1 could.  And really, we all know that the N64 was the home to wrestling games, plenty there and they were stellar stuff people could enjoy alone as is, making your own custom wrestlers, or among others with 4 at it one time.

[elprincipe | 142]

NBA Hangtime = N64 wins. Mario Tennis and Mario Golf are notable as well for their excellence, as is Wave Race, not even counting Mario Kart!

[Kguillemette | 1,545]

I've played a fair bit of Blitz 64 when it was out. I've only really ever liked arcade sports titles when games hit 3d, so I went with 64.

[fox | 1,668]

10 hours ago, Kguillemette said:

I've played a fair bit of Blitz 64 when it was out. I've only really ever liked arcade sports titles when games hit 3d, so I went with 64.

Same.  The PlayStation port of Blitz is pretty doggie.

Dreamcast version of Blitz 2000 was better than both though.  You also got the better versions of Tony Hawk and the 2k sports titles.

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,014]

Man, I played the most sports games on the PS1 but I think the title goes it N64. Between the Mario sports titles, Blitz, Racers, NBA Hangtime, QB Club, 1080 & Tony Hawk, they just seem more polished on the N64 than on the PS1. I think the joystick lends itself to sports games as well.

[Kguillemette | 1,545]

Is tony hawk in the sports genre or is it in the tony hawk genre? I swear tony hawk is its own thing. Well, pretty much all individual sports are their own thing compared to team sports games.

I will say I haven't played a 3D baseball game I liked. I did not like the new rbi baseball games whatsoever. I did hear good things about EA's MVP 2004/5 though. 

In other news, the NHL 94 rewind needs to come out for switch and then be a yearly release. Needs to. I need to check that pixel Ovechkin into the boards for a 5 minute major penalty immediately. 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

I went Playstation since I played a ton of Triple Play Baseball and Madden, but I probably could have went N64 since I put a lot of time into Cruisin' USA, Wave Race and Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball, NFL Blitz and NBA Hangtime.

[croagunk | 798]

The PS1 has a bunch, so I’d say that wins.