Sports and video games go together like peanut butter and jelly. They share similar demographics, and they've both become multi-billion-dollar businesses. It always made sense to bring them both together. The Sports Business Journal reports that video games as an industry made more than $50 billion in 2024, and sports games were all over the top 20 best-selling games.
In fact, the first commercially successful video game, Pong by Atari, is considered a sports video game. That feeling of actually playing the sport you love without putting one's body on the line is second to none. It opened an entire new level of fandom.
Of course, video games came closer and closer to the actual game on the field. The graphics continue to get better and better. The online gameplay allows fans to become GMs. Every player's and franchise's likeness is right in the game, and sometimes the construction of the teams is more fun than the game itself.
However, the bread and butter is always playing the sport itself. How close is the gameplay to the real thing? Are there too many glitches and mistakes in the actual code of the game? We take a look at more than 100 video games released since the year 2000 and rank our favorite 10.
Honorable Mentions
SSX Tricky
Released in 2001
Before getting into the list, we wanted to shout out a few great games. SSX Tricky was one of the most fun games to play in the 21st century, sports game or not. The mechanics were incredible, and the game was very straight forward. Most of the characters were made up, but we still felt like we were competing in the Olympics.
Tiger Woods 2014
Released in 2013
We could put so many different versions of the Tiger Woods video game on this list, but we’ll go with the last one to bear his name under the EA Sports license. It still has Augusta National, which was added in Tiger Woods 12, and they added a Legacy Mode that was incredibly fun to play. This game had improved swing styles and new courses, to make players really feel like they were on tour, although we do miss some of the features of Country Club mode.
NBA Street Vol. 2
Released in 2003
This one really hurt to leave off this list. NBA Street Vol. 2 found all the fun parts of the original version and added quite a few fun features and gameplay upgrades. The big selling point was this was the first time you could play as peak-of-his-powers Michael Jordan, as they added three versions of His Airness in the game. Yet, there’s so much more to this game. It’s got that arcade feel of NBA Jam with the great mechanics of the 2K games.
Wii Sports
Released in 2006
Wii Sports is absolutely one of the best “sports” games of all time, but it feels like it’s a different category than the rest of the competition. Players could build “Mii”s to compete in various competitions, including tennis, bowling, and baseball. It was transformational for the Wii, which called on players to stand up and be active during gameplay rather than rely on sedentary aspects of other games.
10. Fight Night Round 3
Release in 2006
EA Sports clearly had something with their Fight Night series, as boxing really develops well to a video game format, but something was missing in the first two iterations of the game. In Fight Night Round 3, everything came together to make the best boxing game out there.
Truthfully, boxing as a sport can be a slog. Every Floyd Mayweather fight wasn’t a slobber knocker, but that’s what they are looking for in video games. Nobody wants to spend 12 rounds avoiding getting hit. So, Fight Night Round 3 did a great job adding an arcade style to its realism.
The graphics for this game were sick. It was unlike anything we’ve seen up to this point. It is taken to a completely different level with the “Get in the Ring” mode, where you get a first-person look at the match. It was only available in the PS3 version of the game, but it was transcendent. It was something we hadn’t seen before, almost feeling like virtual reality.
9. NHL Hitz 02
Released in 2001
Midway Games made these amazing arcade-style games in the late-90s and early 2000s after their incredible success with NBA Jam in arcades across the globe. They basically made a type of these games for every sport, with NFL Blitz being the most popular, but with the loss of the NFL license, we look at some of the other sports, and the way hockey is played makes for an incredible arcade game.
Who better to showcase NHL “Hitz” than the greatest hitter in the history of hockey, Scott Stevens? His checks were both tactful and devastating. And they were on every highlight reel when it came for big hits.
Like NBA Jam, NHL Hitz had shortened lineups, with three players on the ice for each team and three players on the bench. We know how great 3on3 overtime hockey is in real life. Now take that into a video game. On top of that, the hits are insane, including the ones into the crowd, and the goals are way too fun.
This game was off the wall and bonkers, but if you’re into an experience that is fun only, then NHL Hitz 2002 is for you. It's a great release, which is what video games are supposed to be.
8. NHL 09
Released in 2008
And going from a wacky, cartoonish hockey game to the traditional style, EA Sports has been doing great hockey games for a long time. However, it’s hard to beat some of the games from the mid- and late-2000s. NHL 09 was the best of the hockey games this quarter-century.
There’s a lot to love about the gameplay here, with the continuous online matchups and fun interface (although those glitch goals were really frustrating), but what makes this game great is the game modes. Be A Pro mode is amazing, creating yourself or someone else to play for your favorite team (or another one). The creation suite was detailed and fun, making someone who looks almost exactly like what you’re looking for.
The online Hockey League brought a community to NHL 09. Players were able to get a crew, whether they were friends inside or outside the online world, together to be a hockey team. They would face other teams and play rankings, giving a true unity that doesn’t come in 1v1 online play.
There are a ton of details that are lovely in one-player modes, as well. Dynasty has so many intricacies that a player can check out both in-season and during the offseason recruitment period. And Bill Clement and Gary Thorne are back on commentary, which is exactly how it should be (unless you can get Mike Emrick).
7. Madden 2005
Released in 2004
It was the introduction of the Hit Stick. How much more do we need to reveal to say why this game is on the list? In our opinion, this is the best Madden game in a long time. And it was driven by competition (hold for that in a few). Madden 2004 was an incredible update to a dominant franchise, but 2005 added the essential changes that made defense just as fun as offense, and it made sense with Ray Lewis on the cover.
The complaints about Madden up to this point was how offensively-minded it was. It makes sense. Football makes its money off points and progress on the field. However, we want a little more realism on the field. Madden 2005 was the first step towards that.
With hot routes becoming more and more popular, this game added “defensive hot routes,” bringing the same features to both sides of the ball. People want control of every aspect of their football team, and this game added individual audible assignments based on how you see the play pre-snap.
On top of all that, franchise mode added a ton of new features. This was still a world where one-player modes were the focus. It even had a radio show made to play each week hosted by Tony Bruno. It was an interesting wrinkle to the game, although some might not think it was necessary. Still, this game rocked.
6. FIFA 12
Released in 2011
FIFA video games have done a ton to get American fans to get into soccer. Because of its international appeal, it is always the highest-selling sports game of the year in total sales. That means that players in the U.S. know there will be more people online to play versus the traditional EA Sports titles. Because of the impact of FIFA, most games can make it on this list in one way or another (except FIFA 19 and 20).
FIFA 12 is generally known as the one that did this the best based on expectations at the time. The graphics took a massive step forward.
The three most important additions to the game involved how the games were played. FIFA added the Player Impact Engine, Precision Dribbling, and Tactical Defending to gameplay, which made the games feel more in control. There are few games that made this many upgrades from one game to the other, especially since this was the first exclusive year for EA Sports.
They also fixed tackling in this game. In previous games, it was made to be overused. Tackling is a last resort in soccer, and they built it to be that way in this game. This was also the first time Ultimate Team, which has become a favorite for gamers, was available at launch. There’s so much more to love about this game, but we’ve run out of room to discuss it all.
5. EA College Football 25
Released in 2024
The return of college football to EA Sports could have just been a game with updated graphics and all the teams and we’d be happy. We have to give EA Sports credit for bringing their A game to creating this game. Many were comparing this with the advances in Madden, another project owned by EA, and this just felt like the advanced version of the NFL game.
The graphics on this game are out of this world. It’s truly mind-blowing how realistic this looks, from sweat on a player’s brow to wrinkles in the jersey. The developers spent a lot of time on the details here, and we have to appreciate that.
College football comes with a lot of pomp and circumstance, and the early games by EA did a good job of capturing that, with fights for different trophies and rivalry spotlights. This game does a good job of repeating that success.
The main reason this game makes it into the top five is the gameplay. This feels like the best football game in years. It’s like they spent decades trying to perfect this game while it was on hiatus.
4. NBA 2K11
Released in 2010
The NBA 2K series is one of the best out there. Good for 2K, which is trying its best to hold onto its sports licenses. Right now, it’s living off basketball and WWE, but we're only talking about non-scripted sports here. Looking at all of the 2K games, there are a few we could choose, but we’re committed to one per series. We went with 2K11 because this is the one that brought the series back to the limelight as one of the best in video games.
After going without the GOAT for a little while, 2K put Michael Jordan on the cover of this one. His Jordan Challenge mode was too fun for words. Going back to some of Mike’s greatest moments was iconic. It was too smart to make this the focus of the game.
However, the current product was still getting better and better. The details here are astounding, with each NBA team having its own identity. It truly felt like being transported into the NBA.
It truly feels like you’re watching an NBA game while playing it. You can have friends over just to watch you play video games. Isn’t that the dream?
3. ESPN NFL 2K5
Released in 2004
There was just something in the water in 2004 that two different development teams made two of the best football games of all time, and they competed with each other. ESPN NFL 2K5 is one of the highest-rated games of all time, and it was even better that they were only charging $20 for it at the time.
ESPN NFL 2K5 has been called a full football experience. Everything from graphics to gameplay to features has been upgraded to the highest level in this game despite the price tag.
There was a VIP mode that feels like modern-day AI. The computer would learn how you play the game and simulate it to allow others to learn your tactics. It would figure out which defensive player you pick most, where you like to run the ball, what type of play you usually pick on 3rd-and-long, and anything in between. This was in 2005!
And an underrated part of the game that’s been lost in time is the ESPN 25th anniversary special, where you get to play through 25 of the greatest NFL moments up to that point. Those are the little moments in games that get us returning year after year, and it’s what is missing from many of today’s games (that are auspiciously missing from this list).
2. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Released in 2000
A skateboarding game taking second on this all-time list of games this century? If you don’t know about the legacy of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, then you’re depriving yourself of hours of fun. This game was as entertaining as any video game in existence. The tricks and tribulations of the gameplay would keep us hooked way past the expiration date of other video games. People to this day still play this game 25 years later.
This game did have more of a traditional video game element to it, pushing fictional characters to go through different skateboarding “worlds” to unlock other skate parks and arenas. The mix of moves and combinations were something to strive for. Many players were looking to put up record-breaking point totals, but they also wants what looked the coolest.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 features five modes of gameplay: Career Mode, Free Skate, Single Session, Multiplayer and the Level Editor. But it’s the five multi-player modes that has this game so high in the rankings. Going head to head with your friends in “Graffiti” or “HORSE” was so fun.
Across the board, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 was given near-perfect scores in reviews. There weren’t many analysts who had anything but nice things to say about this game.
1. MVP Baseball 2005
Released in 2005
The greatest sports video game is a baseball game? MLB The Show, which has always had rave reviews, didn’t even make this list. This is one of those “you had to be there” games. MVP 2005 is iconic, and no game has been able to recreate the magic this game found.
Critics called the game “addictive” and “near perfect.” This was the game to have in a year where the two best NFL games came out, as well. This was a powerhouse year.
MVP 2005 had a plethora of one-person game modes, but the actual game play is what made this great. The Hitter’s Eye showed what type of pitch was coming based on the color of the baseball coming out of the pitcher’s hands. Most great hitters can read a pitch like that, so this put you in the cleats of an actual hitter.
MVP 2005 added an owner mode that included features not seen in other games but can be used today. You had complete control of the franchise, from contracts, hiring, player personnel, and even relocation. One can’t ignore the soundtrack, which ties this entire game in a ribbon. Including songs by the Dropkick Murphys, The Bravery, and Hot Hot Heat, this might be the best soundtrack of any sports video game ever.