Last week, I took a quick look at the declining state of arcade pro sports games. I concluded by suggesting that you check out those that made the genre great, before they become too difficult to track down.

To that end, here are my favorite arcade games featuring players from each of the four major pro sports.

Baseball: The Bigs 2

I don’t need to write too much about this title -- I’ve already covered why I think it’s a great baseball game in detail here. But, as one of the easier games on this list to find and play, it’s definitely worth tracking down.

Hockey: NHL Hitz 20-03

There are quite a few classic arcade hockey games, from Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey on the N64 to the more recent 3-on-3 NHL Arcade. But my favorite remains NHL Hitz 20-03.

The gameplay is simple, reminiscent of EA’s output from the early 90s, albeit with powerups and crazy hits. Fights were fun, and had lasting consequences: the loser was out of the game.

But what sets this arcade title apart is its franchise mode. You basically created a team from scratch; I always used my friends -- and my wife, as female characters were possible. Then, as you complete a world tour against fantastic teams, you gain XP and equipment that could be assigned to each player.

The best part, though: Once you finish the tour, you could import your team into the regular season mode to see how it stacked up to NHL teams.

Football: NFL Street 2

Sure, NFL Blitz (and its clones) will always be recognized as an innovative and hall-of-fame caliber title. But stick me on an island with one NFL arcade game, and I’m choosing NFL Street 2.

NFL Street 2 took the concepts invented in NFL Blitz and added a level of sophistication and strategy that, for me, was previously lacking. Team customization, excellent animations, legend players, mini-games, a lengthy franchise/career mode, and style points made chucking the pigskin around a real joy.

This game wasn’t perfect -- it could often be a race to see who could get the most Gamebreakers -- but my friends and I had a blast building teams and talking trash.

FYI: I only had an XBox, so I haven’t played NFL Street 3, which was a PS2/PSP exclusive.

Basketball: NBA Street V3

Like NFL Blitz, NBA Jam will forever be the “grand daddy” of the genre, especially when it comes to playing arcade games. But on consoles, NBA Street V3 offers a more complete experience.

Like the titles above, NBA Street V3 offered a fun career mode layered with outstanding gameplay and personality. Player editing was very detailed for an arcade game, and, for the time, this game looked outstanding. Add in a great soundtrack and funny unlockable characters, this game ranks among the best basketball gamse of the Xbox/PS2 generation.

If you are looking for a NBA Street game, this is the one to get. In my opinion, NBA Street Homecourt on the 360/PS3 lost some of the magic found in the previous titles.


So, these are my recommendations from what could be called the “Golden Age of Arcade Sports Games,” if such a title is a necessity. For the time being, these games (and others like them) remain the best way to revisit the genre.

What arcade titles would you recommend picking up?