The 25 Best Sports Video Games of All Time, Ranked (2025)

Sports games are a great way to live out fantasies.

Athletes get to see themselves in ways they couldn’t imagine, and players get to participate in the fantasy by doing incredible things like rocking Mike Tyson or beating Tiger Woods. That’s what makes sports games so great: you get to experience the athleticism in the palm of your hands. It’s actually quite exhilarating.

But with so many sports games, which are the best of the best? Is there even such a thing as a Greatest (Game) Of All Time? We wanted to figure that out, and so, after much deliberation, we’ve put together a list of the 25 best sports games ever, trying to be as comprehensive and historical here as possible. And wow, it’s quite exhaustive. From classics like NBA Jam and Punch-Out!! to new releases such as EA Sports College Football 25 and Rocket League, this list has a little something for everyone. Except racing and football- / soccer-manager games. We had to make some restrictions somewhere. Otherwise, we’d be here forever debating sports games until we’re blue in the face.

Anyway, with all of that said, here are Complex’s picks for the 25 best sports games of all time. Did we miss anything? Is the ranking off? Let us know in the comments below. Happy debating!

25.

Wii Sports

Consoles:Nintendo Wii

Release Date:November 19, 2006

You can’t leave this one off the list. While this may not fit under your stereotypical definition of a sports video game, Wii Sports is actuallyone of the most popular names on this list. It’s not asimulation game of course but it was unique in that itunified the typical sports fanatic with someone who had no interest or knowledge of sports at all. From bowling to baseball to tennis, the game was revolutionary because of itsmotion sensor capabilities. When you were in the boxing ring, you were dodging and weaving like you were Muhammad Ali. When you were up to bat in baseball, you got in your stance like Derek Jeterand swung your remote as if you had an actual bat in your hand. The game offered five sports including golf, baseball, tennis, bowling, and boxing. While it offered a competitive aspect to it, it was a family-friendlygame that could be played by anyone of any age. I’m taking Wii SportsMatt from boxing over any video game character of all time. — Zion Olojede

24.

Mario Golf

Consoles: Nintendo 64, Nintendo Switch (via NSO)

Release Date: July 26, 1999

Nintendo has a knack for making the niche mainstream. People who don't like racing games love Mario Kart. People who don't like tennis games love Mario Tennis. And Mario Golf—the first of the modern “Mario Sports” games—is the best example of Mario's crossover appeal.

The designers could have gone a different way with this game by loading it with Mario silliness. They could have created exploding Bob-omb sand bunkers, Cheep Cheep infested waters, or Fire Flower power-ups to burn the competition. They could have dumbed it down, chasing an audience by leaning into schtick.

But instead, the designers did something far more courageous. Beyond the cartoon graphics and sound design, this game is a legitimate, skill-based experience where you have to worry about wind resistance, club selection, and the lay of the land. There are more realistic-looking, subtle golf games. But for pure fun and accessibility—and for capturing the essence of this sport for a generation of kids—you can't compete with Mario Golf. After all, it’s on Complex’s 10 Greatest Golf Games of All Time list for a reason. — Kevin Wong

23.

Rocket League

Consoles: macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Release Date: July 7, 2015

In retrospect, what's most surprising about Rocket League's runaway success is how no one saw it coming. In an industry where so much of our gaming news is prepackaged, pre-planned, and pre-ordained months in advance, Rocket League was a free-to-play, organic phenomenon that spread by word-of-mouth across social media and Reddit. Today, nearly half a million people tune into Rocket League's annual World Championship esports tournament.

The reason for this success is three-fold. The first is the absolute ridiculousness of the premise: rocket-fueled cars playing soccer on a massive field. The second is what's under the hood. The controls and handling are top-tier—disciplined enough to create a strategic metagame and cartoonish enough to justify the aforementioned premise. And the third is its watchability. As evidenced by the highlight reels on YouTube, this game is easy to understand and easy to appreciate. Everything glows and glimmers, and every double-tapped goal explosion is a jolt of adrenaline. — KW

22.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater

Consoles:Dreamcast, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, N-Gage, Nintendo 64, PlayStation
Release Date:Sept. 29, 1999

We couldn’t include the OG of the series, the first of its kind. I remember the blue cartridge so vividly, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Inserting it into my N64 and logging hours up hours in what became an all-time classic and personal favorite.

I knew nothing about skateboarding or Tony Hawk but in swooped a culture that would change my life forever. Countless tricks, sick air, moves I’d never heard of became part of my everyday lingo with my cousins. Manuals were my personal favorite, always extending my trick combos.

Graffiti or HORSE? I can’t choose between the game modes. Collecting the tapes to unlock some sick footage of the legends that became further immortalized in skate, man what a time. Burnquist, Campbell, Glifberg, Lasek, Muska, and more. Each with its own set of attributes. Grinding around bowls and nailing 900s became a daily thing I would never dare do in real life but an instant favorite to watch or play. — Joseph Turuseta

21.

SSX Tricky

Consoles:Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Gizmondo, N-Gage,PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3,PlayStation Portable,Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Release Date:October26, 2000

While snowboarding may not be the most popular sport in the world, when it comes to video games it’s ripe for some fantastic gameplay. The only snowboarding series of note, SSX Tricky was mainly an extension of the original SSX, but it brought with it several improvements. Uber tricks came to the game and instantly became one of the best features, along with the crazy characters and awesome soundtrack. In the golden era of PlayStation 2, this was a must-have game and dubbed “the best snowboarding game ever made.”

The soundtrack, with the title track “It’s Tricky” by Run DMC, was ahead of its time for 2001. We’ve come to expect great music in 2K and FIFA, but this game had amazing sounds throughout. As for the characters, they each had great backstories and lots of customizable options, making you fall in love with them even more. On top of that, the 3D graphics were great, which in 2001 was definitely noteworthy, and the rivalry cutscenes before races foreshadowed elements of modern sports games that now heavily rely on mo-cap technology. — Patrick Smith

20.

WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain

Consoles:PlayStation 2
Release Date:Oct.27, 2003

The first WWE SmackDown!to not reference a catchphrase from The Rock in its title (as well as the last to solely be titled SmackDown! before they moved to the Raw vs. SmackDown series) was a big moment for WWE video games. It’s the first game to bring you both the Elimination Chamber and Bra & Panties matches (for good or ill) in any wrestling game, but overall the game was a huge improvement. Glitches were removed from the previous title, the grappling system was updated, and the Season Mode was fun to play, with the cash you earn from winning matches being able to be applied to everything from new gear to unlocking classic WWE legends like the “Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase and the Legion of Doom. Even choices like not having commentary during matches were awesome to see, especially when everything else accurately mirrored the WWE superstars being emulated in the game.

Altogether, for WWE junkies back in the early 2000s, Here Comes the Pain was hands-down the best WWE title they’d seen in some time. — Khal

19.

NFL Street

Consoles:GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Release Date:January 13, 2004

The NBA Street series was a massive success for the EA Sports subdivision, EA Sports Big. So, the next logical step was obviously to apply the formula to the NFL. NFL Street hit shelves in 2004 in all of its 7-on-7 gloryand turned the arcade-style gameplay of games like NFL Blitz up a notch by taking the games out of the arena and onto areas like sandy beaches and backlots. Throughout the game, touchdowns and taunts would earn style points on the way to the legendary Gamebreaker, which made your team unstoppable for a brief moment similar to NBA Street. A challenge mode allowed you to work your way up the competitive ladder completing challenges and stealing players from teams and legends like Barry Sanders or Walter Payton along the wayto build your ultimate squad.

Few things were more satisfying as a kid than triggering the, “I’m Comin! Here I Come,” Gamebreaker cut scene, tossing a behind-the-back deep ball from Donovan McNabb to Bobby Taylor, and high-stepping to the endzone spinning the ball on one finger after breaking six tackles. Thank you, NFL Street. — Mike DeStafano

18.

NFL 2K1

Console:Dreamcast
Release Date:September7, 2000

Another football masterpiece.NFL 2k1is a big reason why fans are always clamoring for the return of the franchise. The gameplay was way ahead of its time and laid the groundwork for the modern football game. There’s a reason this game got all “A” reviews from critics. It’s slick and straight to the point. I can’t even tell you how many hours I logged on the Dreamcast playing this one. For me, the Vikings were simply unstoppable. Go routes to Randy Moss all damn day.— Zach Frydenlund

17.

Fight Night Round 4

Consoles: Blackberry, PlayStation 3, PC, Xbox 360
Release Date:June 25, 2009

Boxing video games might be one of the most fun sports video game categories. There’s been plenty of classic titles over the years, but EA Sports’Fight Night Round 4is easily one of the best 25 sports video games ever. The cover alone is GOAT-worthy, with Ali and Tyson squaring off in what many people would call their dream fight. As for gameplay, this iteration ofFight Nightwas damn near perfect. The motions were fluid and the depth of the game was very addicting. Not to mention an insane roster of boxers plus avery enjoyable legacy mode where you try and take your fighter to the top. And listen, let’s not forget thatFight Nightis high on the list of “most annoying games to lose to your friends” list. It would be just maddening when you to an “L” while playing this game.— ZF

16.

NFL Blitz

Console:Arcade,Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64, PC, PlayStation
Release Date:November1997

This is an easy one. Who didn’t love playingNFL Blitzgrowing up? If we were just talking arcade-style games, this would be so much higher. There’s really not much to it. Just straight-up fun to play with friends. I personally remember playing the N64 version for hours on end back in the day. The feeling of doing stuff in the game that could never be done in an actual football game was just an absolute blast. Not to mention the hilarious plays you could select. If you weren’t just running deep routes, were you even playing?— ZF

15.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004

Consoles:Game Boy Advance, GameCube, N-Gage PC, PlayStation 2
Release Date:July 14, 2003​​​​​​​

It wasn’t easy to pick out the bestTiger Woods golf game. 2005 is great. So is 2003. The later aughts games are also very strong. However, we went with 2004 because it really was the best of what the game had to offer in one title. Not to mention, they started the game with DMX’s “Up in Here.” Hard to get much better than that. I still remember getting pissed that I couldn’t do well at Bethpage Black in this game. It literally haunts me to this day.— ZF

14.

Tecmo Bowl

Consoles:Arcade, Game Boy,Nintendo Entertainment System,PlayChoice-10
Release Date:December 1987

Literally all the way back to the beginning. Simply put, the football video game industry wouldn’t be where it is today without this game. The NES version ofTecmoBowlis one of my first memories of playing a sports video game. It also sparked my love of football. I was hooked instantly. And let’s be honest, for what it was and when it came out, the gameplay is pretty damn good. It’s just a straight-up enjoyable game. Bo Jackson was the first unstoppable force in a sports video game. It legit wasn’t fair to play with him in this game. What a legend.— ZF

13.

Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball

Console:Game Boy, Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Release Date:March 1994

We’re really going down memory lane here.Ken Griffey Baseballwas and still isa SNES classic. Even if you weren’t a big baseball fan as a kid, this was a must-play. The hitting mechanics were the perfect blend of difficulty and it was always epic to just hit bombs against your friends with Griffey. For real, playing with the Mariners was damn near a cheat code in this game. Batting with Tony Gwynn was also damn near a sure thing. Easily one of the best titles to ever come out on the N64 platform.

I wish I still had a way to play this game today.— ZF

12.

NHL '94

Consoles:DOS, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Release Date:October1993

Here we have another cult classic. All these years later and there are still NHL 94 tournaments and forums. The game’s popularity hasn’t slowed down one bit, and for a good reason. It’s insanely fun. This is a definitive classic sports video game, even if you’re not a big hockey fan. And listen, I’m not a huge hockey guy. I watch the playoffs and call it a day. But man, I’ve logged so many hours playing this one. The Penguins were my squad, and they were damn near unstoppable. The gameplay is smooth, and the way the action goes up and down the rink is flat-out addicting.

Honestly, we probably have this a bit low for how great it is.— ZF

11.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

Consoles:Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, iOS, macOS, Nintendo 64, PC, PlayStation
Release Date:September20, 2000

It’s no secret by now, the best skate series is making a return. The living legend himself Tony Hawk announced recently that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 drops this Fall. Nostalgia flowed immediately as I started to run the soundtracks back.

THPS2, as most would refer to it, is the best of an all-time series that easily shifted skate culture. Adding to its stellar gameplayit was the first of the Pro Skater games to feature Create-a-Skater and Park Editor features, shifting the series and becoming an instant staple.

Tasks like finding S-K-A-T-E letters in each level, nailing high scores, and finding hidden tapes became an everyday thing as a kid. I knew the skaters by then, but the tricks looked so much crisper. The competition levels were fun, but you could always find me completing the 10 tasks, traveling to cities and places I never knew about. Especially the NYC level. — JT

10.

NBA Street Vol. 2

Consoles:GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Release Date:April 29, 2003​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Somewhere between an Arcade-style basketball game and an actual game like 2K, NBA Street Vol. 2 was perfectly simple and a whole lot of fun. I would play this game in elementary school on my best friend at the time’s GameCube just about every day after school. NBA Challenge was the game mode for me, going one-by-one through the NBA and defeating their team and legends. It was a domination-style game that was perfect for the 3-on-3 format we were given. It all came down to Gamebreakers in this version of NBA Street though, you would spend the whole game doing unnecessary dribble moves and styling as hard as you could to fill up that meter.

But the real question was, do you use your first Gamebreaker, or do you save it for the second Gamebreaker?Life was simpler back then when that felt like the biggest decision of my day. Doing all of these moves with actual NBA players made it even more special. There’ssomething about making Kobe Bryant go “off-the-heezy” against Mike Bibby or Paul Pierce that makes me smile. — Ben Felderstein

9.

MVP Baseball 2005

Consoles:GameCube, PC, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Release Date:February 22, 2005​​​​​​​

Easily one of the best baseball games we’ve all had the privilege to play. With Manny Ramirez donning the cover fresh off a World Series with the Red Sox in 2004, their first in86 years, we recall who really came back from a 3-1 deficit first. It’s hard to call this installment in the MVP Baseball series anything but iconic. Some have gone as far as calling it “the best sports game of all time” and as a baseball fan, it isn’t far-fetched.

Baseball overall was on fire, Barry was still crushing bombs on his way to becoming the HR King, but John Dowd was the stud of MVP Baseball 2005. Dowd was a fictional but ferocious slugger EA Sports decided to replace Bonds with since he revoked the use of his likeness, but man could he raked. Pitchers trembled when he got to the plate.

The interface was elite, the teams and players so fundamental to our love for the game, and who could forget about one of the best minigames? Yes, the batting mini-game unlike any other. Who knew nailing ramps to get power boosts and avoid vortexed would be so fun? Sure to miss it. — JT

8.

EA Sports College Football 25

Consoles: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Release Date: July 19, 2024

Eleven years. That's how long EA's NCAA Football franchise has been on the shelf, thanks to legal disputes over college athlete compensation. But finally, a Supreme Court decision cleared the way for a new compromise; all athletes who opted into the game would receive a digital likeness in exchange for $600 and a free copy of the game.

EA Sports College Football 25 is as comprehensive and representative as we could have possibly hoped for. You can play as 134 teams in 134 home stadiums with near-complete rosters. The in-game strategy is varied and fun; you have to react to what you see on the field in addition to running the playbook—especially on defense, which lets you cover more ground thanks to the “switch stick.” It adds realism via pre-game planning and roster substitutions to account for wear and tear; you're strategizing before the game even starts—and even during the game—to minimize damage over a season. Dynasty Mode—and the recruiting drama that comes with it—is as involved and compelling as ever. This franchise is back—finally. And as exciting as that is, it's also just a relief. — KW

7.

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!

Consoles:Arcade, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayChoice-10, Wii, Wii U
Release Date:September 18, 1987

Another absolute classic from back in the day. And honestly, if our team of people putting this list together wasn’t so young, this would probably be higher. This really paved the way in the sports video game world and was a must-own on NES. Much likeNHL 94, there are still tournaments and full communitiesto celebrate this game. What really made the game fun was the collection of boxers you got to play with. You were either aSoda Popinski or King Hippo person, TBH.

Of course, not a whole lotbeat playing with Iron Mike Tyson himself.— ZF

6.

Backyard Baseball

Consoles:Game Boy Advance, GameCube, iOS, macOS, NintendoDS, PC, PlayStation 2,Wii,Xbox 360
Release Date:October1997

This game unlocks an entire vault of memories for me. Sitting for what felts like days at a time at the computer in my mom’s guest room grinding away at Backyard Baseball, clicking the one single button that was necessary to hit, pitch, field, run, and more. Some real icons were born from this game. No better place to start than with arguably the greatest fictional athlete of all time, in Pablo Sanchez. That little man hit dingers over the shed in Steele Stadium, all the way down the line at Sandy Flats, and off the roof of Tin Can Alley. There was the speedster, Pete Wheeler, to set the table at the top of the lineup, the dual threat of Kenny Kawaguchi getting it done on the mound and at the top of the lineup, and Achmed Khan batting cleanup to bring everyone home. And then there were the in-game power-ups. I still remember the noise that aluminum bat made today, hitting absolute moonshots, you couldn’t touch eight-year-old me while I was playing this game. I could probably ramble on about this game for another few hundred words, but I’ll leave it there. — BF

5.

NBA Jam

Consoles:32X, Android, Arcade, Atari Jaguar, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Game Gear, Nintendo 64, PC, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Sega CD, Sega Genesis,Sega Saturn, Super Nintendo Entertainment System,Wii Xbox, Xbox 360
Release Date:1993

It’s crazy to think that Midway, the company that blew up in 1992 with their ultra-controversial fighting game Mortal Kombat, was the same company that perfected the two-on-two arcade-style basketball game genre with NBA Jam, all with an official NBA license! The premise of the game is simple: two representatives from every team in the National Basketball Association battle head-to-head in a game that rewarded hot hands and huge dunks. (Sinking three shots in succession meant you were “on fire,” signified by the basketball smoking and glowing whenever you touched it, with the net burning to a crisp when you sunk another shot, and that was beautiful.) The over-the-top animations for the many dunks in the game were worth the quarters you stacked up to play. Adding elements like “big head mode” made the game unique to other sports simulations, and by bringing out the biggest stars from each team, it had infinite replay value for NBA diehards at the time. No wonder it was deemed the highest-earning arcade game in 1994; it was just that damn fun. When you add in memorable shouts of “he’s on fire!” and “boom-shaka-laka!” from in-game announcer Tim Kitzrow during key moments, and you have one of the most memorable sports video game experiences ever. — Khal

4.

FIFA 13

Consoles:Java, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360
Release Date:September25, 2012

I am very much not a soccer guy, butFIFA13was simply the shit. I logged so many damn hours playing this game that I knew all of the rosters without even watching the actual games. I have no take on the Messi and Ronaldo debate either, but in the game, Messi was my guy. Purely unstoppable. From the career mode to the intense matchups with friends, there are really no holes to poke in this version of theFIFAfranchise. And let’s be honest, does any game get more heated between friends than aFIFAgame? I’ve seen more controllers thrown while a group of people plays this game than any other title. Something about it just brings out the competitiveness in your blood.— ZF

3.

Madden NFL 2005

Consoles:Game Boy Advance, GameCube,Nintendo DS, PC, PlayStation,PlayStation 2,Tapwave Zodiac, Xbox
Release Date:August 9, 2004

Back in 2005, the NFL video game landscape was sort of like professional wrestling’s Monday Night Rawin the late ‘90s. Just as WWE and WCW had to constantly think of innovative ways to one-up their competitor, the same could be said about the Madden and NFL 2Kfranchises. Madden NFL 2005 delivereda new feature that would become a cornerstone of the franchise moving forward, the Hit Stick. With Ray Lewis on the cover as the perfect ambassador, the Hit Stick allowed players to lay bone-crunching hits with the flick of the analog stick. It made you actually want to play defense in an attempt to lay out the biggest hit of the game rather than just go through the motions until the next offensive drive. It also added a whole new group of animations to the gameplay that, by 2005 standards, was more realistic than ever before. The title also offered Storyline Central, a deep mode thatallowed you to control things as minor as the price of a hot dog at the stadium of your favorite teamand mini-camp drills that could take up hours of time if you weren’t careful. EA Sports was also in their BAG curating this soundtrack. We need Madden to get back to this level. This is the gold standard. — MD

2.

NBA 2K11

Consoles:PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
Release Date:October 5, 2010

For as much as people complain aboutNBA 2knot changing in recent years, there are really no holes you can poke inNBA 2k11. Hell, they put Michael Jordan on the cover for a reason. They knew they had the GOAT on their hands. In my eyes, this is the best basketball game ever. No2kfranchise had better gameplay than this year. It was simply perfect. Throw in the “Jordan Challenges” where you could literally play out MJ’s career, and this game really had it all. The “Jordan Challenges” were so good, they had to bring them back this inNBA 2K23. And honestly, we could debate for hours about where the game went from here, but why even do that. Let’s just celebrate how epic this one was.— ZF

1.

ESPN NFL 2K5

Consoles:PlayStation 2, Xbox

Release Date:July 20, 2004

Back in 2005, EA Sports wasn’t the only company producing official NFL games. In fact, many would argue that 2K Sports was doing it better. ESPNNFL 2K5 is still widely regarded as the best football game ever made for good reason. An official licensing deal with ESPN allowed for SportsCenter cutscenes and commentary from Chris Berman. Players had accurate face scans and almost unheard-of attention to detail in the PS2 era of graphics. It felt that much closer to what you’d watch on Sundays. The ability to play games from an in-helmet first-person camera angle, while not perfect, was also unlike anything we had ever seen before. You could fill “The Crib” with unlockable mini-games and memorabilia, and Carmen Electra challenged you to games for prizes. The whole thing was over-the-top nonsense in the best way possible. All the extras aside, the game was just a fun football simulation. Oh, and it was also only $19.99.

2K5 would end up being the last installment in the series, as EA would acquire exclusive rights to the NFL license in the years that followed. But there is a reason news of an NFL 2K comeback had people talking. It’s because this game was that damn good. — MD

The 25 Best Sports Video Games of All Time, Ranked (2025)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Prof. An Powlowski

Last Updated:

Views: 5887

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (44 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Prof. An Powlowski

Birthday: 1992-09-29

Address: Apt. 994 8891 Orval Hill, Brittnyburgh, AZ 41023-0398

Phone: +26417467956738

Job: District Marketing Strategist

Hobby: Embroidery, Bodybuilding, Motor sports, Amateur radio, Wood carving, Whittling, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Prof. An Powlowski, I am a charming, helpful, attractive, good, graceful, thoughtful, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.