Even though EA and 2K’s mega-licensed series are the most popular sports games, these titles have done well without being recognized by governing bodies.
Some of the most popular game series are based on sports. Most of them have licenses from professional sports leagues, so you can use the images of real teams and players. Even though the core gameplay stays mostly the same, many of you buy the newest versions every year to get the new rosters.
Unlicensed sports video games may seem to be at a disadvantage because of this, but they can sometimes offer unique ways to play without having to pay a big licensing fee. Most of the time, these have a lot to do with independent developers, who skip the yearly releases of bigger companies in favor of making polished games that are worth buying.
Axis Football
If Madden made you sad about how football games are right now, there is another. Over the years, Axis Football has slowly gotten better, making it something you should pay attention to. Fans will tell you that this is one of the most realistic football games you can play. Even though it doesn’t have an NFL license or the flashy graphics of Madden.
There are also many ways to change the game, which is something that Madden has lost track of. Even though there are some problems, Axis Football is both cheap and a good try.
Saturday Night Slam Masters
If you went to an arcade in 1993, this was the game to play. We’re not sure if pro wrestling games have gotten better since then. This Capcom classic has a colorful cast of wrestlers that fans of the big wrestling IPs of the time will know well.
The controls are easy to use and work well. You can jump, attack, and grab. Like other fighting games, you can wear down an opponent’s life meter and then try to pin them for three seconds. There are one-on-one and two-on-two matches, which took up a lot of quarters without getting the attention of the WWE.
Super Mega Baseball 3
There is a bit of a war between the many MLB-licensed games that come out. But one game could be better than all of them. The Super Mega Baseball series by Metalhead Software is fun to play. Even though it doesn’t have Fenway Park or Aaron Judge, it has great baseball-themed gameplay and interesting art.
There have been three books in this series, and none of them got any big-league support. It fills the need for a fun arcade game that doesn’t feel cheap. While MLB: The Show can be hard to play because it has so many details about baseball. Even though it is in the minor leagues, Super Mega Baseball is as good as anything in the major leagues.
Blitz: The League
The sad thing about the Blitz series is that it lost its NFL license without a proper goodbye. NFL Blitz by Midway was a hit in arcades, and the home console versions were a must-play in the 1990s. But by 2005, EA Sports had won the right to make the only NFL football game. So Blitz had to pick up the pieces.
The hard-hitting football game was brought to the next generation of consoles by Blitz: The League. It also had a great story mode and could be played online. Even though you couldn’t play as your favorite NFL team, it was a good next step in the Blitz series.
Mutant Football League
If you don’t have an NFL license, why don’t you lean into the skid? In Mutant Football League, football players are replaced by characters from horror movies. This game is similar to NFL Blitz, but it has a “for adults” twist that is strangely surprising and fun.
Digital Dreams Entertainment even changed the names of real players and teams to make fun of them. You could spend $60 getting your favorite team, the Seahawks, to the Super Bowl in Madden, or you could play Mutant Football League and break some heads and rip off limbs.
eFootball Series
With the licensing of thousands of players and hundreds of teams, FIFA has become a major force in sports. It has gotten a lot of attention in the world of soccer video games. But the ISS, Pro Evolution Soccer, and now eFootball series are not scared.
Even though the latest eFootball game has been panned, the Pro Evolution Soccer series has been a fan favorite for years. Fans would often download files that let them add all the licensed FIFA teams to their game. Now, Konami is starting to catch up by getting licenses from club teams and leagues. Even though it’s not as big as FIFA, it’s still a fun video game brand battle to watch.
All-Pro Football 2K8
The 2K NFL football games were great, but since the NFL gave all of its rights to EA Sports, 2K Sports had to come up with something new. Even though there was no NFL license, you probably cared more that you could still play your favorite 2K football game.
There were also a lot of retired NFL players in the game, which also helped. This is still thought to be one of the best football games, but that’s. Because we still want new 2K football games like the ones that made the Dreamcast so popular.
Blades Of Steel
Blades of Steel was such a good game without a license that the NHL gave it one. Happy Wheels was a memorable game for the NES. Because of how well it played and how far the voice samples had come.
Konami made the game fast, like playing on ice, and added fighting. Many kids remember playing this game when they were younger. Which is why the series came back on the N64, Game Boy, and PlayStation. Even though they finally got an NHL license, most people didn’t like these new entries.
