Amory Wong started working at EA Canada when it was still independent developer “Distinctive Software”, or DSI. They developed a number of noteworthy sports and racing games in the late 80’s and early 90’s, including Hardball II, Test Drive, and one of my all-time favorite DOS games, Stunts (A.K.A. “4D Driving”.) DSI was eventually bought … Read more
As a launch title on the Sega Genesis, Tommy Lasorda Baseball has the distinction of being the first sports game on a system known for its sports games. It was also the first example of Sega paying big bucks for a celebrity endorsement, as they later did with Pat Riley Basketball, Joe Montana Football, and … Read more
Episode 13 – This week on the show, I review Tecmo Bowl and Tecmo Super Bowl on the NES, which are both classics that you undoubtedly played if you grew up in the 80’s. I also take a look at Tecmo Super Bowl 2014 from the good folks at TecmoBowl.org, which gives you the same … Read more
Episode 9 – This week I teach you how to flip the script on your hipster buddies! Let your friends play their Genesis and Super Nintendo systems, while you play John Madden Duo CD Football for the TurboDuo and Turbografx-16 CD. This and the 3DO version have to be the two most obscure games in … Read more
Episode 7 – This week I review both golf games on the Neo-Geo AES, MVS, and CD. Top Players Golf is a completely skippable game, but if you aren’t playing Neo Turf Masters, then you just aren’t the gamer that I thought you were! If you don’t have a Neo-Geo, you can play Neo Turf … Read more
Episode 6 – This week I review all 3 baseball games on the Neo-Geo AES, MVS, and CD systems. Baseball Stars Professional, 2020 Super Baseball, and Baseball Stars 2 are all awesome games, and I wouldn’t consider my collection to be complete without all three of them!
Anyone who pays any attention to this site should have known that a golf game would be among the first that I’d review for a newly-added console. The only other golf game on the system is the much older Top Players Golf, and given my choice I would have reviewed it first to give a … Read more
Although not a launch title, Pat Riley Basketball does hold the distinction of being the first hoops game on the Genesis. As was the case with other early Sega sports games, PRB has no license and used the notoriety of one name to help sell cartridges. The game features 2 modes, a single exhibition game … Read more
Not to be confused with the vastly-different Baseball Stars II on the Neo-Geo, this NES title is the lesser-known follow up to one of the greatest baseball games known to humankind. As was the case with a lot of great NES games, Baseball Stars II didn’t get a lot of ink back in its day, … Read more
Although it had previously appeared on various home computer systems, the Genesis version of John Madden Football marked the first appearance of the franchise on a home console. While other football games like the Tecmo Bowl series and Joe Montana Football were taking the arcade-style approach with bigger plays and more scoring, the Madden series … Read more
My childhood memories of playing baseball games on the Nintendo are dominated by Bases Loaded with its TV-style presentation, RBI Baseball, and the horrible and unimaginatively-titled Baseball. Although I never played it (or even remember hearing about it) back then, in the time since the NES has faded into obsolescence Baseball Stars has risen above … Read more
I bought NFL Football brand new in 1990, having walked from my dad’s place to the downtown mall one Sunday when the NFL football season was in full swing. I was eager to buy the first football game released for the Game Boy, but would have been better served by getting mugged on the way … Read more
Tecmo Bowl and its sequel, Tecmo Super Bowl were big hits on the NES but somehow this Game Boy port flew under the radar. When I found this game in with a bunch of used cartridges at a local store, I had no idea that the game had ever been released but I knew that … Read more
“Gateball” is a Japanese sport not unlike croquet. Players use a long mallet to hit balls through three gates in a particular order and then hit a goal post to score and finish their round. It is a team-based sport, with up to 5 players on each squad. One team wins when either every player … Read more
For sports fans, there wasn’t much to choose from on the Turbo. As was the case with most sports, there was only one baseball game on the system – World Class Baseball. The game tries to sell itself as a baseball simulator but is in reality a very arcade-like experience, with pitches that defy the … Read more
Probably the most famous thing about Lee Trevino’s Fighting Golf is the title. Fighting Golf? Was that meant to trick someone into buying this game thinking that it was the sequel to the Atari 7800 classic Ninja Golf? Now that game was fighting golf. Lee Trevino’s Fighting Golf is definitely one of the better golf … Read more
Track & Field is a home port of the 1983 arcade game of the same name. Although the original arcade game never gained much notoriety, the release of the game on the NES popularized the series and spawned numerous sequels on multiple platforms. Track & Field features 8 events; the 100-meter dash, long jump, 110-meter … Read more
Joe Montana Football was intended to be the first football game available on the Genesis, but due to various development problems the game was released one month after John Madden Football. Developed by Electronic Arts, the game was not meant to be a direct competitor to their own Madden franchise. Rather, Joe Montana Football provides … Read more
As an avid retro sports gamer, I’m always picking up old sports games that I either don’t have or have never played. Doubly-so when they’re Ice Hockey, Golf, or Baseball games. Sometimes I find a hidden (at least to me) gem, and sometimes that dollar would have been better spent if flushed down the toilet. … Read more